Lochaber Axe

Approx. Period: 1740 AD
Length: 1.50m Width: 0.20m

The Lochaber Axe was a weapon of the Highland foot soldier, though it is also associated with the town guards of Aberdeen and Edinburgh as a ceremonial weapon. The design evolved over years and the Lochaber association is probably related to the source of the staff. The Scots word for the hook or "cleek" is still in use today.

The design of the Lochaber Axe is a form of halberd. The staff was about six feet long and fitted with a small curved cutting blade about eighteen inches long. The sharp tip of the blade could also be used as a thrusting and stabbing blade. The axe is fitted with an additional spike or hook, used to dismount horsemen or to assist in scaling walls.