FOUR SCOTTISH SAINTS

THEIR LIVES, VENERATION AND PILGRIMAGE

A PROPOSED UNIVERSITY OF ATLANTIA CLASS

PRESENTED BY

LORD MUNGO NAPIER,  LAIRD OF MALLARD LODGE

Wikipedia lists 60 saints associated with Scotland and its earlier component kingdoms. Many of these are rather obscure, often Irish missionaries who followed Saint Columba to Iona. This class has only time to discuss four of the most important saints. The choices presented here represent various types of saints: missionaries, incomers, native-born, and a patron saint who had nothing to do with Scotland during his earthly life.

My interest in these saints is largely historical. Church teachings about some of these saints are at variance with historical facts. No disrespect is intended toward any church, their teachings or to any followers of those faiths.

 

SAINT ANDREW,  PATRON AND PROTECTOR

A disciple and apostle of Jesus, Saint Andrew was crucified by the Romans about AD 60 in Patras, Greece. According to the 3rd century Acts of Andrew, he was tied to a Latin Cross. The story that he was crucified on an X-shaped cross at his request because he did not feel worthy to die like Jesus is a 14th century invention, as supported by the entry in the Catholic Encyclopedia. [1]

According to legend, about 335, a monk, abbot or bishop named Regulus resided in Patras. In a dream he was told by a “divine being” that Emperor Constantine's agents were on their way to seize Saint Andrew’s relics and carry them off to Constantinople. 

Saint Andrew, Wrapped  in Tartan Glory 

Regulus was ordered to take whatever relics he could grab beyond the Empire's western borders. There he would be directed to a spot upon which to build a church where the relics could be venerated in safety. Regulus landed at Cill Rìmhinn in Pictland (later known as St. Andrews, Scotland) where he met the Pictish king Óengus mac Fergus (Óengus I), who gave Regulus permission to build his church.

There are two problems with this story: there is no historical evidence for anybody named Regulus in Patras at this time; and Óengus wasn’t born for another 350 or so years. However, alleged relics of Saint Andrew were kept in Constantinople at the Church of the Holy Apostles until stolen by Crusaders in 1204 (now in Amalfi, Italy), so there might some truth in this story.

More likely the relics were brought to Scotland by a Northumbrian Saxon Bishop named Acca of Hexham. He is known to have been in Rome, probably twice, and was said to have been given some unnamed relics to enhance his church in Hexham — a church dedicated to Saint Andrew. Acca was forced into exile around 730, taking the relics with him. According to some versions of the story, he took refuge in Pictland where he met the real Óengus. Acca then built a church at Cill Rìmhinn dedicated to Saint Regulus (later called Saint Rule in Scotland) where Saint Andrew’s relics were housed. [2] The relics are said to have been six in number, an upper arm bone, a knee cap, three finger bones and a tooth.

In 832 Óengus II was about to fight the invading Angles at the Battle of Athelstaneford. He was heavily outnumbered. According to legend, the night before the battle Óengus prayed to Saint Andrew, and promised that if the saint would grant him victory, Óengus would make him patron of all Scotland (remember, “Scotland” didn’t exist yet!). The next morning as the armies squared off, a huge X-shaped cloud appeared above the battlefield. Taking this as a sign of saintly support, the Picts charged into their enemies and slaughtered the Angles. Thus, the gentle Apostle Andrew became a Scottish war saint, as well as Scotland’s patron saint and protector. [3]

 

Saint Andrew was frequently used for political purposes by the Scots. The Athelstaneford myth was invoked by the Scots during their struggles against the English during the Wars of Scottish Independence. The Athelstaneford story is also the basis for the national flag of Scotland. Saint Andrew was used again by the Scots when the archbishops of York and Canterbury both claimed supremacy over Scotland’s churches. After hearing an appeal from the Scottish clergy claiming Saint Andrew’s favor, Pope Alexander III granted Glasgow’s diocese protection as “a special daughter of Rome” in 1175. That protection was later extended to most of Scotland. [4]

Saint Rule's Tower, St. Andrews (Jim Bain Photo, Wikipedia Commons)

By the 11th century, Saint Rule’s original church had been replaced by a Roman-style basilica, with a singularly ugly square tower 100’ high. As pilgrimage to Saint Andrew’s relics grew in popularity, this church was succeeded by an adjacent gothic cathedral, begun in 1158. Saint Rule’s church and its tower were retained within the cathedral complex. Pilgrimage soared, and St. Andrews became Scotland’s top pilgrim destination, the richest church in Scotland, and the first Scottish see raised to archbishopric level.

In June 1559, Protestant fire-brand John Knox preached an illegal sermon from the cathedral’s pulpit, then ordered his mob of zealots to destroy the cathedral, its shrines, and all the relics in one of the worst acts of vandalism during the entire Scottish reformation. [5] The church was so damaged it could never be used again. The buildings gradually collapsed and were mined for their stones. Today the remaining ruins are protected by Historic Environment Scotland. Ironically, Saint Rule’s tower is the most complete structure in the entire complex.

Scotland still has an active shrine to Saint Andrew. Edinburgh’s 19th century St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral (seat of the Catholic archbishop for all Scotland) houses the National Shrine of Saint Andrew. Two more recently donated relics are displayed behind glass below the altar. The shrine is usually open to the public except during general services. [6]

SAINT COLUMBA,  IRISH EVANGELIST

Saint Columba was an Irish monk and priest who founded one of the earliest and most successful monastic communities in what would eventually be Scotland. He was, however, just one among several missionaries active in the region during the 6th century.

Saint Columba was born circa 521 AD into a cadet branch of the powerful Uí Néill clan. As a youth he was educated and trained for the priesthood under Cruithnecan, and later Abbot Finnian of Morvilla. Columba was a fine scholar, talented musician, powerful preacher, and founder of several monastic houses. [7] 

Saint Columba, St. Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh (Author's Photo)   

He was also extremely arrogant, and did what he wanted no matter whose toes he stepped on. Columba never admitted he was wrong, and never apologized to anyone. In a famous incident, he returned to his teacher Finnian’s abbey to study a particular manuscript. Columba had permission to read the document, but not to make a copy, which he secretly did anyway. When Finnian learned of the copy, he was furious and drove Columba from the abbey. Their spat went all the way to Ireland's High King, who ruled in Finnian’s favor. [8] 
                                                             

Eventually, Columba made so many enemies, he was summoned to a tribunal and threatened with excommunication. Somehow he wriggled out the charges. One of Columba’s few remaining friends recommended he take a long vacation from Ireland. Columba saw the wisdom in this, and decided to minister to the heathen Northern Picts (the “apostate” Southern Picts, who had been Christianized in Roman times, were already being re-evangelized by other missionaries). 

