Highland Charge

The Highland charge was a tactic used in conflict on the battlefield by Scottish Highland clan men.

As a basic description, the Highland charge consists of the attacking highland force making a charge towards the musket line of their opposition. This is preceded by a number of rapidly fired charges of muskets.

The Highland charge was created out of the necessities of the changing environment of warfare, namely the increased use and effectiveness of muskets. Previous to the advent of the Highland charge, the typical Scottish formation consisted of a very tight packing of men in a charge, which would be preceded by a number of heavily armed and armored units, these would most often be equipped with long Scottish claymores. This formation proved to be too good a target for musket fire to be viable.

The key to the Highland charge was the use of a sword shorter than the claymore, with a hilt that offered hand protection. Targes were also worn for body protection and a dirk as a shorter knife in the other hand. The other reason for the effectiveness of the Highland charge was the sheer terror that it could strike into its target, especially in newly trained troops. When the Highland charge would strike, it could break up the musket formation, highly reducing the effectiveness of its battle capability.