A 300 Years Old Scottish Beret

On the Isle of Lewis, in the early 1700s, a young man was mortally injured in mysterious circumstances. His body was buried just off the main road. Over 300 years later, his clothed remains with a few small possessions were recovered, preserved in the peat.

The man was found on 23 May 1964. Forensic analysis revealed that the person was a man, around 20 to 25 years old and 1.64m tall. A fracture to the back of his head led at the time to a suggestion that he had been murdered. 

His clothing and personal possessions were given into the care of National Museums Scotland. They are remarkably well-preserved, which gives us a rare insight into the type of dress being worn in the Outer Hebrides in the early 1700s. Through studying the fabrics, we can learn more about woven cloth and its making. 

The first item found was the beret, or bonnet which remains in good condition. It is a traditional Scottish knitted bonnet, round in shape, and made of a firm felted wool that is now brownish green in colour. Dye analysis shows the presence of indigo, which suggests the bonnet used to be dark blue. Around its rim is a row of red wool knots at two-stitch intervals, which created a pattern like that of the red-checked bands that became popular later on in the 1700s.