Party Scottish style.

[Jimmy]

Nowadays, Jock, I do not personally know any other full-timers. (That's because so many fancy-dressers like you and Jimmy tell everyone it doesn't make sense. )
Of course, in many cases, the employer does not allow the kilt to be worn. That does not stop our well-known Insch signaller, John McFarlane. another full-time kiltie.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bennac...-pqNmY6-7GP49b
https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2774...7127c65c_m.jpg
His kilts
https://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042...cbb199be_m.jpg

Alan

Hi Alan, " fancy dressers" , please explain as i am no fancy dresser except on a formal occasions.
My kilted background has risen from the ranks of the Tartan army, problem the best advert for kilt wearing , it's not until you see the masses of different kilt wear, shapes and forms that you can really appreciate why the kilt is such a manly dress. Although as i said earlier the TA is not appreciated on this forum

[Jock Scot]

Jock,
"...full time kilt wearing is not an option that the Scots in Scotland choose to make very often."
Agreed - that is an obvious fact nowadays. But why? I can see that kilts and moving machinery don't go together - even I recognise that chainsawing kilted is unwise!

Without wishing to be intrusive, I'm wandering if you could give us an honest appraisal of where there are clashes between your kilt and your lifestyle.

Alan

I don't mind you wondering at all and its not in the least bit intrusive. So in no particular order, kilts and chest waders(fishing) do not go. I rarely wear the kilt outwith the Highlands and even less often in England, where I am quite often (and further afield). I still spend time on the farms where whirling cogs and shafts, several hundred horse power and the kilt is a terrifying thought. The kilt and shooting and deer stalking do not march happily together either. Horse riding in the form of hunting mainly, when I used to ride was also not a good idea with the kilt.

[The Q]

This is similar to my reasons for not Wearing a kilt all the time. Although I now live in England, there would be no problem generally.
Sailing would destroy a kilt, it often destroys trousers which are a lot cheaper.
Work is often sat next to an oil bath, oil and kilts are not a good combination. ( The oil is a skin irritant)
Gardening, aka jungle clearance, although we don't have anything deadly, nettles, brambles, and horse flys are not to be given easy access...
Riding the motor scooter, Needs full protective gear at 70MPH...


Dinner over, Time to go sit at the Oil bath again.....

[Jimmy]

I don't mind you wondering at all and its not in the least bit intrusive. So in no particular order, kilts and chest waders(fishing) do not go. I rarely wear the kilt outwith the Highlands and even less often in England, where I am quite often (and further afield). I still spend time on the farms where whirling cogs and shafts, several hundred horse power and the kilt is a terrifying thought. The kilt and shooting and deer stalking do not march happily together either. Horse riding in the form of hunting mainly, when I used to ride was also not a good idea with the kilt.

Hi Jock,
I watched the STV news the other night and they featured an article about the dreaded Lyme's disease. I was unaware about this until a relative was bitten on a holiday in Skye, a couple of years back, fortunately the tick left a bite and the disease was identified and treated.
The STV item talked to three individuals from Scotland who were not so lucky in being treated promptly and the consequences were devastating for them.
I regularly hill walk and always in a kilt but now i am particularly careful not to wander into long grass or of the trail.
So wearing the kilt out and about in the country has its downside

[Jock Scot]

Ugh ticks! I loathe the pesky things! I would not wish Lymes disease on my worst enemy. Everyone up here is a lot wiser these days than they were, so the more severe symptoms are usually avoided by those that know. I find it amazing that the dangers of ticks are not more widely publicised up here than they are, for the benefit of the visitors.

[Jimmy]

Ugh ticks! I loathe the pesky things! I would not wish Lymes disease on my worst enemy. Everyone up here is a lot wiser these days than they were, so the more severe symptoms are usually avoided by those that know. I find it amazing that the dangers of ticks are not more widely publicised up here than they are, for the benefit of the visitors.

Hi Jock,
Last year I was talking to the ranger on the island of Inchcailloch on Loch Lomond, she told me that Lyme disease is not just limited to the Highlands and islands like Skye in Scotland but it starting to be seen in the Loch Lomond national park area, she went on to say that trying to educate the GPs in the area was not easy.
My niece who had contacted Lyme disease on Skye stays in Airdrie, her husband had noticed the tell tale sign of Lyme disease on her back, she went to her GP who did not recognise the symptoms as did the other doctors in the practice, only after a bit of research was Lyme disease identified, thankfully it was at an early stage and antibiotics solved the problem.
Undetected Lyme disease as you know has devastating results .
So wearing the kilt on moorland or hills has its problems

[neloon]

Jock, Jimmy and the Q, I will try to respond.