Columba obtained permission from the king of Dál Riata to settle in Argyle on the western coast of Scotland. Columba landed there with the requisite 12 followers, but didn’t like the new site. Possibly without permission, he packed up his disciples and sailed off to the tiny island of Hy in 563. [9] Today we know Hy as Iona, a speck of land about three miles long, a mile wide, and two miles west from the much larger Isle of Mull.

The Iona monastery was the first, and for years the only site of scholarship and literacy in the region. The monastery was famous for its scriptorium, which may have in part produced the famous 9th century Book of Kells. [10] Workshops created carved stone crosses and grave slabs, as well as smaller goods such as the Monymusk Reliquary, thought to have held a relic of Saint Columba himself. The monastery was also a training school for missionary monks and priests.

Although Columba is credited with a few forays to the Northern Picts, he later left the missionary work to his followers. The Pictish mission was not a success, but the Northern Picts were later evangelized by other missionaries. Columba retired to his cell on a hill opposite the church, and spent the rest of his life writing and praying. He occasionally returned to Ireland to check on the other religious houses he had founded. When Columba died in 597 [11], he was buried at Iona and instantly proclaimed a saint.

Vikings began “visiting” Iona beginning in 795. They returned in 802, 806 and 825, and several times massacred most of the monks. Most surviving monks fled Iona. Some went to Kells Abbey in Ireland (a daughter house to Iona), taking part of Saint Columba’s relics with them. Other relics went first to Dunkeld in mainland Scotland, then were translated to St. Andrews. [12] Although all the saint’s bones are lost, two possible secondary relics survive: the Monymusk Reliquary [13] and a curiously shaped and uncomfortable-looking stone known as  “Columba’s Pillow”. 

Iona Abbey Today (Author's Photo)

The Iona monastery barely survived, with just an abbot and a handful of monks in residence. In 1203, Ranald, Lord of the Isles, invited Benedictine monks to take over. The Benedictines were  confronted by two very angry Irish bishops, a pair of equally irate Irish abbots, and several boatloads of armed men, who were not going to allow their saint’s foundation to fall into non-Irish hands. [14] The Irish bishops eventually came to a compromise and the Benedictines were allowed to share the island with the Irish monks. The Benedictines rebuilt the abbey into their usual cloistered style, and most of the surviving church dates to their occupancy.

The church was “cleansed” of its Catholic trappings around 1560. For many years it was used by a protestant Kirk of Scotland congregation until the building fell into ruin. In the 20th century the church was restored to its approximate medieval appearance, largely by volunteers using period materials and techniques. Today the abbey is owned by Historic Environment Scotland. Iona Community, an ecumenical Christian organization, hosts services and retreats in the church.

SAINT MUNGO,  GLASGOW’S FOUNDER

Saint Mungo in stained glass, University of Glasgow (Vysotski Photo; Wikipedia Commons)

Saint Kentigern, popularly known as Saint Mungo (“Dear Friend”), is a saint about whom few real facts are known. An 1186 vita written by Jocelyn of Furness draws from legends and an earlier work, adds miracles borrowed from other saints, all spiced with more than a dash of pure fantasy. Jocelyn’s work was a promotional piece for the Pope to justify Saint Mungo’s pilgrimage. Some of Jocelyn’s claims have been disproven, so the vita should only be read with great caution.

Mungo is thought to have been born about 518, probably in the Brithonic kingdom of Alt Clut (later called Strathclyde). This Cumbric-speaking kingdom’s capital was on the Rock of Dumbarton, and ruled lands as far east as modern Glasgow, north into the Highlands around Loch Lomond, and south into Galloway. [15] It was an area briefly controlled by the Romans after the Antonine Wall was built, and subject to Roman trade and cultural influence until they left Britain in 410 AD. The area may have been partly Christianized in the 4th century, and some practicing Christians might still have been active there when Mungo began his ministry. Others would have been the "apostate" Southern Picts that Columba scorned.

  

Jocelyn claimed Mungo was foster-fathered and educated by Saint Serf at his monastery in Culross, Fife. [16] Mungo was ordained in his 25th year, probably about 543, and began preaching and baptizing at what would someday become Glasgow. At some point during his early ministry Mungo was consecrated as a bishop.

Around 560 a pagan King of Alt Clut named Morken, or possibly Morcant, began persecuting Christians. [17] Mungo fled to Wales where he stayed with Bishop David of Mynyw, considered to be the evangelist to the Welsh. Mungo is said to have preached and founded churches under David’s leadership. Mungo’s exile ended about 573 when a later Christian king of Alt Clut, Rhydderch Hael (possibly Morcant’s brother), invited Mungo to resume his mission. [18] Mungo settled first at Hoddam in southern Galloway where Rhydderch Hael had a fortress, later returning to Glasgow.

Mungo spent his remaining days at his simple wooden church at Glasgow. The secular town grew next to Mungo’s church and monastery, and he is now considered Glasgow's founder as well as its patron saint. According to Jocelyn, Mungo died in his bath after mass [19] around 612 or 614. He was buried before the cathedral altar, and was instantly acclaimed a saint.

Saint Mungo’s tiny church was replaced by a stone church, itself later replaced by the ever-growing gothic cathedral begun in 1136, and still standing today. Each successive building phase centered on the Saint’s tomb, but as the church was on a hillside, the tomb ended up in the undercroft.

