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What is the difference in the Scottish Claymore and the Highlander Claymore?

Some time ago I purchased a Claymore from Scarborough Fair. The seller asked me if I knew what type of claymore it was. I don't remember what I answered but he said it was correct. My question is what is the difference in the Scottish Claymore and the Highlander Claymore? I don't remember what the difference between the two is.

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A Claymore by any other name..
by: Paul

There is a fair amount of confusion surrounding the word 'Claymore' and technically it refers to two types of swords, the late medieval period two handed swords used in clan warfare and border clashes with the English (highlander) or the basket hilt one handed sword used by the Scottish military much longer than other armies (Scottish).

The origins of which came first are hotly debated - some scholars argued that the term was first applied to the basket hilt swords and then later all Scottish swords, but as the word comes from old Gaelic "claidheamh-mor" meaning 'great sword' I tend to think it was the other way around (unfortunately, there is not enough evidence either way to say which useage came first).

So to ask you 'what kind of Claymore it is' is a bit of a trick question as technically both types are Claymores - but based on what you have said above, I would be inclined to think that the big, bad (up to 6lbs in weight!) Claymores refer to 'Highland Claymores' while the single handed, but still quite beefy and substantial basket hilt swords would refer to 'Scottish Claymores'.

Not always easy to pin down the correct terminology for European swords as the terminology changed through the centuries..

But at least you know that you could have answered the question several different ways..!

The Scottish basket-hilted broadsword is not a "Claymore"
by: Anonymous

A "Claybeg" is the Scottish basket-hilted broadsword, not a "Claymore". That's a pretty common mistake.

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