Last chance to see this exceptional exhibition! It closes January 12, 2020!
Defender of clans, fearsome soldier and proud warrior — the Highland soldier is an iconic military figure whose role and reputation have evolved over the centuries, both within Scotland and beyond.
More than 200 artifacts, from menacing broadswords to resplendent tartans, connect the fierce Gaelic warriors of the Middle Ages to Scottish Jacobites loyal to King James, and to the proud traditions of Highland regiments in Canada today.
Discover the origins and history of a military culture known as much for its courage, toughness, discipline and skill as for its colourful kilts and the rallying call of bagpipes.
An exhibition developed by Nomad Exhibitions in collaboration with the Canadian War Museum and Glasgow Museums.
Illustration: © Luc Normandin
The Exhibition in Pictures
Map of Scotland published in 1690The map was made in two parts by the renowned Venetian mapmaker Vincenzo Coronelli.
© CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection
Did You Know?The word “clan,” which describes a group of families, comes from the Gaelic term for “children” or “offspring.” The Highland clan system placed a high premium on military service, skill and courage.
Photo: Canadian War Museum, CWM2019-0040-0021-Dm
Highland double-handed sword, around 1530They are often referred to as claymores and were in use from the early 16th century to the late 17th century.
© CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection
Did You Know?As the reputation of Highland regiments grew, so did the extravagance of their officers’ dress, with increasingly elaborate and expensive feather bonnets, sporrans, dirks and pistols.
Photo: Canadian War Museum, CWM2019-0040-0013-Dm
Basket-hilted broadswordBasket-hilted broadsword belonged to James Thompson, a soldier of the 78th Fraser’s Highlanders who served in North America during the Seven Years’ War, 1756–1763.
© Canadian War Museum 19720103-006
Did You Know?Piping and Highland dress — two colourful, dramatic and distinctive symbols of Scotland — survive to this day, thanks largely to their use by Highland military regiments.
Photo: Canadian War Museum, CWM2019-0040-0014-Dm
BagpipesSet of pipes played by Pipe Major Sam Scott of The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa in Normandy on D-Day, 6th June 1944.
© Canadian Museum of History 72–717
Did You Know?During the First World War, Highland units were issued kilt covers, or aprons, to camouflage their dark tartan kilts in the field. Kilts were retired from combat in 1940 because of the vulnerability of bare skin to chemical agents, but they remain as a formal dress uniform.
Photo: Canadian War Museum, CWM2019-0040-0032-Dm
UniformUniform of Pipe Major Lillian Grant, Canadian Women’s Army Corps, 1942. The Canadian Women’s Army Corps Pipe Band, was formed in 1942 and was used for recruiting in Canada before being sent overseas in 1945. Lillian Grant was already an experienced piper and had been playing since the age of 12.
© Canadian War Museum 19830356-001, -003, -004_b
Fees and Booking
Admission Fees to the Canadian War Museum include access to special exhibitions and all the Museum’s galleries.
- Adult – $17
- Senior – $15
- Student – $13
- Child (3-12) – $11
- Family (6 pers. – max 2 adults) – $43
- Members – Free
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