What would you say is the best reasonably reputable priced kilt maker in the UK?

[Troglodyte]

So there is Kinloch Anderson but I cannot afford, I can think of some others but are still out of my price range, I’m curious why kilt kulture is so big across the pond yet practically non-existent here, there is no UK Kilts (or UKilts) I’ve never even seen a kilt for sale in a charity shop.

Used to be a local kilt maker but he vanished off the face of the earth, possibly even passed, before I had a chance to buy a kilt off him.

I really am surprised to see this...

Where are you based?

The internet seems to throw up a huge selection of kiltmakers, and a good many of them are here in Scotland. And my local charity shops here in NE Scotland seem to have a fairly regular supply - but you have to be willing to take what's on offer. They can go for as little as £5, but most people know quality when they see it, and a good kilt in heavyweight cloth by a good maker will be about ten times that.

If you are wanting a kilt in a specific tartan and cloth weight, and it's not one of the military tartans (Mackenzie, Gordon, etc) it is most likely you will have to have one specially made.

The bulk of the cost of a kilt is in the amount of cloth used - at now more than £60 per yard, you can work out what the base cost will be - but you pay for the skill and the time of the kiltmaker, and you only get what you pay for.

Ebay.uk seems to have plenty on offer, but the likes of Ministry of Tartan (www.ministryoftartan.com) offers an ever-changing selection of new and ex-hire kilts along with sporrans and other items.

Kilting culture in North America is a relatively new movement, and there seems to be much stricter 'rules' and categories observed than ever there was, or is, here in the old country where habits, styles, fashions and what are accepted as traditions are much more relaxed if they exist at all.

There is an abundance of retailers on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, offering 'tartan tat' to tourists who know no better, but a good kiltmaker with skill and experience is easy to find - but you really need to look north of the border to find them.

Have a look at McCalls Highlandwear or St Kilda Store (Gaelic Themes) websites, as they are both manufacturers and retailers. Kinloch Anderson are excellent, but there is a price premium attached to their name and brand.