Made in Germany in the 18th century it features, near the hilt, the legends "Prosperity to Schottland" and "End the Union".

The weapon is part of the "Rebels With a Cause" exhibition in Holyrood that examines the Jacobite rebellions of 1715 and 1745 and the influence they had on the history of Scotland as well as the wider world.

The sword is part of a fascinating display that is also the harbinger of a series of lectures on the Jacobites and both deserve the widest public attention for the simple reason that nearly three centuries later their story still has relevance, if only for the fact that nearly everyone knows a version of it....