Scottish Govt put the kibosh on Dressed to Kilt

**Monkey@Arms** · 9th March 08, 11:31 AM

Scottish govt. puts clamps on Tartan talk

Published: March 8, 2008 at 6:38 PM

EDINBURGH, Scotland, March 8 (UPI) -- The Scottish government reportedly is trying to burnish Scotland's image by showing there's more to the country's culture than kilts and whiskey.

To that end, the government has renamed the country's annual Tartan Week celebration next month as Scotland Week. Scottish government leaders also want to differentiate the event from New York's annual Tartan Day celebrated by its Scottish residents and descendants, The Scotsman said Saturday.

"Tartan Week has promoted entirely the wrong image of Scotland," one unidentified source said. "It's all been far too shortbread tin. Too many embarrassments."

Tartan Week will now lose its annual Dressed to Kilt fashion show and Scottish Village, while Tartan Day will be limited to a parade and a few other functions. Likely no more filling up on sheep organ-filled haggis before tossing a caber or two, either.

Scottish government officials who will be in the United States next month will take a more serious tone, touting the country's business opportunities.

"Our objectives will be to extend the reach of the celebrations … and showcase modern Scotland," a government spokeswoman said.

Best regards,

Jake

**beloitpiper** · 9th March 08, 11:36 AM

I can understand why they want to modernize, but they don't have to END the traditional celebrations...

**Rex_Tremende** · 9th March 08, 11:53 AM

Awww... But I LIKE shortbread!

Rex.

**Tattoo Bradley** · 9th March 08, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by Rex_Tremende

Awww... But I LIKE shortbread!

Rex.

Me too Rex. Me too.

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 9th March 08, 12:43 PM

I seem to recall last year a to-do in the Scottish media about just how much money their government was spending on Tartan Week festivities in NY, and that being a bit of a controversy. I wonder how much this cutting back has to do with those financial concerns?

**McClef** · 9th March 08, 03:30 PM

If they do this they will show themselves up as a load of caber tossers. Yes Scotland is more than kilts and whisky but you don't improve the overall presentation by reducing these to a sideline.

**Dirk Skene** · 10th March 08, 06:35 AM

Originally Posted by McClef

......Yes Scotland is more than kilts and whisky but you don't improve the overall presentation by reducing these to a sideline.

Exactly, McClef

I wonder what these folks are thinking & who is in charge

**Larry124** · 9th March 08, 04:06 PM

Doesn’t make sense to me.
Is there more (or less) to this than meets the eye…?
Lowlands vs. Highlands?
Fear (or disdain) of “Scotland as a Theme Park” (for tourists rather than business investors?)
Some kind of counter-reaction to rows like Forbes vs. Trump?
Tartan Army? Tartan tat?

What?

Didn’t Lidi (for better or worse) just recently sell a boatload of economy tartan kilts?

**James MacMillan** · 9th March 08, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by Larry124

Doesn’t make sense to me.
Is there more (or less) to this than meets the eye…?
Lowlands vs. Highlands?
Fear (or disdain) of “Scotland as a Theme Park” (for tourists rather than business investors?)
Some kind of counter-reaction to rows like Forbes vs. Trump?
Tartan Army? Tartan tat?

What?

Didn’t Lidi (for better or worse) just recently sell a boatload of economy tartan kilts?

What he said.

**MacDanar** · 9th March 08, 09:03 PM

If I may regress for a moment... what a buncha poopypants!

What happened to "any press is good press"? Besides, the educated know that there is more to Scotland than kilts, whiskey, haggis, the Bay City Rollers, ad nauseam. And dadgumit, I like shortbread, too. You don't hear about the Irish government complaining that everyone thinks Ireland is a country of drinking and potato-eating. The Scottish government needs to mellow out a bit.