Pilgrimage to Saint Mungo’s tomb became very popular, eventually becoming the 3rd most important pilgrim shrine in Scotland. After his elevation to the See of Glasgow in 1174, Bishop Jocelyn of Glasgow, fresh from creating a pilgrimage to Saint Waltheof at Melrose Abbey, took charge of promoting Saint Mungo. It was Bishop Jocelyn who hired Jocelyn of Furness to write the flamboyant 1186 vita partly for the Pope, as saints could not be venerated or have a recognized pilgrimage unless first approved by Rome. [20]

The final church was intentionally designed, or redesigned, as a huge pilgrim processing machine. Pilgrims began their visit in the nave where there were numerous altars to various saints. Then the  pilgrims circled around the choir and chancel where an elaborate (but  possibly empty) feretory shrine to Saint Mungo was located behind the high altar. Next the pilgrims were routed down to the undercroft to worship at more shrines of various saints, ending at Saint Mungo’s actual tomb. By another stairway they returned to the nave and exited the building. [21]

Saint Mungo's Tomb,Glasgow Cathedral (Author's Photo)

There were at least three attempts to translate Saint Mungo to the feretory shrine behind the high altar. [22] This required papal approval, but was denied each time. The Saint’s body remained in the undercroft with its own shrine, unless (as some writers suspect) Bishop Jocelyn moved the relics without permission. Many believe Saint Mungo is still buried in the undercroft, though a cursory investigation of the tomb in 1898 was inconclusive. [23]

Saint Mungo’s Cathedral was “cleansed” of its altars and “papist” decoration in 1559. In 1578, Glasgow magistrates decided to tear the entire church down, and use the stone to build smaller protestant parish churches. When the wreckers arrived at the Cathedral, they were met by an angry mob of armed trade guild members who promised that whoever knocked down the first stone would be buried under it. The tradesmen would not leave until the wrecking crews had all been discharged. The tradesmen might have been solidly protestant, but this was THEIR church and they were not going to allow any more destruction. [24]

Today the restored Saint Mungo’s Cathedral (technically not a cathedral, as it is no longer a bishop’s seat) is owned by Historic Environment Scotland. The Cathedral is open to the public for an admission charge, and guided tours are offered. Regular (free) services are still held in the chancel area by a local protestant Kirk of Scotland parish.

SAINT MARGARET,  SCOTTISH QUEEN

Saint Margaret of Scotland, or Margaret of Wessex, was born in Hungary to English Prince Edward the Exile and a Hungarian noble woman named Agatha around 1047. [25] Her older sister Christina and younger brother Edgar the Atheling were also born in Hungary.

Saint Margaret, St. Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh Castle (Author's Photo)

Edward returned to England in 1057 as the potential successor to Edward the Confessor. Within two days he was dead, possibly by assassination. [26] His family stayed on in the English court, as Edgar was now next in line.

 

On his deathbed Edward the Confessor named Harold Godwinson as protector of the kingdom. He was elected King by the other earls. Then Harold died at Hastings with a Norman arrow through the eye, and William, Duke of Normandy seized the crown.

Margaret’s family fled to northern England where support for Wessex was still strong. After a rising in 1068 was crushed by the Normans, Agatha decided to return the family to Hungary. They took a ship for the continent, but a storm forced them to land in Scotland.

King Malcolm III welcomed Margaret and her family, putting them under his protection. Malcolm was immediately smitten by Margaret, and began pestering her to marry him. Margaret at first refused. She had planned to take the veil (as Christine later did). Eventually she accepted Malcolm’s proposal, and in 1070 they married in Dunfirmline Abbey.

Margaret and Malcolm loved each other deeply, and enjoyed a happy marriage until their deaths just days apart in 1093. Margaret bore eight children, all living to adulthood. Among them were three successive Kings of Scotland, and a Queen Consort of England. [27]

Margaret’s decision to marry might have had a great deal to do with conditions in the Scottish church. She was horrified to see how backward and out of step Scotland’s practices were when compared with the Roman church. Some Scottish churches still used the Celtic Rite, and the clergy included many rather independent Culdee monks and priests, some married. The Scots even began Lent on a different date from Rome. [28]

Malcolm gave Margaret a free hand to make church reforms. She helped found new churches, attempted to reopen Iona Abbey, and expanded Dunfirmline Abbey, importing Benedictine monks from England to staff it. Although a ferry across the Firth of Forth was already operating, she added hostels at Queensferry North and Queensferry South for the use of pilgrims, and allowed them free passage on the ferry. [29] This saved pilgrims from the south more than a week of travel to Saint Andrew’s Cathedral (except on the many days when driech (foul) weather kept the ferry in port).

Margaret was also personally very pious, attending services every day. She spent much of her free time reading religious literature, including reading aloud to her illiterate husband Malcolm. Together they fed the poor, washed the feet of beggars, and supported widows and orphans.

On 13 November 1093, both Malcolm and his oldest son by Margaret were killed while laying siege to Alnwick Castle in Northumbria. Margaret was already bed-ridden and probably dying when she heard the tragic news on 16 November. She passed away shortly after hearing of their deaths. Margaret was buried before the altar in Dunfirmline Abbey, her favorite church. [30]

Saint Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh Castle (Author's Photo)

Margaret’s youngest son, King David I, built a tiny chapel dedicated to his mother within Edinburgh Castle. The chapel survives, now the oldest building in Edinburgh. After use as a gunpowder magazine for many years, the building was restored in the 20th century. Five stained glass windows grace the walls, one depicting Margaret.

Margaret's tomb made Dunfirmline Abbey a popular pilgrim stop on the route to Saint Andrew’s shrine. Thanks in part to a vita written by her confessor, Bishop Turgot of St. Andrews, Margaret was canonized, though not until 1249 by Pope Innocent IV. In 1259 her remains were moved to a new shrine in the abbey. [31]

Mary, Queen of Scots, had Saint Margaret’s head brought to her as a talisman during her pregnancy with her son (later the very protestant James VI of Scotland, aka James I of England). After Mary’s downfall, the head was smuggled out of Scotland and turned up at the Scottish Jesuit College in Douai, France. [32] The head, along with many other Scottish relics and important church records, was lost in the French Revolution.

