Discover the Highland Uniform
Table of Contents
Kilts and tartans
The kilt is the garment most powerfully associated with a Highland regiment. At once functional and symbolic, it evolved from the simple necessity of clothing oneself in a cold, damp climate to become a badge of cultural pride, military identity, and clan heritage.
The earliest predecessor of the kilt was the féileadh mòr, or “great plaid,” dating to at least the late 16th century. Highland men gathered and pleated the cloth by hand, wrapping it around their waists so the lower half resembled a skirt, while the upper portion could be draped over the shoulder or pulled over the head against rain and cold.
The Modern Kilt
Sometime in the late 17th or early 18th century the small kilt (fèileadh beag, anglicised as filibeg or philabeg), using a single width of cloth worn hanging down below the belt came into use. The tailored kilt was adopted by the Highland regiments of the British Army, and the military kilt and its formalised accessories passed into civilian usage during the early 19th century and have remained popular ever since. A regimental kilt of the Gordon Highlanders (92nd Regiment of Foot) from c. 1817 still survives in remarkable condition at the National Army Museum in the United Kingdom. A properly made kilt requires about eight to nine yards of heavy worsted wool. Modern kilts are tailored with meticulous care. The fabric is pleated along the back and sides, with the pleats stitched so the tartan pattern is preserved in a regular sequence. The front aprons remain flat.
Tartans: Origins and Symbolism
Tartan is a woven pattern of crisscrossed stripes in multiple colors. The earliest tartans were practical: undyed wool or vegetable-dyed patterns, varying by region due to the plants and minerals available. As dyeing technology improved, colors multiplied. From the late 17th century onward, tartan became an emblem of Scottish and clan identity. By the Victorian period — when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert embraced Highland culture — each clan, district, and regiment formalized particular “setts.” Tartan manufacturers published pattern books defining thousands of variants.
48th Highlanders – Davidson Tartan
The Davidson tartan worn by the 48th Highlanders to commemorate their first Commanding Officer – Colonel John Irvine Davidson, VD. dates to at least the 18th century, connected to Clan Davidson, one of the major clans of the Chattan Confederation in Inverness-shire. It features a balanced and handsome pattern:
48th Pipers
The pipers of the 48th Highlanders wear the Fingask (sometimes called Stewart of Fingask) tartan.
Doublets and Jackets
The highland style doublet worn by all ranks of the 48th Highlanders is scarlet with blue facings and regimental gold-coloured buttons. It has been worn in various forms since the Regiment’s founding in 1891. The intent of the Regiment’s founders was to base the new regiment’s uniforms around those worn by the Gordon Highlanders. However the doublets that arrived from Scotland were Cameron Highlanders pattern, and it was decided to keep them. Regimental pipers wear a dark green doublet which is traditional to most army pipe bands.
Canadian Army service dress jackets are green and adapted to be worn with a kilt.
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Plaid
Historically, the great plaid was the precursor to the kilt: the full-width woolen cloth belted around the body. Over time, as kilts became separate garments, the plaid was retained as a mantle or cloak. In regimental full dress, the plaid is worn draped over the left shoulder and secured with a large brooch. It hangs down the back, sometimes nearly to the hem of the kilt. In the field, it could still serve as a blanket. The plaid’s dramatic sweep and movement on parade help frame the entire uniform, adding grandeur and emphasizing the heritage of the Highland warrior.
Three varieties of plaids are worn within the 48th Highlanders:
- Long plaid (around the chest and secured at the left shoulder) is worn by pipers.
- Short plaid (from the left shoulder) by officers, warrant officers and drummers.
- Other ranks wear a ‘fly’
Brooch
The plaid brooch’s main function is to secure the plaid where it crosses the shoulder, preventing it from slipping. The brooch draws the eye upward in the ensemble and creates a focal point that anchors the flowing plaid. Its gleam against the dark tartan emphasizes formality and attention to detail.
Three types of plaid brooch are worn in the 48th Highlanders:
- Officers wear a falcon on a wreath with “48” set on a silver disc.
- Warrant Officers wear the above without the disc.
- Pipers and drummers wear a circular brooch open in the centre with celtic inscriptions and the number “48” at the bottom.
Sporran
The sporran (Gaelic for “purse”) emerged to address a practical problem: kilts have no pockets. Early Highlanders carried pouches of deerskin, calfskin, or simple leather tied around the waist. Different styles of sporrans evolved for different purposes: day sporrans are simpler, often brown leather with three tassels; semi-dress sporrans mix leather and fur; full dress sporrans are large and highly ornamental, sometimes featuring six or more tassels, elaborate cantles, and fur fronts such as sealskin. Regardless of form, the sporran remains both functional — carrying coins, keys, and small items — and symbolic of Highland heritage.
Dress sporrans worn within the 48th Highlanders are made of horse hair– white tails on a black background. Officers and Chief Warrant Officers sporrans have three white tails and all others have two. Different tops or cantles are worn by officers, warrant officers, sergeants and pipers.
Diced Hose
Diced hose are knee-length knitted wool stockings marked by their distinctive two-color checkerboard pattern. Red-and-white or red-and-black dicing was formalized in military dress regulations in the 19th century, making them an instantly recognizable feature of Highland regiments.
48th Highlanders use the red and black diced version with the red diamond to the front on top. They are secured by plain red flashes with one loop worn by officers and other ranks have no loops.
