Jacobite era tartans still in use today

[Dughlas mor]

Interesting paintings. I'm particularly struck by "The Champion"'s weapon. It appears to be a strange cross between a broadsword and a cavalry saber. I'm sure that a frugal and adaptive people like the highlanders would be able to find a use for a 'misplaced' saber, but it's not the first think that comes to mind.

I wonder if this was a bit of dramatic license on the part of the artist? If so, might not the tartan also be fancified?

Basket hilts paired with sabre type blades were not common, but they did exist. There is a superb example pictured in the book "Culloden, The Swords and the Sorrows," that dates to the 1690s. They were known as Turks or Turcaels. There are a few around today, and there are enough historical references that I would not doubt the authenticity of the sword in the portrait.