The rest of Margaret’s remains, and Malcolm’s, were also smuggled out of Scotland during the Reformation. The relics were given to King Philip II of Spain, and were kept in a pair of urns at the Escorial Palace. The urns have since disappeared. [33]

1.  Herberman: CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA online edition.

2.  Yeoman: PILGRIMAGE IN MEDIEVAL SCOTLAND, pg. 53; See Rees: CELTIC SAINTS OF SCOTLAND, page 101 for a variation.

3.  Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_the_Apostle 

4.  Yeoman: PILGRIMAGE IN MEDIEVAL SCOTLAND, pages 18-19; Tabraham: GLASGOW CATHEDRAL, page 22.

5.  Barnet: FOOTPRINTS OF THE ANCIENT SCOTTISH CHURCH, page 12; Op. cit. Yeoman: PILGRIMAGE, page 70.

6.  St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, Edinburgh web page:

https://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/standrew

7. Yeoman and Scott: IONA ABBEY AND NUNNERY, page 54.

8.  Rees: CELTIC SAINTS PASSIONATE WANDERERS, page 104; OP. CIT. Rees CELTIC SAINTS OF SCOTLAND, page 12.

9.  Op. Cit. Yeoman and Scott, pages 52-53; Op. Cit. Rees: CELTIC SAINTS, PASSIONATE WANDERERS, page 107-108.

10. Op. Cit. Rees: CELTIC SAINTS OF SCOTLAND, page 38; Meehan, page 10; Op. Cit. Yeoman and Scott, page 59.

11. Op. Cit. Rees: CELTIC SAINTS OF SCOTLAND, pages 23-24.

12. Yeoman: PILGRIMAGE, page 80; Op. Cit. Rees: CELTIC SAINTS, PASSIONATE WANDERERS, page 113.

13. Clarkson: COLUMBA, page 209; Yeoman: PILGRIMAGE, page 89.

14. Caldwell: MULL AND IONA, page 59; Yeoman and Scott: IONA ABBEY AND NUNNERY, page 64.

15. Map of Alt Clut / Strathclyde, circa 900:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Strathclyde.kingdom.influence.areas.png

16. Op. Cit. Yeoman: PILGRIMAGE, pages 16, 18.

17. Op. Cit. Rees: CELTIC SAINTS OF SCOTLAND, pages 77-79; and Rees: CELTIC SAINTS, PASSIONATE WANDERERS, page 95. Wikipedia names the persecutor as “Morken”, but that name does not appear in other works consulted. Morcant is mentioned during this period in Clarkson: STRATHCLYDE, page 29. Morcant had a pretty unsavory reputation and might be the culprit.

18. Ibid, page 98.

19. Op. Cit. Rees: CELTIC SAINTS OF SCOTLAND, pages 81-82.

20. Op. Cit. Yeoman: PILGRIMAGE, page 19.

21. Ibid, pages 22-24; Op. Cit., Tabraham, pages 26-27.

22. Ibid, page 27.

23. Op. Cit. Yeoman: PILGRIMAGE, page 27.

24. Burton: page 6.

25. Fairweather, page 14.

26. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_the_Exile

27. Op. Cit. Fairweather, page 22; see also

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Margaret_of_Scotland

28. Turgot, pages 44-52.

29. Ibid, pages 59-60.

30. Ibid. pages 77-81; for a less flowery treatment, see Marshall, pages 12-13; Op. Cit. Fairweather, page 22.

31. Ibid, page 25; Yeoman, PILGRIMAGE, page 72, Op. Cit. Heberman. Some sources claim the translation was in 1250.

32. Ibid, page 73.

33. Op. Cit., Fairweather, page 27.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

__________ . CatholicSaints.Info www site. [S.l., s.n.]. WWW address: http://catholicsaints.info/alphabetical-list . Viewed 8 November 2022.

Barnet, Michael. FOOTPRINTS OF THE ANCIENT SCOTTISH CHURCH. London and Edinburgh: Sands & Co., 1914.

Burton, John Hill. BARONIAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL ANTIQUITIES OF SCOTLAND, Vol. III. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1901.

Caldwell, David. MULL AND IONA, A HISTORICAL GUIDE. [Edinburgh]: Berlinn Ltd., 2018.

Clarkson, Tim. COLUMBA, PILGRIM, PRIEST & PATRON SAINT. [Edinburgh]: Berlinn Ltd., 2012. 

Clarkson, Tim. STRATHCLYDE AND THE ANGLO-SAXONS IN THE VIKING AGE. [Edinburgh]: Berlinn Ltd., 2000.

Dunbar, John G., and Fisher, Ian. IONA. [Edinburgh]: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1983.

Fairweather, Kathlene Margaret (ed). ST MARGARET, QUEEN OF SCOTLAND, AND HER CHAPEL. [Edinburgh]: St Margaret’s Chapel Guild, 2016.

Fawcett, Richard. SCOTTISH MEDIEVAL CHURCHES. Edinburgh: [Edinburgh]: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1985.

Herbermann, Charles G., editor, et al. CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA. New York, Robert Appleton Co., v. 1, 1905. Online edition on Catholic Answers: www.catholic.com/encyclopedia ; viewed 8 November 2022.

Marshall, Rosalind K. SCOTTISH QUEENS, 1034-1714. Edinburgh: Berlinn Ltd., 2019.

Meehan, Bernard. THE BOOK OF KELLS. London: Thames & Hudson, 1994.

Rees, Elizabeth. CELTIC SAINTS OF SCOTLAND, NORTHUMBRIA AND THE ISLE OF MAN. [Stroud]: Fonthill Media Ltd., 2017.

Rees, Elizabeth. CELTIC SAINTS, PASSIONATE WANDERERS. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2000.

Tabraham, Chris. GLASGOW CATHEDRAL, THE OFFICIAL SOUVENIR GUIDE. [Edinburgh]: Historic Scotland, 2009.

Turgot, Bishop of St Andrews. LIFE OF ST. MARGARET, QUEEN OF SCOTLAND. Edinburgh, William Paterson, 1896 (3rd ed.) Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/lifeofstmargaret00turguoft/mode/2up . Viewed 5 November 2022.

 

Yeoman, Peter. PILGRIMAGE IN MEDIEVAL SCOTLAND. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd., 1999.

Yeoman, Peter, and Scott, Nikki. IONA, ABBEY AND NUNNERY, OFFICIAL SOUVENIR GUIDE. [Edinburgh]: Historic Scotland, 2015.

SCOTTISH  CLOTHING: 

MORE  THAN  JUST  KILTS

Presented  by

MUNGO  NAPIER 

LAIRD  OF  MALLARD  LODGE

COVER  COMMENTS

This photo was included to show your presenter's interpretation of what a Scottish Lowland commoner would likely have worn in the late SCA period. It is usually claimed that in general Scottish Lowlanders wore similar clothing to their English counterparts of the same class, though often with interesting regional differences. 

