Bonnie Scotland, 1650: Bonnet colours?

[Silent Invader]

On blue bonnets, I get the impression that ‘blue’ was pretty universal - it was the fashion for bonnets to be blue, irrespective of who you were fighting for.  Which blue is the million dollar question  !  Classic wargamer approach is to reach for the first blue you see on the paint rack and use Flat Blue, say.  IMHO I think this colour would be difficult to produce, especially for the rank and file. I like to go for more natural shades.  I suspect there was a variety of blues in reality as there would have been many, many producers, and each would have their own dye recipe.  My personal choice is typically something between Vallejo Field Blue and Vallejo Dark Pale Blue.  I think a RAF blue would also work.  I might go Flat Blue for an officer type.

This is extremely helpful, thank you very much. I’ve used the colours you’ve suggested as a guide, as within each unit I want a mix of three shades of bonnet.



And what they look like under the lamp:



These are the block colours so they will darken off with a wash then lighten with a couple of highlights.

Again, thank you

[Friends of General Haig]

Hi SI

Glad the suggestion was useful. I love the colours you have used and that variety looks awesome. I think I will have to invest in some new blues 

[Blackwolf]

Cracking information Friends of General Haig, and very interesting; my colour for bonnets is/was Luftwaffe uniform blue, because it has a faded grey tone, your colours seem to be pretty close to my minds eye . Now I’ve derailed SI’s excellent thread …

[Silent Invader]

Glad the suggestion was useful. I love the colours you have used and that variety looks awesome. I think I will have to invest in some new blues 

Thanks again FOGH! You really did help me out of a bind. The Flat Blue just didn’t look right with the softer tones I’m using for the rest of the clothing - quite garish in comparison - and your recommendation of Field Blue positioned me in a much better starting point on the Vallejo colour chart.

[Silent Invader]

Cracking information Friends of General Haig, and very interesting; my colour for bonnets is/was Luftwaffe uniform blue, because it has a faded grey tone, your colours seem to be pretty close to my minds eye . Now I’ve derailed SI’s excellent thread …

This is no derailment Guy!

If I had a fourth bonnet colour I’m sure it’d be Luftwaffe Uniform WWII. It’s the only one of my original three colours that I’d still use.

[levied troop]

Very helpful. Those choices look right and my undercoated Scots just moved a step closer to the painting desk

[Silent Invader]

Very helpful. Those choices look right and my undercoated Scots just moved a step closer to the painting desk

It’s always good to see more Scots

[dadlamassu]

The "blue" of the Blue Bonnets was, from surviving examples and contemporary paintings and portraits quite varied.  Every shade and tint of blue, some more like grey, a few more earthy almost khaki.  The richer clansmen, officers and gentlemen (and probably cavalrymen who could afford their own horse) the darker the blue. 

So the rank and file would be every "blue" on your paint rack with, as already said, the greyish shades like RAF & Luftwaffe blues being most common with some more faded (to grey) and some darker.  Officers and the richer clansmen might be distinguished by darker shades to midnight blue for the upper class.

[Silent Invader]

Thanks D, that’s also very useful