Highland Charge - Historical Development

Historical Development

Greek and Roman commentators who wrote of the Celts described a society that is sometimes called 'heroic', meaning a society of contending tribes each dominated by an aristocracy which valued fearlessness and daring above all things; held wealth as cattle; used ostentatious ornamentation; and spent much time in drinking feasts where bards told of the great deeds performed by warriors. Aspects of this way of life survived into the 18th century in the Scottish clans. Most of those on a clan's territory were not warriors, but tenants who worked some of the poorest land in Europe; Highlanders have been described as much poorer than Plains Indians..

Those who could be described as warriors. were known as tacksmen or daoine-uasile - gentry, in effect, who were often blood relatives of the chief. They wore full Highland dress and habitually carried weapons such as broadsword, dirk, and firearms. A targe was only carried in time of war, when tacksmen would spearhead the charge in addition to mustering the lower ranking landholder and acting as officers. Often those who followed behind the warriors in a charge would be less well armed, sometimes with an improvised Lochaber axe.

Prior to the 17th Century, Highlanders had fought in tight formations, led by a heavily armoured warrior elite, that carried heavy battle-axes or two-handed broadswords known as claidheamh mor or "claymores" – meaning "great sword" in Scottish Gaelic. However, with the widespread use of muskets and cannon, such formations became vulnerable. As a result, in the 17th century, Highlander warriors developed a lighter, one-handed claymore with a basket hilt that protected the hand. This was generally used with a shield or "targe" strapped to the body and a "dirk" or biotag (long knife) held in the other hand. Scottish-Irish warrior Alasdair MacColla is sometimes credited with inventing the Highland charge during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms to meet a particular set of battlefield challenges. The use of the charge greatly mimicked the Celtic fighting styles of battle, where one side would rush at the other in an attempt to break the line of battle.