Lord Mungo lives in 1496, so while the tunic and joined hosen ("tights") he wears were on their way out across Europe, they were still valid garments at this time. Note the German stonecutters from 1505 in the illustration below. The hood was probably uncommon by this late date, but Mungo likes wearing hoods. Remember that Scotland was a poor country and such clothing likely hung on a bit longer there than in England or on the Continent.

Special Scottish touches include the blue bonnet, which was mentioned by several 16th and early 17th century writers. Mungo wears leggings called mogens, adapted from garb worn by members of the Historical Saltire Society re-enacting the James IV period from 1488-1513 (below). Mungo's mogens are held up by woven wool garters. His sporran or pouch would commonly have been worn below the tummy, but offside was not unknown (see the McIan prints in a later section).

Mungo also carries a small knife in his right mogen. The sgian-dubh ("black knife", from its handle's traditional dark wood) dates to the 18th century. It was used by kilted soldiers in British service. Actually it was a "feast dagger", sometimes with a fork and spoon in the sheath. Modern "real world" people expect a Scot to have a so-called "sock knife". Mungo is happy to oblige because a dirk in your boot is way cool!

HIGHLANDS  AND  LOWLANDS

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

MAP  COMMENTS

THE MAP:

This map shows Scotland today. During most of the SCA period, the Orkney Islands (and the Shetlands which are off the map) were not part of Scotland. They were Norse possessions, where Norse culture and language were the norm. Both Island groups were conveyed to Scotland in 1468, and immediately became Crown properties, so were more or less part of the Lowlands. Today both island groups are usually lumped with the Highlands.

"Highland Boundary" is misleading. This is actually the Highland Boundary Fault, an earthquake fault causing the Highlands to be  . . . well . . . higher than the Lowlands. The fault actually continues to the northeast and wanders into the North Sea near Aberdeen. There never was any physical barrier between the Highlands and the Lowlands. The so-called boundary marks the area where Highland culture and Gaelic language faded out, and Lowland culture and Scots English began. It probably was a fuzzy zone several miles deep where both cultures and languages mixed.

THE HIGHLANDS:

The Highlands included all the Hebrides Islands to the west of mainland Scotland. The Highlands were Gaelic speaking, a relic of Irish conquest by the "Scoti" in the 5th and 6th centuries. Parts of the Highlands under the control of Earls were not much different from the Lowlands, but in the islands and some mainland areas local government by clan chiefs was common. Scottish kings had little control in the Hebrides and in some mainland Highland areas. It wasn't until 1493 that King James IV was able gain full Royal authority in the Islands. Scotland was a very poor country by western European standards, and the Highlands were far poorer than the Lowlands. The Hebrides were a basket case, with many people still living at a level comparable to what their ancestors endured during the dark ages.

THE LOWLANDS:

The main language of the Lowlands was a dialect of Middle English variously called "Scots", "Scottish" or "Scots English". Society and the noble classes were organized along Anglo-Norman feudal lines. At least two Scottish kings were educated at the English court, and imported many English ideas including feudalism. Many Scottish nobles were descended from Anglo-Normans who settled in Scotland, or were descended from native Scots who married into English Anglo-Norman families. Most of these nobles also held lands in England under feudal grants from English kings, which made for some interesting loyalty questions during the Scottish Wars of Independence in the 1300s.

The Scottish nobles, and upper middle class commoners (mostly high-status merchants in the burghs), were well aware that England was more prosperous and generally more stable than Scotland. They were green with envy, and wanted to be LIKE the English, though they didn't want to BE English. Most Scots were happiest when the English stayed south of the border. Fat chance, since nearly all English kings believed it was their right to rule Scotland as a vassal state, or outright through conquest.

CLASS  IN  SCOTLAND  AND  THE  SCA 

Circa 1500, there were some 500,000 people living in Scotland (contrast this with about 2,000,000 in England). The class breakdown went something like this:

10% nobles, or roughly 50,000, both Highland and Lowland

10% middle class, roughly 50,000, mostly in the Lowlands, except for Inverness, one of the few burghs (chartered cities) in the Highlands

80% peasants, both Highland and Lowland

The middle class was strictly divided between upper and lower subclasses:

About 60-70% of the middle class (roughly 30,000-35,000, including family members) were considered lower middle class. They were mainly craftsmen and small merchants who sold goods in their shops or stalls in towns and burghs. This might be foodstuffs or goods of their own manufacture. Many would have been guild members. Occasionally women ran such businesses, usually widows continuing after their husband's death.

The upper middle class (between 15,000-20,000, including family members) was mainly composed of wealthy merchants who exported large quantities of basic goods such as hides, wool, timber or coal. Some merchants imported luxury goods including fine cloth or wine. Often importing merchants also exported Scottish commodities as part of a two-way trade. These high-end merchants were usually burgesses, the ruling/voting elite that ran the burghs. They would elect a provost (mayor), a council, and other officers from among themselves.  There were different levels of burgs. Lesser burghs were chartered by earls, or by bishops. Royal burghs enjoyed a higher-level charter granted by the King himself, and were allowed to send representatives to parliament.

Membership in the burgess sub-class was tightly controlled, though not strictly limited to merchants. Professionals such as doctors, lawyers and other educated men might be allowed burgess status. Occasionally goldsmiths and jewelers were included since they sold luxury goods to nobles. If one was not born into a burgess family, it was possible to buy entrance, subject to a vote by the other burgesses, but the fees were steep to keep most lower middle class merchants out. Purchase included throwing a party to get ALL the other burgesses roaring drunk, a very expensive event indeed.

The upper middle class also included a small group of rural landowners who had estates, but were not nobles. Usually known as "lairds", they were equivalent to English country squires. Lairds were not burgesses, unless they also owned property or a business in a burgh. (Mungo is a "laird", since he holds Mallard Lodge.)

Is this important to us? In the SCA members are automatically considered to have been "gentle-born"-- that is, middle class. In Scotland, most of the lower middle class were not considered "gentle born". Only burgesses, educated professionals, and squires could claim this status. In the SCA, this is not so rigid. For example, if you want to be a blacksmith or practice some other craft, and you want to be a Scot, fine. You are still gentle-born in our version of the middle ages. You might even someday be elevated to a Laurel peerage for practicing your craft.  Still, class and status are two things to keep in mind when you create a persona, Scottish or otherwise.

And remember, nobody in the SCA is a bleeding peasant, unless for some reason they choose to be.

