Call to arms

From an elite Gaelic warrior to an infantry soldier in today’s army, the Call to Arms exhibition covered the bloody and important history of the men on the fighting front of Scotland’s battlefields.

Call to Arms examined hundreds of years of clothing, protection, weapons and tactics and highlighted four archetypal Scottish fighting men: a 15th century ‘Galloglaigh’ roving mercenary, a 17th century highland warrior fighting for kith and clan, a 19th century Scottish soldier employed by the British Army and today’s soldier tackling the challenges of modern day warfare - preventing war and helping its victims.

Visitors were able to examine the clothing, protection, weapons and tactics employed by soldiers and highlighted the shifting motivations behind the fighting Scotsman. There was a hands-on element to the exhibition, designed to explore some of the myths associated with weaponry through the ages.

This exhibition ran at the National War Museum from 28 May 2008 - 1 February 2009.