Hi everyone,

Hoping to find an authority on Scottish Regimental feather bonnets amongst you.

I recently obtained two feather bonnets, one is a Seaforth Highlanders bonnet, the other (I think) an Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders bonnet.

The Seaforth's bonnet has a two lug metal badge in the style of the pre-1961 amalgamation with the Cameron Highlanders. The dicing is red, white and green - consistent with the Seaforth's colours. It has a plastic chinstrap and adjustable headband strap, and it came in a vinyl drawstring bag. Given all this, and mainly because of the plastic straps, my guesstimate is that it is from the 1950s. Would anyone suggest otherwise?

The 'Argyll's' bonnet has red and white dicing but a Cameron Highlanders pre-1961 badge. I have done some research and think I'm right in saying only the Argyll's have red and white dicing. Can anyone verify this?

There are also two other holes inside the headband next to the Cameron's badge which I take as evidence of a different badge being worn previously. The holes are further apart and as the Argyll's badge is quite large, it looks as though the Cameron's badge is wrong. I think the dicing of the Cameron Highlanders should be red, white and blue but I'm not 100% sure. Can anyone verify this?

Whilst both headband sizes are the same, the 'Argyll's' bonnet is bigger all over. It is much rounder and fuller looking than the neater, slimmer Seaforth's bonnet and the tails appear 'as one' with the rest of the hat whereas the tails of the Seaforth's bonnet quite clearly start at the top of the headband area. The Argyll's bonnet has leather straps and a much nicer black lining over the cage, the cage lining seems ever so slightly padded unlike the Seaforth's cage lining. I cannot tell if all these things are a sign of it being an older bonnet or just a better made/more expensive bonnet at the time of purchase. Any thoughts on this?

I'd love to know if there is a book or guide to bonnet specifications out there somewhere as I've just about broken Google trying to find answers to my questions!

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and expertise on the queries raised.

Thanks in advance!

J