In 1745 Charles, son of the deposed King James, came to Scotland and recruited Highlanders (and some Lowlanders and Frenchmen) to the cause of returning his father to the British throne. At first, while he had the element of surprise, he won some battles. He invaded England but drew back into Scotland. The war culminated in a battle on Culloden Moor, not an auspicious place for the beleaguered, outnumbered Scots facing the disciplined English troops. The English didn't just win the battle, they massacred every Scot they could, chasing them home, and took away whatever autonomy the Scottish had remaining. They even outlawed the wearing of plaid.

I could swear, but would be wrong, that I took some long shots of the field, and of a demonstration in the Culloden Museum of the actual way the plaids were worn. A man would lay down a nine-yard wool plaid and pleat it by hand. Then he would lie down across the center of it, wrap parts from both sides over himself, and secure the pleated plaid with a belt he passed underneath. (In the demonstration he had a little help from a friend.) Hard to picture, right? I found this video online...