so I don't usually post anything but I was invited by a friend to a little get together nothing official just an excuse to truly go all out and practice techniques and weapons for judicial duels. and while I was there we got on the subject of plate armor and someone mentioned Scottish plate. I have never really heard that the scotts had there own style of plate do any of you know of any examples of this. I would love to know of any links or pictures you guys have.

Depends where. All I see in the lowlands is emulation really. I have never seen much evidence for armour production in Scotland though I am still looking. The effigies I have seen from the Lowlands (not many around) show very similar to those in the south. If you get into the Isles/perhaps Highland and that area they have an interesting tradition of aketons and tall bascients, some seem to have armour on over the aketon.

I am not sure the Highlands and the Isles are identical and much of the evidence people use for highlands is not actually found in geographic areas of the Highlands so be careful. During and after Bruce's time there is a change in that some Lowland nobles acquire lands in the Highlands which may change things there as well. Very unlikely the lords and their retainers left their martial equipment in the lowlands. That said they likely would have been in a minority there.

I know of no strong studies in this topic really though which makes it rather tricky to be sure.

For years people said the Scot nobles were all poor as dirt on European standards But Dr. Campbell's work more or less disproves that, issue seem to simply be Scotland has a smaller population and therefore lower population to draw upon for war.

RPM

that's all I really see as well the most I have seen is jack chains. I am interested because I am pondering the idea of a new suit and Scottish would be a little different.

I am not sure about jack chains? Any images for those?

If you want different go as a man of the Isles.

RPM

Alex. If you want to go with Randall's idea and arm yourself as an Islesmen, you could still wear a suit of plate armour, as is depicted in a small number of grave slabs. The only distinctive part about these armours is that they have the typical tall, open faced bascinet, with a large triangular aventail/pisane, found on most other grave slabs from the Isles. Add a sword with down sloped guard, and your good to go.

I had never thought about arming my self as a man of the isles. but I am still interested on a historical level. I wish I knew of a good website that depicts armor in tapestries and paintings. As far as I have seen the scotts didn't have a strong knightly culture like Europe did, and I think that's why we don't see a heavy use of plate armor.

Are you aware of the Effigies and Brasses, and Manuscripts Miniatures websites?[/quote]

No I was not aware of them but after taking a look I am sure glad I am now. thakyou

I think Craig summarized that very well. David really promotes the growth of a pretty mainstream knightly class. In part by moving Normans to Scotland. My family for example is very likely to have some Norman blood to them. And of course as people in a elite class associate and intermarry their offspring have both Norman and scot characters they pick up. Ye4s this is largely in the Lowlands but the Lowlands really in many respects runs the show for much of the period. In the Highlands even you have the highest lords who associate with the other Lowlanders and as by the 14th some of these are from the Lowlands hard to imagine there was at least some development in the culture.

As I said before the issue is largely of a smaller knightly class over underdeveloped.

RPM