Downton Abbey: Journey to the Highlands

[figheadair]

I'm way behind in Downton Abbey, just now saw the Series 3 Christmas special A Journey To The Highlands.

Our first encounter with Highland Dress is when the main characters are met by Hugh MacClare (Peter Egan) at Inveraray Castle.

It's set in 1921, just at the time our "traditional Highland Dress" had come into being. His outfit is accurate to the time and wouldn't look out of place at a current Highland Games.

I'm not quite sure what to make of his tartan, that is, to the specific weaver and colourway. It has tones more or less like House Of Edgar's "muted range".

Agreed, it looks like HoE's Muted Range and so not accuarate for the period.

I can't find any photos online of Hugh MacClare's lovely Evening outfit. He's wearing a Victorian-looking goathair long sporran, a traditional doublet, all in all the sort of outfit someone of his age would have worn since his youth in Victorian times.

This one?
Peter Egan - Downton Abbey-2.jpg

[OC Richard]

This one?
Peter Egan - Downton Abbey-2.jpg

Yes! I hunted online using the character's name and titles (Hugh MacClare, Marquess of Flintshire) the actor's name (Peter Egan) the castle's fictional name and real name, and I came up empty.

To me that outfit is perfect for a man of his age in 1921. He may have been born around 1860 and might have acquired all or part of that outfit in the c1880-1910 period.

In 1921 a young man keen to have the latest fashion might appear in a Prince Charlie coatee with the new small sealskin Evening sporran, but a mature man would likely wear the fashions of a few decades earlier.

I do quibble with the Ghillies, which seem out of place unless they had buckles. I would expect buckled Evening shoes.

For comparison here are Edinburgh Scots in 1910