unusual hose?

[Tobus]

Wow, interesting photo! I notice they are all wearing matching windowpane tweed(?) kilts and matching jackets (see the piping on the cuffs which is very distinct). I wonder what kind of uniform this was? Obviously civilian, not military, but also very obviously coordinated with the kilts and jackets. They each seem to have their own flair with hose and headwear.

The fishing gear mixed with shepherd's crooks is confusing me.

[figheadair]

Wow, interesting photo! I notice they are all wearing matching windowpane tweed(?) kilts and matching jackets (see the piping on the cuffs which is very distinct). I wonder what kind of uniform this was? Obviously civilian, not military, but also very obviously coordinated with the kilts and jackets. They each seem to have their own flair with hose and headwear.

The fishing gear mixed with shepherd's crooks is confusing me.

All workers/Ghillies on some estate. Not sure which though.

[McMurdo]

All workers/Ghillies on some estate. Not sure which though.

That was my thought as well, I'm sure I've seen this photo before.

[Alisdair]

These almost look like modern shooting socks.

[Jock Scot]

Wow, interesting photo! I notice they are all wearing matching windowpane tweed(?) kilts and matching jackets (see the piping on the cuffs which is very distinct). I wonder what kind of uniform this was? Obviously civilian, not military, but also very obviously coordinated with the kilts and jackets. They each seem to have their own flair with hose and headwear.

The fishing gear mixed with shepherd's crooks is confusing me.

The front row are Estate staff in Estate attire, I suspect that the hose were knitted by a local lady who was probably/possibly related to those wearing that distinctive pattern. The Laird, or perhaps the lucky fellow who caught the large Pike in the foreground is in the background

The front row with the crooks(cromachs in the Highlands) are in fact gaffs. Large sharp hooks that until fairly recently, were used to drag a large fish out of the water, and very efficient they were too, although no good for the modern "catch and release" that is so common now. The chap front row, left of picture may have a cromach to hand-----it looks too narrow---- and I suspect it may be a gaff with the sharp and lethal hook covered with a safety cover.

[Bad Monkey]

The front row are Estate staff in Estate attire, I suspect that the hose were knitted by a local lady who was probably/possibly related to those wearing that distinctive pattern. The Laird, or perhaps the lucky fellow who caught the large Pike in the foreground is in the background

The front row with the crooks(cromachs in the Highlands) are in fact gaffs. Large sharp hooks that until fairly recently, were used to drag a large fish out of the water, and very efficient they were too, although no good for the modern "catch and release" that is so common now. The chap front row, left of picture may have a cromach to hand-----it looks too narrow---- and I suspect it may be a gaff with the sharp and lethal hook covered with a safety cover.

TBH, the fish is impressive. I'm sure I'd pose just the same if I ever got that lucky myself. I wonder how long it took to land it.

[Jock Scot]

TBH, the fish is impressive. I'm sure I'd pose just the same if I ever got that lucky myself. I wonder how long it took to land it.

Exactly so! We still do the same thing today to record a fish of a lifetime before placing it carefully back in the water, alive . Large pike usually give up after a brief but fierce fight with modern tackle with flexible but strong rods and geared reels, but with fairly basic Victorian gear it could well have taken a fair while to land. Although if one could steer the fish within reach of an experienced ghillie and his gaff, its all over in a flash.

[OC Richard]

In Victorian times there was much more variety in hose design that we see today. Actually there was more variety in everything: bonnets, jackets, sporrans, shoes.

Here are some Victorian photos showing hose styles no longer popular:

Chequered





Hoops





Over-check. These were quite common, they're neither diced nor tartan per se, but a pattern of over-checks.



In these B&W photos we can't know the colours, but in MacLeay we can see that selfcoloured and over-check hose of the period were grey or taupe; here the over-checks are blue and red



A quite complex pattern



Thistles



Fleur-de-lis



MacLeay shows stags-head