Scottish Castles Association

A visitor to the west highlands of Scotland will note that a different kind of warrior is depicted on grave stones from that found elsewhere in the British Isles (apart from Northern Ireland).

In the west highlands you wont find a knight in chain mail or plate armour carved into the stones, but, instead, a warrior clad in what appears to be an antique form of protection the aketon. This was a linen garment folded into tubes and stuffed with rags or even grass to provide some protection against blows. It could be brightly coloured and even covered in pitch to make it waterproof.

Over this could be worn a mail coat and the protection completed by a coif and conical helmet. Featured weapons are the spear and the sword but the multi-lobated pommel sword is unique to the western highlands though the downward pointing quillons are a common Scottish feature.

This sword betrays its Viking origins in its hilt though none of them have survived. It is believed that the shields small size (see above) does not reflect the scale of the original.

This style of armour was still being worn in the 16th century when the rest of Europe had moved on was it retard? The short answer is no. In fact, this style of armour was ideal for the kind of warfare which took place in the west highlands not set battles with armoured forces but flexible, fast, fluid encounters fought over heather and muir where plate would have been a distinct hinderance.

Article by Scottish Castles Association member Brian McGarrigle.