Fly Plaid at Burns Supper?

[OC Richard]

There was a period when NCOs and SNCOs wore their rank on both arms.

It may be that that re-enactment uniform is supposed to represent that era and you're just not seeing the other arm.

Yes I think so. According to Barnes chevrons were worn on both arms in the Highland regiments until 1881.

What I was noticing was the style of doublet.

19th century Highland military jackets went through four stages which allow the time-period of any vintage image to be known. Film costumers and re-enactors must be careful, or be caught out.

c1800 to 1854 the Highland regiments wore coatees similar to the rest of the army, but with shorter tails. Oddly, coatees were revived twice, once c1900 for the civilian Prince Charlie coatee, and then in 1953 for the Coronation No1 Dress Archer Green coatee. (A coatee is a jacket which ends at the waist in the front but has tails in the back.)

In 1855 all Highland soldiers were put into double-breasted doublets with square buttons and slash cuffs. (Pipers of some regiments had been wearing doublets since c1840.) Note the clearly pocketlike Tashes. (A doublet is a jacket with four pockets or tashes, two in front, two in back, extending below the waist.)

1856 saw quick replacement by a single-breasted doublet with round buttons. (The pipers of the 79th Foot retained square ones.)

In 1868 the final form of the doublet appeared, with the earlier slash cuffs replaced by gauntlet cuffs, the piping on the collar shifted to the bottom, and the piping on epaulettes disappeared. (Pipers of some regiments had been wearing gauntlet cuffs since c1840.)