Feathers in your cap

[Cygnus]

With Highland dress, you may want to steer clear of feathers, especially large feathers, in your cap. This is partly because you'll undoubtedly be accosted/harassed by somebody who has taken it upon him-/herself to police the rest of the world and partly because tradition assigns particular meaning to the wearing of feathers in Scotland's traditional attire.

It is true that it is usually eagle feathers that denote a chief (three feathers), a chieftan or baron (two feathers), or a person with a registered coat of arms (one feather); though at least one chief I'm aware of wears pheasant feathers instead.

The consensus (though far from "general") when this topic arises (and it has a number of times) is to wear no feathers or smaller feathers with Highland dress to keep from appearing pretentious and to avoid unnecessary debate. If a person were to wear a feather or feathers about as tall as the military hackle, for instance, I doubt most people would take it to mean anything about the bearer except that he likes those feathers. Much taller than that, and you'd probably be likely to get an earful and/or dirty looks.

Obviously, you're entitled to do as you please, but traditionally, large feathers are reserved for clan leaders and armigers.