A visit to Edinburgh museum

**Phil** · 31st July 07, 07:43 AM

I popped into the Edinburgh museum today and took a few photos which I thought would be interesting. There is too much to show everything but here is a sample.

This is how upper class scots dressed in the early 1700's - tartan from head to toe and note the buckled shoes

Another costume from a similar period, this time just a jacket. No jokes about "Men in tights" please but this is probably what this guy would have worn. The costume is from the Royal Company of Archers a crowd of tossers who still dress up and prance about in Scotland with bows and arrows, supposedly the monarchs bodyguard.

This is a page from a 19th century book of tartan samples and is the MacDonald of Glencoe

And while on the subject of Glencoe - here is the warrant signed by William of Orange authorising the massacre along with Stair's pistols.

In case you thought the French invented the guillotine, here is the one used in Edinburgh in Mary Queen of Scots time. It wasn't only penicillin, television, rubber tyres, tarmac etc. that the Scots invented you know. It was used to separate the murderers of Lord Darnley from their heads -

Here is an early saltire flag. It was said to have flown at the battle of Dunbar in 1650 so you can understand why it is a bit faded now.

Now the bit you've been waiting for - here is a collection of early dirks. Note the triangular blades and the distinctively "ballock" shaped hilts -

How about these for claymores. The person behind the case will give some idea of their size -

And lastly a pistol, dirk and sgian dhubh from the 1700's which were made illegal after Culloden -

**Big Mikey** · 31st July 07, 07:57 AM

A very nice picture essay. Thank you for sharing those great pics.

**Kiltedmusiclover** · 31st July 07, 07:59 AM

Phil,

Thanks for sharing these photos.
I especially like the one of the claymores.

**McMurdo** · 31st July 07, 08:00 AM

Thanks for the pictures and tour Phil. I love seeing history like this as our history is so short on this side of the pond in comparison. I was thinking when I saw the first picture that I should never complain about being too hot in a 16oz kilt.

**Tattoo Bradley** · 31st July 07, 08:13 AM

Wonderful photos. Thanks for sharing.

**beloitpiper** · 31st July 07, 08:21 AM

Interesting photos. I'll have to visit the museum when I get over there.

**pdcorlis** · 31st July 07, 08:25 AM

Thanks for the trip through the museum - from one Phil to another...

**Phil** · 31st July 07, 08:30 AM

Originally Posted by McMurdo

Thanks for the pictures and tour Phil. I love seeing history like this as our history is so short on this side of the pond in comparison. I was thinking when I saw the first picture that I should never complain about being too hot in a 16oz kilt.

And didn't they like the green fringe around everything in those days? Wonder if it will come back.
Here is the kind of loom they made the tartan on -

For sporan fans here is a selection of oldies along with some cantles and in the middle is a highland sword belt -

This is another old claymore. It was said to have been Robert the Bruce's but now they think it was actually from the 1600's -

This is a broadsword, dirk and targe given to Bonnie Prince Charlie by the Duke of Perth. He left in a bit of a hurry and must have forgotten it! -

And last and a bit more modern, these were Robert Burns' pistols when he worked as an Exciseman in Dumfries towards the end of his life -

I didn't find what I was really looking for and that was Rob Roy MacGregor's sporan cantle. It has two pistols built in, just the job if someone tries to steal your money.