QUOTES  ABOUT  SCOTTISH  CLOTHING

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS BY LORD MUNGO

It is frequently claimed that Lowland Scots wore clothing similar to that of the English. This appears to be valid for commoners and even some nobles, though there are many exceptions noted in the following quotes. Up to about 1500, tunics, cotehardies, long hose and hoods would have been common for Lowland men.

Around 1500, Lowland women appear to have fallen in love with the ersaid, a ladies' version of the Highland great kilt. In royal burghs, some burgesses and their wives may have adopted styles of other countries with which they traded, especially the Low Countries ("German" in some of the following quotes could mean "Dutch"). During the Reformation, styles became more restrained and dull-colored, reflecting the austerity of Scottish Protestantism. Court dress, particularly during the reign of James V, Mary of Guise's regency, and the brief rule of Mary Queen of Scots, was heavily influenced by French styles.

Before the 1500s, Highland clothing was similar to that of Ireland for both men and women, consisting mainly of a leine for men and the similar leine/chemise for women, both wrapped in a plaide or breccan. One cannot rule out Norse influence in the Hebrides, particularly before the islands became Scottish in 1266. Some commentators have suggested that Highland earls would have worn English-style clothing at court beginning in the 1400s.

The kilt does not appear in written history until 1594, and this would have usually been the féileadh mór or great kilt. The "wee kilt" appeared in the 1700s, and technically shouldn't be worn in the SCA at all. There is some slim evidence that the great kilt was worn by the Picts, and might have continued in use in formerly Pictish territory, as well as the possibity of the wee kilt in the 14th century (See my separate pages on the Great Kilt for more on this).

CONTEMPORARY QUOTES ABOUT SCOTTISH MEN'S CLOTHING

[The following quotes are based on the work of Sharon Krossa, and the former ScotWars web pages. Some additions and comments have been made. Wording in translations was altered to reflect the text quoted in books actually in the presenter's personal library. Full references to the sources are found on the bibliography page at the end of this section.]

MEN’S HIGHLAND DRESS:

“From the middle of the thigh to the foot they have no covering for the leg, clothing themselves with a mantle instead of an upper garment and a shirt dyed with saffron. . . . In time of war they cover their whole body with a shirt of mail of iron rings, and fight in that. The common people of Highland (lit. ‘wild’) Scots rush into battle having their body clothed with a linen garment manifoldly sewed and painted or daubed with pitch, with a covering of deerskin.” --1521, John Major, as quoted in McClintock.

“. . . and they were naked except for their stained shirts, and a certain light covering made of wool of various colours.” --1556, Jean de Beaugué, L’histoire de la Guerre d’Ecosse, quoted in Kelly.

“All, both nobles and common people, wore mantles of one sort (except that the nobles preferred those of several colors). These were long and flowing, but capable of being neatly gathered up at pleasure into folds. I am inclined to believe that they were the same as those to which the ancients gave the name of brachæ. . . . The rest of their garments consisted of a short woolen jacket, with the sleeves open below for the convenience of throwing their darts [javelins], and a covering for the thighs of the simplest kind,  more for decency than for show or defense against the cold.  They made also of linen very large shirts, with numerous folds and wide sleeves, which flowed abroad loosely to the knees.” --1578, Bishop Lesley, De Origine, Moribus et Rebus Gestis Scotorum, as quoted in McClintock.

"They delight in variegated garments, especially stripes, and their favorite colors are purple and blue. Their ancestors wore plaids of many colors of many colors, and numbers still retian this custom but the majority now in their dress prefer a dark brown, imitating nearly the leaves of the heather, that when lying upon the heath in the day, they may not be discovered by the appearance of their clothes, in these wrapped rather than covered, they brave the severest storms in the open air, and sometimes lay themselves down to sleep even in the midst of snow." --1581, George Buchanan, Rerum Scoticarum Historia, as quoted in McClintock.

"Their exterior dress was mottled cloaks of many colors with a fringe to their shins and calves; their belts were over their loins outside their cloaks." -- 1594, Lughaid O'Cleirigh, The Life of Hugh Roe O'Donnell, as quoted in Thompson. [This description is generally recognized as the first verifiable mention of the féileadh mór  or great kilt].

“They are clothed after the Irish fashion, in striped mantles, with their hair thick and long.” --1607, Camden, Britannia, quoted in Kelly.

“At the end of the 16th century, Lady Montgomery, wife of Sir Hugh Montgomery, set up and encouraged linen and woolen manufactory (in Ulster), which soon brought down the prices of the breakens (tartans) and narrow cloths of both sorts.” --1613, unattributed quote in Grange.

"It appears that the desire for uniformity in the colours of tartan used by a clan was beginning in the early 1600's: . . . remove the red and white lines from the plaides of his men so as to bring their dress into harmony with that of other septs." --1618, Letter from Sir Rbt. Gordon of Gordonstoun to Murray of Pulrossie, quoted in Grange.

"Many Highlanders were observed in this town (Edinburgh), in their plaids, many without doublets, and those who have doublets have a kind of loose flap garment hanging loose about their breech, their knees bare; they inure themselves to cold, hardship, and will not diswont themselves; proper personable well-complexioned men, and of able men: the very gentlemen in their blue caps and plaids.” --1635, Sir William Brereton, quoted in Grange.

MEN’S LOWLAND DRESS:

"The husbandmen in Scotland, the servants, and almost all in the country did wear coarse cloth made at home, of grey or sky-color, and flat blue caps, very broad. The merchants in cities were attired in English or French cloth, of pale color, or mingled black and blue. The gentlemen did wear English cloth, or silk, or light stuffs, little or nothing adorned with silk lace, much less with lace of silver or gold, and all followed at this time the French fashion, especially at court." –1598, Fynes Moryson, Itinerary, v. 4.

“Myself was at a knight’s house, who had many servants to attend him, that brought in his meat their heads covered with blue caps. . . .” –1598, Fynes Moryson, Itinerary, quoted in Rae.

CONTEMPORARY QUOTES ABOUT SCOTTISH WOMEN'S CLOTHING

WOMEN’S HIGHLAND DRESS:

"Their women's attire is most becoming. Over a gown reaching to the ankles, and generally embroidered, they wore large mantles . . . woven of different colours. Their chief ornaments were the bracelets, and neck laces with which they decorate their arms and necks." –1570s, Bishop Lesley, quoted in Kelly. [The text seems to describe the ersaid, a women’s version of the great kilt.]

