Robert Mackie Bonnets Available from Scotland Shop

[OC Richard]

Here's the Mackie colours I happen to have photos of.

I don't have photos of Balmorals in

-the ubiquitous Navy Blue

-Royal Blue (not the Saxe blue, it's a deep and very strong Royal Blue, I have a photo of a guy wearing it but not a photo of just the bonnet)

-Red (not the claret, it's a bright pure red, I've seen it but can't find a photo of one)

If any of you can contribute photos of those colours it would be great, I'd like to have a collage of every Mackie colour.

I'd prefer photos of the diced versions if possible.

[DCampbell16B]

Maybe it's just me. I like dark blue. Somehow "All the Fawn Bonnets are over the Border" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

[OC Richard]

Ha!

For sure they originally always seemed to be blue.



The Highlanders of Scotland (1860s) of course is by far the largest collection of colour portraits showing pre-modern Highland Dress. I just looked through and I only spotted one non-blue bonnet. I appears to be black.



Then there's the series of illustrations apparently done around 1900 showing men (and one woman) in Highland costume, the purpose being to illustrate various Clan tartans. Some men are in ornate late Victorian Highland Dress, others are fantasy illustrations showing 'ancient Highlanders' (similar to the RR McIan fantasy illustrations). These illustrations seem to have been initially published by W & AK Johnstone (Edinburgh) between 1901 and 1907, and later in book form around the end of WWI.

All the bonnets appear to be blue save for two that appear to be mid-grey, and one green bonnet on a fantasy 'ancient Highlander'.

Here's a selection but the grey bonnets (Buchanan and MacLennan) aren't shown. Ross shows the green one. (Nary a sword that's not unsheathed!)

[Bad Monkey]

Not to offer lovat blue seems a shame.

[figheadair]

For sure they originally always seemed to be blue.

I can think of at least one historical exception. Aeneas (Angus) MacBean of Kinchyle c.1743 is shown wearing a maronish-red bonnet.

[DCampbell16B]

@figheadair I don't want to derail the thread, but I'm not familiar with that portrait. Where is that located?

[figheadair]

@figheadair I don't want to derail the thread, but I'm not familiar with that portrait. Where is that located?

I can't recall exactly but it's in a private Care Home of some sort in the US.

[SF Jeff]

Maybe it's just me. I like dark blue. Somehow "All the Fawn Bonnets are over the Border" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

You need to keep the alliteration, so perhaps All the Bordeaux Bonnets Are Over the Border.

[ASinclair]

...

-Royal Blue (not the Saxe blue, it's a deep and very strong Royal Blue, I have a photo of a guy wearing it but not a photo of just the bonnet) ....

Here's a picture of Royal Blue -



Also, I emailed you a PDF containing the brochure this came from.

[OC Richard]

Thank you so much!! You know how much I love old catalogues.

We have a local piping judge who wears a Royal Blue Mackie. He's not hard to locate at a Highland Games.