[Jim McDougall]

Thank you for adding the link to that thread, and this gives much better perspective on what information you are seeking. I think most important is to recognize that when referring to swords in Scotland naturally the first thing thought of are 'basket hilts'. The thing is that while the HILTS were made in Scotland, the BLADES were typically not.

While that is largely the case, there are believed to have been several incidental cases of blades made by Scottish artisans, possibly Allan, but not sure. This was only several blades at most if I recall. Overall, it was entirely blades from Germany, with perhaps occasional exceptions. This was why Solingen had the production of ANDREA FERARA blades, which were of course simply made there to appeal to the Scots who favored that Italian maker from the previous century, and spuriously used his name.

There are cultural differences between the Highlands and Lowlands of course, but hard to define geographically. Basically the Lowlands were more inclined to English influences as well as European, but that is not hard and fast either.

One thing to keep in mind, the Scottish basket hilt did not originate there, but was present in England earlier, in the 16thc. As the basket hilt evolved in Scotland, in earlier times they were called Irish hilts.

There are differences in the Glasgow style (Highland) which follow a traditional pattern of shields connected by saltires (arms) with piercings in the shields of certain patterns and designs. The same basic design is typical with variation in embellishments.
As always, the blades are imported, almost invariably German.

With the Stirling hilts, these are more artistically created, with the basket character but with creative designs in the structure of the hilts. Again, these are typically fitted with German blades.

One of the often overlooked factors in studying Scottish arms are the often renegade clans living in border regions between northern England and Scotland. These groups were termed 'Border Reivers' and did not necessarily identify as Scottish or English, and changed sides as required. Their allegiance was to their family groups and clans, and here were entry points for all manner of 'foreign' arms and armor, which of course could filter in all directions.

While Glasgow and Stirling became the focal points for the classification of Scottish basket hilts, there were shops throughout these regions who fashioned hilts alone.....they then mounted them with the blades acquired.
There were only the Allans and Simpsons who signed their hilts (though two or three others I cannot recall). Charles Whitelaw's book has listings of the many arms producers throughout Scotland who produced not only dirks, axes, and knives but the famed Scottish metal pistols. While no sword blades were produced, knife blades were, as were axes etc.

I hope this rambling might offer some insight into this question, which as you can see, is not easily explained. It is a fascinating field of study, which has far more exceptions than rules.

Basically, craftsmen were in both Highlands and Lowlands, NO, they did not make SWORD blades, but indeed made knives and axes as well as pistols.

To take things further, after the Jacobite rebellions 1715,1745, many Scots were absorbed into British army units, and typically simplified versions of Scottish basket hilts were made in Scotland in 'garrison towns' for the British military...still using German blades (last example).

1 Ribbon hilt (beak nose) Highland c. 1650-80s pre Glasgow form ANDREA FERARA blade
2 Glasgow form, c1700 early 17th c Solingen blade Wirsberg.
3 Glasgow form c.1715, ANDREA FERARA blade
4 Glasgow form, British cavalry, poss. Scots Greys c. 1760

Note: English swords typically used German blades through 17th century, but the Hounslow enterprise 1630s and Shotley Bridge 1680s-1700 were using German makers relocated to England for production of blades. However, while a nominal number of blades were produced, there was still a large import of German blades.