WOMEN’S FASHIONS, EDINBURGH:

"Many [women] wear (especially the meaner sort) plaids, which is a garment of the same woolen stuff whereof saddle cloths in England are made, which is cast over their heads and covers their faces on both sides, and would reach almost to the ground, but that they pluck them up and wear them cast under their arms." --1636, Sir William Brereton, quoted in Grange,

"Some ancient women and citizens wear satin straight-bodied gowns, short little cloaks with great capes, and a broad bonegrace coming over their brows and going out with a corner behind their heads: and this bonegrace is as it were lined with a white starched cambric suitable thereto." --1636, Sir William Brereton, quoted in Dunbar. [Bonegrace: a silk, or cloth hood over a starched under-coif projecting around the face like the headgear of some religious orders?] 

"Young maids not married all are bare-headed, some with broad thin shag ruffs, which lie flat to their shoulders, and others with half bands, with wide necks, either much stiffened or set with wire, which come only behind: and these shag ruffs, some are more broad and thick than others." --1635, Sir William Brereton, quoted in Dunbar.

"The ancient dress wore by the women, and which is yet wore by some of the vulgar, called ersaid, is a white plaid, having a few small stripes of black, blue and red; it reached from the neck to the heels, and was tied before the breast with a buckle of sliver or brass, according to the quality of the person . . . The plaid being pleated all round, was tied with a belt below the breast; the belt was of leather, and several pieces of silver intermixed with leather like a chain . . . The head dress was a fine kerchief of linen (tight) around the head, hanging down the back taper-wise; a large lock of hair hangs down their cheeks above their breast, the lower end tied with a knot of ribbands." --1703, Martin Martin, Description of the Western Islands of Scotland, quoted by Sharon Krossa.

WOMEN’S LOWLAND DRESS:

"Gentlewomen married, did wear close upper bodies, after the German manner, with large whalebone sleeves, after the French manner, short cloaks like the Germans, French hoods, and large soft falling bands about their necks. The unmarried of all sorts did go bareheaded and wear short cloaks with most close linen sleeves upon their arms, like the virgins of Germany." – 1598, Fynes Moryson, Itinerary, v. 4. [Whalebone sleeves: sleeves stretched on whalebone hoops; falling bands: a deep linen collar, turned down.]

"The inferior sort of citizen's wives and the women of the country did wear cloaks made of coarse stuff, of two or three colors of checker-work, vulgarly called ploddan." – 1598, Fynes Moryson, Itinerary, v. 4.

"To conclude, in general they would not at this time be attired after the English fashion in any sort, but the men, especially at court, followed the French fashion, and the women, both in court and city, as well as in cloaks as naked heads and close sleeves on the arms and all other garments follow the fashion of the women of Germany." – 1598, Fynes Moryson, Itinerary, v.4. 

THOUGHTS  ON  SCOTTISH  WOMEN

ON HEAD COVERINGS:

Married, divorced or widowed women were expected to cover their heads outside of their homes, especially in church, as a mark of shame and penance for having "known sin". There was no such requirement for men (Sorry ladies -- the men were being pigs!).

"A married woman wore a kertch (gaelic: bried caol). This was made from linen and was like a modern  headsquare: it was rolled from one corner into the middle and the thick band which this made was put around the head and pinned into the hair to stop it falling down. The remaining triangular piece of linen could hang down onto the neck. Women who weren't married wore what was called a “snood” (Gaelic: stiom) which was a length of ribbon which passed under the girl's hair at the back of her head, and was tied in a bow on top . . . " [Source: Scottish Tartans Authority web site: tartansauthority.com ].

Other types of caps and head coverings appear to have also worn by married women.

It is not clear from these comments if head covering customs applied to both Highland and Lowland women. The use of Scots and Gaelic terms above suggests both, but your presenter does not know when this was common practice.

MARRIAGE NAMING CONVENTIONS

"When a woman was married in late medieval Scotland, she was regarded rather as providing a link with another kin group rather than becoming completely assimilated into her husband's kin. She did not take his name. She was considered, for example, as a Gordon who married a Hamilton, not as someone whose marriage had made her a Hamilton." [Source: Brown, Jennifer M. (ed). Scottish Society in the Fifteenth Century. London: Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd., 1977.]

ILLUSTRATIONS  OF  SCOTTISH  CLOTHING

CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE

15th  CENTURY  NORTHERN  ALLIANCE

The livery badge tells us this Scottish longbow archer (left) is a Sinclair retainer. The minstrel (right) with the hurdy-gurdy is wearing clothes similar to Lord Mungo's.

This cook (left) represents a servant or lower middle-class housewife. Her sleeves are detachable. The gentlewoman (right) wears a cap. The sleeves of her bodice are turned at the wrists to show their lining.

MID-16TH  CENTURY AT  STIRLING  CASTLE

Mary of Guise employed not one, but two female jesters. The male servant wears a tunic over a linen shirt, short breeches and hosen. 

This chambermaid wears a simple "pinafore dress" over an under-skirt and chemise without a blouse or bodice. Her shoes are "Mary Janes" with slashed toes. Royal servants for more menial jobs were drawn from the lower middle class. This woman could be the wife, daughter or widow of a small tradesman or merchant. Her clothes are possibly much the same was worn by other townswomen of her class.

MID-16th  CENTURY  STIRLING  KITCHENS  

Stirling Castle bakers (left), with folded brim caps. General kitchen helper (right) in short breeches with a jacket. Note tied points on the jacket back. Why the bakers are the only painted figures in the Stirling kitchens is puzzling.

A kitchen boy is crying over spilled milk in expectation of the inevitable beating. A woman preparing a duck. She wears approximately the same costume as the chamber maid in the previous section.

Historian and television presenter Dr. Lucy Worsley notes that women in English Tudor kitchens were rare, as men were paid more, a mark of status for their employers. Scottish nobles may have done the same, but OTOH we Scots are notoriously tight fisted. This is the only woman in the Stirling Castle kitchen tableaus.

OTHER  FIGURES  WITH  DATES

(Left) A high churchman from Glasgow Cathedral, in his rooms at Provends Lordship circa 1500. Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Buccan (right), crowns King Robert the Bruce in 1306.

