II Certain Delusions of the North Britons 303 



Thomas Rawlinson, an iron smelter/ and an English- 

 man, was the person who about or prior to A.D. 1728 

 introduced the philabeg or short kilt worn in the 

 Highlands.' This fact is established in a letter 

 from Evan Baillie of Aberachar in the Ediiiburgh 

 Magazine for 1785, and in the Culloden Papers. 

 The earliest dress of the Highlander consisted of a 

 large woollen wrapper, extending from the shoulder 

 to about the knees, in one piece ; when Rawlinson's 

 men, finding this garment inconvenient, separated 

 the lower part from the upper, so that they might 

 when heated throw off the upper and leave the 

 lower, which thus became the philabeg, or short kilt. 

 Another account says that, many of his men having 

 nothing on but the plaid or maud, he persuaded 

 them to wind it round their waists, and stick a 

 skewer therein to keep it fast ; and this, in my belief, 

 is the true origin of the kilt. Strange that to an 

 Englishman the Scots should not only owe the 

 garment they deem national, but to him also they 

 should owe the knowledge of the art of working 

 at all ! 



The belted plaid of which we have been hearing 

 was a sensible garment enough. In a print at 

 Belvoir Castle are depicted two Highlanders who 

 were out with the Pretender in the '45. They wear 

 a double plaid petticoat, descending nearly to the 

 ankle, the outer part of which they were in the habit 



1 Possibly the cutting down of the Lochaber woods was for smelt- 

 ing purposes. — Ed. 



