Hi Graham

Although the climate in the UK is much more temperate than in some other parts of the world, nevertheless the second most common question I get asked here in winter is am I not cold in my kilt. My usual reply is that I’m wearing heavy leather shoes or boots on my feet, long thick wool socks up to the knees, knees are slightly odd in that they are one of the few parts of the body that don’t have temperature-sensing nerve ends so don’t actually “know” whether it’s cold or not, and from the knees to the waist I’ve got 8 yards of wool wrapped round me – how can I possibly be cold! However, I have to admit that this is often then followed by “But if you’re not wearing anything underneath……..??”

In what passes for cold temperatures here the key is to keep your extremities warm (feet, hands, head) – the major heat loss source in a (clothed) body is the top of the head - so stout footwear, long thick socks, gloves and headgear of almost any kind should keep you cosy.

As others have said, the real problem is not low temperatures but wind, as even a medium weight wool kilt can easily keep you warm down to 15-20 degrees below. My own solution to wind is to wear a longer parka length windproof jacket which only leaves the bottom 3-4ins of kilt showing – no wind-lift problems and I stay nice and warm!

With regard to your other problem of sitting on an uncomfortable bundle of kilt when driving, knife pleats should lay flat when sitting so could I suggest that possibly you have not as yet fully mastered the art of getting into a car when kilted – however I have a vague recollection of reading somewhere that due to the way the pleats lie this is easier in a RHD car than a LHD one, and I know from personal experience that I am more comfortable on the right rather than on the left side of a car.