Help! I need a hard to find balmoral bonnet!

[JRB]

Help! I’m looking for a high quality balmoral bonnet available through an American vendor in a fawn color with fawn and lovat green dicing. The Robert Mackie versions were available through Dunadd Trading a while ago but their website appears to be down. Can anyone tell me if such a bonnet can be purchased from a U.S. company or will I need to go to a U.K. supplier? I really like the Mackie versions but would consider other makers of equal quality. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Downunder Kilt]

J Higgins Ltd is an American supplier of Mackie Balmorals. Cheers

[davidlpope]

What size do you need?

[ShaunMaxwell]

What Downunder Kilt said...

From the J. Higgins website:

Hat: Balmoral Diced Robert Mackie (Colors other than black)
Made in Scotland by Robert Mackie. Premium quality. Sizes 6 1/2 to 8. Colors: Bottle (i.e. Dark) Green, Lovat Green, Navy, Lovat Blue, Maroon, Fawn, Red, Royal. Dicing will be hat color and white, with the exception of fawn which will be fawn/lovat green. Click on photo for larger image. 20"=6 3/8, 20.5"=6 1/2, 20 7/8"=6 5/8, 21.25"=6 3/4, 21 5/8"=6 7/8, 22"=7, 22 3/8"=7 1/8, 22.75"=7 1/4, 23.25"=7 3/8, 23 5/8"=7 1/2, 24"=7 5/8, 24 3/8"=7 3/4, 24 7/8"=7 7/8, 25.25"=8. Colors other than black may take up to 3 weeks to deliver.

I bought my first Mackie from Dunadd. Since they're no longer operating, I bought my second from J. Higgins and had it in a week or two.

Cheers,

[JRB]

What size do you need?

I'm a 7 1/4 generally but a 7 1/8 according to the J. Higgins website.

[thescot]

DO NOT order the smaller size. If you "jock" it, as I have done for many years with any bonnets I've owned, it may well shrink a bit. You can tighten up one that slightly loose, but you can't stretch it.

[Mike S]

J Higgins Ltd is an American supplier of Mackie Balmorals. Cheers

I ordered my Lovat Green diced balmoral from John at J. Higgins, and he is a joy to deal with. Great, speedy and attentive service. I'd highly recommend them as a source for the superb Mackie headdress.

They keep a large inventory of the differing patterns and colors in stock, so you likely won't have to wait for your order to ship.

[JRB]

DO NOT order the smaller size. If you "jock" it, as I have done for many years with any bonnets I've owned, it may well shrink a bit. You can tighten up one that slightly loose, but you can't stretch it.

Thanks very much for the advice as I was on the fence about which size I'd need.

[davidlpope]

Jay,

I have a fawn/lovat blue diced Mackie Balmoral that I'm selling, but it's a 7 that has been jocked, so fits like a 6-7/8. Sorry.

David

[OC Richard]

At the last Highland Games, the booth of R P Blandford & Son had all their coloured Balmorals on sale for far below the normal price.

They were high quality made-in-Scotland Balmorals, I believe by Robert Mackie.

I would contact them, who knows, they might have the size and colour you want.