The Different Types of Scottish Hats You Should Know

Scottish hats come in several distinctive styles, from traditional Highland bonnets such as the Tam o’ Shanter, Glengarry, and Balmoral to everyday caps like the flat cap or bunnet. There isn’t one single name for a Scottish hat—the right term depends on its shape, history, and how it is traditionally worn.

In this guide, you’ll discover the main types of Scottish hats, their names and defining features, the traditions behind them, and how to choose the right style for different occasions.

Scottish headwear includes several distinct styles rather than one single “Scottish hat.” Traditional forms are often described as Scottish bonnets, while an everyday flat cap may also be called a bunnet in Scotland. The table below quickly matches each name to its shape and traditional use.

Some of these styles belong more closely to traditional Highland or military dress, while others are better understood as everyday or country headwear. The next sections examine these two groups separately.

Traditional Scottish bonnets developed alongside Highland dress, military uniforms, and everyday wool headwear. Although their shapes and uses differ, many share familiar details such as a soft wool construction, a toorie on the crown, ribbons, diced bands, or a place for a clan or regimental badge.

The following styles are among the most recognizable bonnets connected with Scottish Highland and military tradition.

The Tam o' Shanter, often shortened to Tam, is a soft, round Scottish bonnet with a wide crown and, in many versions, a small woolen toorie at the center. Traditionally made from wool, it has a fuller and more relaxed shape than the Balmoral bonnet.

Its name is closely associated with Robert Burns’ famous 1790 poem Tam o’ Shanter, one of the best-known works in Scottish literature. The bonnet later took the name of Burns’ character, helping cement its place in popular Scottish identity.

Over time, versions of the Tam were also incorporated into military dress, while civilian styles remained part of Scottish heritage wear. Today, it is one of the easiest Scottish hats to recognize. It is generally better suited to informal or cultural occasions than highly formal Highland dress.

The Glengarry is one of the most distinctive Scottish military bonnets. Unlike the round Tam or Balmoral, it has a narrow, folded shape with a crease along the crown and long ribbons at the back. Many military versions also feature a diced band and a side cap badge.

The Glengarry became strongly associated with Scottish regiments during the 19th century. Period photographs preserved by the National Army Museum show Highland soldiers wearing Glengarries with diced bands and regimental badges, making the bonnet an established part of Scottish military identity.

That military heritage also explains its continued connection with pipe bands, Highland ceremonies, and formal dress. When worn with a kilt for a wedding, parade, or other formal event, the Glengarry is usually one of the most traditional choices.

The Kilmarnock bonnet is an older style of knitted or felted Scottish wool bonnet closely connected with the development of later military headwear. It typically has a rounded crown and simple construction, reflecting Scotland’s long tradition of producing practical wool bonnets.

Rather than treating the Kilmarnock as an entirely separate modern style, it is more useful to understand it as part of the evolution of Scottish bonnet design. Its form influenced later Highland and military styles, including bonnets that became more standardized through regimental dress.

Not all headwear associated with Scotland belongs to formal Highland dress. Everyday Scottish style also includes practical flat caps, tweed caps, and country headwear shaped by climate, outdoor life, and Scotland’s long relationship with wool textiles.

These styles are generally more casual than traditional bonnets such as the Glengarry or Balmoral. They are easier to incorporate into modern everyday wear.

The flat cap is one of the most familiar forms of everyday Scottish headwear. In Scotland, it may also be called a bunnet—a Scots term commonly used for this close-fitting cap with a rounded crown and short front brim.

Traditionally made from durable wool or tweed, flat caps became practical headwear for work, travel, farming, and time outdoors. Their simple construction offered warmth without the bulk of a larger bonnet, helping the style become closely associated with British and Scottish country clothing. To explore how this style compares with other classic designs, see our guide to the different types of flat caps.

Today, the bunnet remains an easy way to add a Scottish-inspired touch to an outfit. It works especially well with knitwear, wool coats, tartan accessories, and other casual heritage pieces without requiring full Highland dress.

The deerstalker is a practical country cap designed for outdoor wear, recognizable by its front and rear peaks and earflaps that can be tied above the crown or lowered for extra protection.

Soft knitted wool bonnets were already well established in Scotland by the early 18th century. Surviving examples held by National Museums Scotland show broad, felted wool bonnets dyed in dark blue, reflecting a long tradition of practical wool headwear.

These early bonnets were simple in construction, but their rounded shapes laid the foundation for later styles such as the Kilmarnock, Balmoral, and Tam o’ Shanter. Over time, functional headwear developed stronger regional and cultural associations.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, Scottish bonnets became increasingly connected with Highland dress and military identity.

Earlier soft wool forms gradually evolved into more distinctive shapes as regimental dress became more standardized. Styles such as the Glengarry developed a more structured silhouette, while other bonnets retained the softer, rounded forms rooted in older Scottish headwear.

Military use helped make these styles more widely recognizable beyond their original regional context. By the 19th century, Scottish headwear had become an important visual part of Highland regimental dress and ceremonial tradition.

Over time, Scottish hats moved beyond their practical and military origins to become part of a broader image of Scottish heritage and identity.

Traditional bonnets remain closely associated with Highland ceremonies, pipe bands, clan and regimental traditions, Burns celebrations, and formal kilt outfits. At the same time, casual styles such as the bunnet, flat cap, and tweed cap preserve the everyday side of Scottish headwear.

Modern Scottish hats therefore reflect two connected traditions: functional wool clothing shaped by daily life and heritage styles preserved through military, ceremonial, and cultural use.

The right Scottish hat depends mainly on the occasion, level of formality, and the rest of your outfit. Traditional bonnets such as the Glengarry and Balmoral work best with Highland dress, while Tams and flat caps are easier to wear casually.

As a quick rule of thumb, choose a Glengarry for a more structured, formal look, a Balmoral for softer traditional Highland dress, and a Tam o’ Shanter for a more relaxed style. Wool and tweed are the most natural materials, and the hat should fit securely without feeling tight.

Scottish headwear ranges from traditional Highland bonnets such as the Tam o’ Shanter, Glengarry, and Balmoral to everyday styles like the bunnet and tweed cap. Each reflects a different part of Scotland’s history, from practical wool clothing and military dress to modern heritage style.

Whether you are choosing a hat for formal Highland wear, a cultural event, or everyday use, the best choice depends on tradition, formality, fit, and personal style.