Goldsmiths displayed in the tableaux leading to the Honors of Scotland (the Crown Jewels) at Edinburgh Castle. John Mosman (left), is about to set 22 new jewels into the recast Royal Crown, 1540. Andrew Leyes and his helper are recasting the Royal Scepter, 1536 (right).

R.R.  McIAN  VICTORIAN-ERA  PRINTS

A plaide worn as a cloak (left). The skirt is wrong for our period. An ersaid or ladies' great kilt (right). The sleeves are18th century. She is unmarried, shown by her loose hair.

A great kilt (left), worn with a doublet circa 1600. Note how the compicated sporran is off-side. Another great kilt (right). Ignore the 18th century jacket. He holds a Lochabar axe, a useful tool against English cavalrymen.

SCOTTISH  CLOTHING  INFORMATION

BOOKS:

Dunbar, John Telfer. The Costume of Scotland. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd., 1981.

Grange, R.M.D. A Short History of the Scottish Dress. London: Burke's Peerage Limited, 1966.

Kelly, Gerald A. John. Before the Kilt: How the Irish and Scots Dressed in the 16th Century. Seaford, N.Y., Clo an Druiadh / Druid Press, 2011.

MacKenzie, Agnes Mure. The Scottish Pageant 1513-1625. Edinburgh and London: Oliver and Boyd, 1948.

McClintock, H.F. Old Irish and Highland Dress. Dundalk: W. Tempest, 1943.

McIan, R. R. The Clans of the Scottish Highlands: The Costumes of the Clans. New York, Alfred Knopf, 1980. McIan's paintings show mostly 18th century costume, but a few have pre-1600 elements. Basing costume choices on his paintings is a risky business, but the illustrations are a joy to view.

Moryson, Fynes. Itinerary. Glasgow, James MacLehose and Sons, 1908. Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/itinerarycontain04mory, retrieved 2018.

Rae, T.I. Scotland in the Time of Shakespeare, Ithica, New York: Cornell University Press, 1965.

Thompson, Derick S., ed. The Companion to Gaelic Scotland. Glasgow: Gairm Publications, 1994.

With the exception of  Johnson’s THE KING’S SERVANTS, the folowing works are not primarily about clothing, but do contain useful illustrations. 

Most of the Osprey books remain in print. Several of the others might be borrowed through interlibrary loan, or found on the used market. All are worthy of inclusion your library.

Cooper, Jonathan. SCOTTISH RESAISSANCE ARMIES 1513-1550. Oxford UK: Osprey, 2008.

Cowan, Edward J., Henderson, Lizanne (Eds.). A HISTORY OF EVERYDAY LIFE IN MEDIEVAL SCOTLAND, 1000 TO 1600.  Edinburgh UK: Edinburg University Press, 2011.

Durham, Keith. STRONGHOLDS OF THE BORDER REIVERS, FORTIFICATIONS OF THE ANGLO-SCOTTISH BORDER 1296-1603. Oxford UK: Osprey, 2008.

Durham, Keith. THE BORDER REIVERS. Oxford UK: Osprey, 2008.

Durham, Keith. THE BORDER REIVER 1513-1603. Oxford UK: Osprey, 2011.

Johnson, Caroline. THE KING’S SERVANTS, MEN’S DRESS AT THE ACCESSION OF HENRY VIII. Lightwater, Surry UK: Fat Goose Press, 2009. Available from The Tudor Tailor: www.tudortailor.com .

Marshal, Rosalind K. VIRGINS AND VIRAGOS, A HISTORY OF WOMEN IN SCOTLAND FROM 1080-1980. Chicago: Academy Chicago, 1983.

Reid, Stuart. CASTLES AND TOWER HOUSES OF THE SCOTTISH CLANS 1450-1650. Oxford UK: Osprey, 2006.

Yeoman, Peter. PILGRIMAGE IN MEDIEVAL SCOTLAND. London UK: B.T. Batsford / Historic Scotland, 1999.

WEB SITES:

Krossa, Sharon. Scottish Clothing Resources: medievalscotland.org/clothing, 1996, retrieved 2019. Sharon's pages also include extensive dated lists of Gaelic and Scots names.

Historic Saltire Society: www.historicsalitre.scot. On of Scotland's best re-enactment clubs known for its excellent shows. Very good period costumes are shown in their gallery of past events.

Schiltron: schiltron.squarespace.com. Another very professional re-enactment club frequently seen at fairs across Scotland. Their site is well worth exploring, especially their gallery pages.

Northern Alliance: twitter.com/medievalNA. The Northern Alliance specializes in 15th century Scotland. Their Twitter page has some illustrations showing costumes.

ScotWars: scotwars.com. ScotWars is now manly concerned with the English Civil War and the Jacobite Wars. Their "Old ScotWars" site, linked from their home page, has several articles of use to Scadians.

SCOTTISH  CLOTHING  VENDORS

Celtic Croft: kilts-n-stuff.com. Great kilts, wee kilts, sporrans and other accessories. While not actually period, their licensed "Highlander" line of plaides are likely close to early tartan colors. "Cheater pleats" are available on their period kilts (ask for "box pleats"). Avoid the "utility kilt" and Mel Gibson's "ancient kilt". They also offer kilts in various alternatives to wool, especially nice for hot weather wear, or for those wool allergies. I own one of their great kilts and it is of excellent quality.

Historic Enterprises: historicenterprises.com. High-quality medieval clothing from the Viking era, up through the 15th century. They have some really nice wool hoods.

Historical Caps: historicalcaps.net. Various Scottish and other period bonnets, including statute caps and Monmouth caps, both worn in the mid-to-late 16th century. Explore their "15th-18th Century Gallery" and their "Rogues Gallery", though some photos are not SCA period. Remember, light blue is for peasants.

MacQueen of Kilts, aka Tess Wadding: macqueenofkilts_AT_gmail.com. Custom-made kilts (the 18th century "wee kilt" shown in the kilt pages on this blog is her work).

Nativearth Footwear: nativearth.net/period.html. Ghillie sandals, other period footwear, and plain sporrans.

Revival Clothing: revivalclothing.com. High-quality medieval clothing, chiefly 13th-15th century, including tunics and joined hosen. 

Scottish Tartans Museum: giftshop.scottishtartans.com. Custom made kilts and woven wool garters. The Museum also has its own web site with some interesting resources at scottishtartansmuseum.org.