I haven't played a Barbarian yet, but I am thinking ahead about it.

I think I will make my first barbarian a highlander wielding a claymore and wearing a kilt.  Does anyone have any advice on how to build this PC using point buy and recommended feats/ ASIs?  What path would you recommend?  Or is the choice of creating a highlander fairly agnostic about character progression?

Thanks for your help.

To you, what defines a highlander? 

You're obviously going human.  Your weapon is locked in as Greatsword (claymore)  If going vhuman (and you probably should) you probably want great weapon master at level 1.  +1 str, +1 con, 16 str and con, 14 dex.  10 wis, dump cha and int (because you have little choice).  The obvious choice is bear totem (although I personally dislike it).  Folk hero background.  Skills take athletics and wis skills.  As for extra ASI, I am looking at getting my str to 20, then my con, and finally my dex since I am not wearing armor or shield.  I'm probably not taking any extra feats because I have so many stats to increase since I am not wearing armor.

I'm probably not looking to MC, but if I do, it would be fighter, defense fighting style (great weapon doesn't impress me) and a second level for action surge.

https://ddb.ac/characters/33078600/OE2xPs

So we agree a Highlander is a good RP match for a barbarian?  I figure you could also try to run a Highlander as a Fighter, but I think you're going to have problems with him wearing non-metal armor (to be consistent with how Highlanders are depicted).  I also figure you could create a Highlander Cleric, Druid, Bard or Rogue.  The last ones though couldn't wield a claymore but I think they could be RPed just fine.

Only if you require that a highlander must not wear armor.  You could go barb 1 fighter X if you're not married to barb abilities.  Like I said, what makes it a highlander in your opinion? Most of your unarmored scots in a schiltron would have long spears or pikes rather than claymores.  Those who could afford two handed swords generally would have had armor as well.  Mel Gibson's Braveheart isn't really a good idea of what a scottish soldier looked like.

Well, the real idea here is to create a barbarian not to explore the bounds of creating a fighter.  But once I have created a barbarian I want to see what other classes work with my barbarian in RP as Highlanders.  I don't think I can get the whole party to go Highlander, but I'd like to have a highlander buddy, and I anticipate he'd be another class.  In general I envision highlanders as fighting in their kilts unless they know they are going into a pitched battle.  Then the "noble" Scots and their retinue would go into battle armored.

Then really what it sounds like you need, your minimum requirements are:  Claymore + no armor.  Barbarian is the best way to go no armor.  For flavor, maybe for the background take entertainer or outlander to get a musical insturment (bagpipes).  Honestly, it's a bog-standard vhuman with great weapon master, bear totem barbarian.  Nothing too special there.

I know you're not saying Highlander in reference to the films, but I can't help but recommend Zealot. It doesn't make you immortal, per se, but at level 3 if you go down your allies can revive you with spells like revivify or raise dead without consuming material components. It's also a solid Barb choice... you get an additional d6 of damage each round, and you can eventually make a bonus-action battlecry that inspires your allies, giving them advantage on attacks and saving throws.

Quote from TransmorpherDDS >>

I know you're not saying Highlander in reference to the films, but I can't help but recommend Zealot. It doesn't make you immortal, per se, but at level 3 if you go down your allies can revive you with spells like revivify or raise dead without consuming material components. It's also a solid Barb choice... you get an additional d6 of damage each round, and you can eventually make a bonus-action battlecry that inspires your allies, giving them advantage on attacks and saving throws.

 Thanks.  Yes, I'm not doing it in the context of the Highlander Movie, but more like Mel Gibson.  These are the most 'romantic' templets I can think of for a barbarian character.  Of course, a viking could work well, as does a Germanic warrior during the Roman empire.  I also imagine the Native Americans as a good barbarian prototype.  You might even consider the Mongols to be a barbarian prototype.

Viking berserkers were the obvious idea behind the original barbarian class, but just about any culture can be used as inspiration for a D&D style barbarian, with possible exception of the Greeks and Romans ("barbarian" being originally just a word for a non-Greek).  And even then, you could have barbarians be Ares/Mars cultists or something.  Scottish Highlanders are a good choice for a theme.  While the Zealot is a good choice, the Ancestral Guardian is another option.  It lacks the offensive punch of the Zealot, but it gives a lot of ways to help protect allies, making it an excellent tank in a group.