Lochaber axe

The Lochaber axe (Gaelic: tuagh-chatha) is a type of poleaxe that was used almost exclusively in Scotland.

[citation needed] The Lochaber axe had the virtue of being a cheap weapon that could be easily made by a blacksmith.

Hundreds were hastily made to equip the Earl of Mar's levie troops during the Jacobite rising of 1715.

The axe on the side, coupled with the long pole, delivered a powerful blow to infantry or dismounted cavalry.

For Lochaber axes used by the city guards of Edinburgh, the hook is almost level with the top of the staff, making them useless as a means to catch a moving object.

Replica of a Lochaber axe being demonstrated at a battle re-enactment near Inverlochy Castle
Polearms and basket-hilted swords in the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle . The polearm on the right is a Lochaber axe; the other two are halberds