[David Reynolds]

I have been reading on the site for a few months and reenacting for a few years. I am gradually working on making my attire "less inaccurate".

Two questions that I have not been able to work out.

1) I recognize that most highland Scots did not wear shoes. However, since that is usually not practical in modern reenactment, I have found that D'Arfeville comments on some Scots wearing "boots made in an old-fashioned way, which come as high as their knees". Any thoughts on exactly what design or style this likely would have been?

2) Though the close helm and burgonet were popular in 16th century England and among royals in Scotland, I also recognize that most highland clans did not adopt the heavy plate of much of the rest of the island. As such, would they have adopted the same helmet styles? If not, any thoughts on what would likely have been a common helmet for a low level noble in highland Scotland?

[Stephen Curtin]

Hi David, for boots worn by highland Scots, I have no idea what they might have looked like, but I have read of highlanders using deerskin (with the hair still on it) to make their footware. As for helmets, AFAIK the basinet was still the most popular type of helmet in use in the highlands, though other helms such as skullcaps, morions, cabassets, and burgonets were also used to some extent.