Highland broadsword
Also known as: claymore, claidheamh mòr, basket-hilted broadsword
A Scottish basket-hilted sword, a common clan weapon of the Jacobite risings of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, carried with the targe shield.
Quick Facts
United KingdomAbout the weapon
The Scottish basket-hilted broadsword was a common weapon of clan members during the Jacobite risings of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. In Gaelic it is called claidheamh mòr, in English claymore, meaning great sword; the term claybeg for the smaller variant does not match Gaelic usage. We have not been able to establish the dimensions and weight of the Scottish basket-hilted sword from the sources we used. A highlander usually held the sword or a dagger in one hand and carried the round targe on the other arm; the shield hand often also held a dirk, its blade protruding below the shield's rim. In the 18th century, fencing with the basket-hilted sword came to be seen as a Scottish speciality, and several manuals teaching it were published. One of its last combat uses in war is linked to Major Jack Churchill in the Second World War.
Related weapons
- Used together with: Targe