Jimmy:-

By fancy dress, I just mean an unusual costume that is worn for some kind of special occasion or to attract attention. I think I was teasing Jock.

Jock:-

" whirling cogs and shafts" Yes - equivalent to chainsawing.

"I rarely wear the kilt outwith the Highlands " That is a choice that puzzles many of us. I have a feeling that, in your youth, you only came to the Highlands on kilted holidays - maybe it's a repercussion of that. But it is a choice.

" Horse riding ... also not a good idea with the kilt" ??Trews

" kilts and chest waders(fishing) do not go." and " The kilt and shooting and deer stalking do not march happily together" I am in ignorance here. Definitely not my lifestyle! Ticks - see later.

" My two full time kilt wearers have passed on" The way you express that they sound like family members; were their lifestyles so different from yours?


The Q:-

" Sailing would destroy a kilt" Suggests the kilt was not favoured in the Isles where boats were ubiquitous.

" oil and kilts are not a good combination. ( The oil is a skin irritant)" and " Riding the motor scooter" Again - like chainsawing.

" Gardening, aka jungle clearance, although we don't have anything deadly, nettles, brambles, and horse flies are not to be given easy access..." Well, at my age, I now have many "gardening" kilts and a well stocked jungle of brambles, whins, nettles etc. frequently adds some extra rips and general distressing. Diesel off the tractor adds to the tartan pattern - and Mrs neloon likes the smell of diesel! Clegs, midgies etc will get your exposed parts anyway - use repellent.

Jimmy and Jock:-

Ticks. Here, we're surrounded by sheep, deer, pets and all manner of other carriers but I don't seem to get bitten any more often than Mrs neloon. You just have to check when you get in and wheek the little devils out with one of those clever gadgets. My daughter and her chums on Duke of Edinburgh expeditions wore breeks, gaiters end so on but still got regularly attacked.


I realise I'm eccentric - aren't we all a bit. I just think that Scots have slipped into focussing on reasons for wearing the kilt rather than is there really and truly any reason why not. Jock went to his drinks party unkilted - just for variety?
So really, really, what fraction of our lives is it truly not a good idea to wear the kilt or is it just "Well, you don't wear the kilt to go shopping, go to the dentist/doctor/hairdresser, visit friends, go out for a drink/meal ... people just don't do that. "

Alan

[tpa]

Oh dear, had no idea what I was going to start with the rather tongue in cheek comments I made. Just to clarify, although I do wear my kilts daily, this had nothing to do with daily wear. It was a "special occasion", it was the weekend, it was at a prestige establishment in Scotland although a little below the Highland Line. To be fair a good number of the guests were from outwith Scotland, but I was a little surprised there were no other kilts or tartan on show.

[Tobus]

So really, really, what fraction of our lives is it truly not a good idea to wear the kilt or is it just "Well, you don't wear the kilt to go shopping, go to the dentist/doctor/hairdresser, visit friends, go out for a drink/meal ... people just don't do that. "

Part of me agrees with Father Bill, and is disappointed to hear that Scots don't wear the kilt as often as we expect them to (why oh why won't they cater to our expectations?!). We often hear that kilts are for "special occasions" only. But wouldn't an 80th birthday celebration for an aging friend/relative be considered a special occasion? Apparently not. Which leads one to wonder what qualifies as special, or whether there's really even an occasion special enough for the average Scot to want to put on the kilt. Perhaps the "special occasion" excuse is just a convenient way of saying that they really just don't consider the kilt as something they want to wear at all. The less people wear the kilt, the more "it's just not done" becomes the norm.

But the other side of me, as a Texan, understands the concept when I put it in the same context as the clothing people associate with Texas. Down here, fancy cowboy boots, starched jeans, a crisp white starched shirt, and a cowboy hat are seen as iconically traditional. It's socially suitable for many levels of dress, and almost any occasion. And some folks do wear this style of dress every day. Others only wear it for church or weddings or special occaions. But a lot of folks don't wear such an outfit at all. Yet they are still considered good faithful Texans.

I can't think of any reason why it should be any different in Scotland, or the Highlands specifically. Traditional forms of dress still remain traditional and acceptable, but they needn't be slavishly worn by everyone, at every turn, to remain relevant.

[Father Bill]

So really, really, what fraction of our lives is it truly not a good idea to wear the kilt or is it just "Well, you don't wear the kilt to go shopping, go to the dentist/doctor/hairdresser, visit friends, go out for a drink/meal ... people just don't do that. "

Alan

And therein lies the basis for my original comment that so disappointed you Jock. I just see a slow decline to extinction.