A fine battered and battle scarred breastplate of the late 16th century. I have often been asked just what kind of armour the Border Reivers wore, and apart from the upper echelons of society the answer must always be the same…..Whatever they could get their hands on! “Scottish” armour near enough does not exist. SomeContinue reading “Armour 2. The Real Thing, a fighting breastplate of the era of the Border Reivers, circa 1590.”
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Guns of the “Border Reivers.” A very good Nuremberg all steel wheellock pistol circa 1585.
An extremely rare “plain” wheellock pistol circa 1585. From the workshop of Peter Danner. (Ex. Evan Perry collection. Ex. Royal Armouries.) (photos courtesy of F.J.A.G.) Odd View eh? And why you ask is it so very rare?… Well… it’s because our old friends the “Victorians” took most of the surviving examples, and “improved” them with lots ofContinue reading “Guns of the “Border Reivers.” A very good Nuremberg all steel wheellock pistol circa 1585.”
The “Steel Bonnet” A Master at work. A very good and untouched South German Burgonet circa 1580. It gets no better than this!
It gets no better than this! Photos courtesy of F.J.A.G. This is a “munitions” burgonet, circa 1580. Untouched. Not even cleaned! But… a “munitions,” (?) burgonet with a one piece skull, hammer raised by a Master Armourer. Although from an armoury containing mostly “munitions quality” helmets, this one stands out. It bearsContinue reading “The “Steel Bonnet” A Master at work. A very good and untouched South German Burgonet circa 1580. It gets no better than this!”
Swords of the “Border Reivers.” Of Hearts, Heart brooches, Heart burials, and “Rules of Engagement,” ….
16th century Fatlips Castle Border Peel tower in Roxburghshire, Scotland
Fatlips Castle as it stood in 1857 Fatlips Castle, a 16th century pele tower of rectangular stone was founded by the Turnbulls of Barnhill. The castle sitsContinue reading “16th century Fatlips Castle Border Peel tower in Roxburghshire, Scotland”
Lowland Scots
The Scottish Lowlands are made up of the southern portion of Scotland, the central region, the eastern coast, and most of the northeastern coast. The bulk of Scotland’s population (about 80 percent) lives in the Lowlands, particularly in the urban and industrial areas around such major cities as Glasgow and Aberdeen, as well as in theContinue reading “Lowland Scots”
PRIVY COUNCIL OF SCOTLAND
(And the Carruthers) As I research the Carruthers family in Scotland I find more and more about our Border Reivers and begin to understand just how difficult it must have been to live back then. I did come across an old book showing how some of our earlier Carruthers were quite the rascals but IContinue reading “PRIVY COUNCIL OF SCOTLAND”
The border Reivers
The Armchair Archaeologist…. This is the Hermitage Valley from Timothy Pont’s survey of Liddesdale, circa 1583. For ten years, from 1978 until 1988, my family and I lived at Dinleyhaughfoot, just above the “tower” marked as “Graistounhauch” on the map above, and I know this area well. But back in those days, there was noContinue reading “The border Reivers”
AGNES RANDOLPH OF DUNBAR
Agnes Randolph of Dunbar, sometimes referred to as “Black Agnes” or the 4th Countess of Moray lived from 1312 to 1369. She is remembered primarily for her successful defence of Dunbar Castle against an English siege that lasted five months in 1338. The wider picture in Scotland at the time is set out in our Historical Timeline. Agnes was the daughterContinue reading “AGNES RANDOLPH OF DUNBAR”
STIRLING CASTLE
Stirling Castle is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. Several Scottish Kings and Queens have been crowned at Stirling Castle, including Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1543. There have been at least eight sieges of Stirling Castle, including several during the Wars of Scottish Independence, withContinue reading “STIRLING CASTLE”
CLAN CARRUTHERS SOCIETY (USA) 