Spats
Spats, short for “spatterdashes,” evolved in the 17th century to protect shoes and stockings from mud, dust, and moisture. Early versions were made of leather and extended to mid-calf, fastening with buttons up the side. While obsolete for field service, spats remain part of full ceremonial uniform, preserving a link to the dress practices of earlier centuries.
48th Highlanders wear the Gordon Highlanders pattern spat with ten black buttons for officers and eight for other ranks.
Baldricks and belts
A baldrick is a wide strap worn diagonally over the shoulder to support a sword or other weapon. In medieval Europe, baldricks were the standard way to carry a heavy blade, freeing the waist for movement. In Highland dress, the baldrick was often adopted as a badge of office, especially by officers or pipers.
Officers of the 48th Highlanders wear a white baldrick with a gilt polished cross-belt plate with distinct version of the badge. Field officers wear a waist belt and sling with gold embroidery on red leather. Officers wear white waist belts and sword slings. Pipers wear a traditional black baldrick style belt.
Types of Headdress
Feather Bonnet
The feather bonnet is the dramatic headdress recognized in Highland full dress. By mid-18th century, Highland soldiers began to cover these bonnets with ostrich feathers, both for decoration and to exaggerate height. In the Napoleonic era, this evolved further: bonnets were reinforced with wire and leather to form a tall, basket-shaped framework completely covered in plumes. A chequered band encircled the base, and a hackle—usually red or white—rose above the forehead.
The feather bonnets worn by the 48th Highlanders are of black ostrich feathers with a white hackle (plume) in the style of the Gordon Highlanders. Officer’s bonnets traditionally have four tails that hang out of the right side of the bonnet while other ranks have three.
Glengarry
The Glengarry is a traditional Scottish folding cap associated with Highland dress and still worn by the 48th Highlanders today. Originating in the early 19th century, it evolved from earlier military bonnets and was adopted for its practical, portable design. Made of thick wool and shaped with tapering sides and a crease down the middle, the Glengarry is stiff enough to hold its shape but soft enough to be folded flat and tucked into a belt or pocket.
Most members of the Highlanders wear a glengarry in navy blue with a distinctive red-and-white and black diced band around the base and two trailing black ribbons at the back. A small toorie (pom-pom) decorates the crown, and the 48th Highlanders’ cap badge is displayed on the left side. This version of the Glengarry is used across ranks in undress and ceremonial dress. Pipers wear a plain dark blue Glengarry.
However, the pipers of the 48th Highlanders wear a plain dark blue Glengarry with no red-and-white dicing, setting them apart visually from the rest of the regiment.
Balmoral
The Balmoral is a traditional Scottish bonnet characterized by a flat, round crown and soft, knitted construction. Unlike the Glengarry, it lacks a central crease and is typically worn pulled slightly to one side. Its origins lie in the earlier broad bonnets worn by Highlanders in the 17th and 18th centuries, and it takes its name from Balmoral Castle, a royal residence in Scotland.
Introduced to the 48th Highlanders in 1914, the Balmoral replaced the Glengarry for wear in active service, especially during the First World War. Its lower profile and soft construction made it more suitable for use with steel helmets and in trench conditions. It is worn with the badge worn on a patch of regimental tartan on the left side. Pipers wear it with a Fingask patch fashioned to form a St Andrews Cross behind the badge.
Accoutrements
Sgian Dubh (Skean dhu)
The sgian dubh (“black knife,” pronounced skee-an doo) is a small blade worn tucked into the top of the kilt hose on the right leg, with only the pommel visible. Its origins are tied to the sgian achlais (“armpit dagger”), which was once carried concealed under the arm. While primarily ceremonial today, it serves as a nod to the practicality of Highland life and the discreet readiness expected of a Highlander.
In the 48th Highlanders, Sgian Dubh’s are worn by officer, warrant officers, pipers and drummers. The pattern was originally based on that of the Gordon Highlanders. However difficulty in procuring the pattern and cost led to a new pattern being adopted in 2015.
Dirk
The dirk (biodag in Gaelic) is a long dagger that descends from the medieval ballock dagger, once used widely across Europe. For Highland warriors, it served as a thrusting weapon in close combat and also as a general utility blade. Early dirks had plain wooden or horn handles and unadorned steel blades. Over the 17th and 18th centuries, their form became more elaborate. Officers and gentlemen commissioned dirks with carved ebony or bog oak hilts decorated with silver studs and Celtic knotwork. In the 19th century, the dirk took on a ceremonial role, particularly in regimental dress. Blades were etched or engraved with thistles, regimental crests, and scrollwork. The pommel was often capped with a polished Cairngorm stone—a smoky yellow or brown quartz from the Scottish mountains.
Today, while the dirk is no longer used in combat, it remains an indispensable piece of formal Highland dress, symbolizing vigilance, tradition, and the martial character of Highland society. Dirks are worn with Full Dress by officers and Chief Warrant Officers.
Claymore and broadsword
The claymore (claidheamh mòr, “great sword”) was a battlefield weapon of the 16th–17th centuries. It is most recognizable as a two-handed sword with a straight, double-edged blade measuring 4 feet or more in length. By the 18th century, the two-handed claymore was largely obsolete, replaced in practical fighting by basket-hilted broadswords.
Within the Regiment, claymores (basket hilted swords) are carried by officers, company sergeant majors, the Pipe Major and the Drum Major.