The letter q is mostly recognisable to the modern eye, though it is often confused with g (see Secretary Hand g for advice on identifying g).
The q tends to have a rounded chamber and the descender often loops around to join onto the next letter. This sort of q can be found anywhere in a word. The second form shown above tends to be found more often at the beginning of a word. Its chamber has the angular look of an a (compare with letter a).
If you are unsure what letter you're looking at and you think it's a q, look at the letters around it. Remember that in Scots, as in English, a q has to be followed by a u and frequently the u is then followed by an h so you have the letter trio quh such as in quhat, quhair, quhan, quhite (what, where, when, white). Below is the word quhat, the Scots for what.
