Help with a Highlander badge

[SirHarry1]

Hello everyone,
I got this Highlander badge as a christmas gift. Can somebody please tell me form what period it is and for what it is/was used? Can´t be a hat badge, its way to heavy, but what is it? Every help is highly apprciated!
Thanks
Harry

[SirHarry1]

reverse

[RMR]

Load a clear photo of the hall mark and I can date it.Bydand is the regimental motto of the Gordon Highlanders,pipers wore a tartan cloth that came over one shouder this was held with a heavy brooch type badge .RMR

[Robert Shoaf]

Regiment is The Gordon Highlanders, and it looks as if it may be an officer's balmoral badge, Is it marked silver on the reverse, or silver plated? If the stag's head juts out quite a bit, it's likely an officer's badge.

Bob Shoaf

[peter monahan]

The 'over one shoulder' cloth is called a 'plaid' and now days restricted to pipers, I believe. It is the ornamental version of a 'great kilt'. Originally, a Scots kilt was 3-4 yards long. the wearer pleated the bottom quarter to the width of a belt, lay on it and did up the belt. He then spread to pleats around his body, overlapping at the front [right over left]. The remaining material came up the wearer's back and over a shoulder to hang down in front. It could be wrapped around the torso as a cloak or pinned to the shirt with a 'plaid brooch' / 'plaid pin' and tossed back over the shoulder to hang out of the way behind. Later, the front came to be pinned closed too, for decency!

Legend has it that the first Scots to wear 'short kilts', BTW, were the employees of a 'Sassenach' ['Saxon' or Englisman ], who ran a saw mill in Scotland. The reason - given powered saws - should be self evident!

[SirHarry1]

Thanks for your assistance guys, I appreciate it.
With my camera I can´t get a sharper image, but hopefully I can borrow a better one.
Yep, the head of the stag stands out and its a pretty heavy and solid piece, and I was told it was an officers badge.
Hopefully I will be back soon with better pics.
Thanks
Harry

[uscob]

The 'over one shoulder' cloth is called a 'plaid' and now days restricted to pipers, I believe. It is the ornamental version of a 'great kilt'. Originally, a Scots kilt was 3-4 yards long. the wearer pleated the bottom quarter to the width of a belt, lay on it and did up the belt. He then spread to pleats around his body, overlapping at the front [right over left]. The remaining material came up the wearer's back and over a shoulder to hang down in front. It could be wrapped around the torso as a cloak or pinned to the shirt with a 'plaid brooch' / 'plaid pin' and tossed back over the shoulder to hang out of the way behind. Later, the front came to be pinned closed too, for decency!

Legend has it that the first Scots to wear 'short kilts', BTW, were the employees of a 'Sassenach' ['Saxon' or Englisman ], who ran a saw mill in Scotland. The reason - given powered saws - should be self evident!

Some Years before, when I was in Glasgow, I was teached by a historian, that the "short" Kilt was invented as the english trying to destroy the Scottish Identity by banning the wear of the old fashioned kilt what was actually a long plaid, rolled around the waist and then slung over the shoulder to have a warmer garment.

[uscob]

Can you give us the dimensions of the Badge.
By the dimensions of the Pin an Hallmarks, I think it might be a Sweetheart or similar. I don't think of a Plaid Brooch as I know them only with the Insignia on a Disk. Maybe I'm wrong on this. I have a very similar Cap Badge, but with Lugs from around WWI. It's a real nice one, but has only a Sterling on the back. This looks like a privately purchased Jewelers work.

[peter monahan]

Some Years before, when I was in Glasgow, I was teached by a historian, that the "short" Kilt was invented as the english trying to destroy the Scottish Identity by banning the wear of the old fashioned kilt what was actually a long plaid, rolled around the waist and then slung over the shoulder to have a warmer garment.

I believe that many Scots believe this. However, to me it suggests a degree of organization [if not malice] that one would be hard pressed to find in any other activity of the British government at that time! The wearing of tartan was banned in the Highlands after "the '45" - Bonnie Prince Charlie's attempt to reclaim the throne. That ban would have covered both long and short kilts however, so cutting a great kilt down would be pointless.

In fact, the 42nd Regiment, aka "The Black Watch" were called that for two reasons: their tartan, the 'Government sett' [pattern] was a very dark green and blue plaid and, to some, they were seen as collaborators with the British for serving under the very nation which had killed so many of their countrymen at Culloden and elsewhere. It was however, the only place where a Scot could wear a kilt legally!

There is no doubt that the English wanted to suppress Scottish nationalism - may still do - but cutting down the kilt was not likely part of that plan!

Peter