Weelington Boots and Highland Wear

[Jock Scot]

My gran used to work at the Hunter's factory in Dumfries. Most of the farmers still wear them, the other half wear black Dunlops.

Funnily enough, I was joking with my sons, who are running the farm these days, about my leather lined wellingtons.. It was suggested in a light hearted manner, I hasten to add, that I should consider which one of them is going to inherit my fairly new leather lined boots when I am gone! Apparently, ------according to one of my Grandsons------ I am not going to require them where I am going!

The leg pulling went on for quite a time and the usual light hearted to and fro and comments such as;-" your feet are too big", to, "you already have a pair", to, "you don't need wellingtons Grandpa, as you drive around the farm anyway! " and on the light hearted conversation went for quite a time. When the youngest Grandson stopped the conversation dead in its tracks by saying ,"we shall miss you when you are gone Grandpa!" Wow! -------

So take it from one who knows( for some 45 years or so of wearing them when needed and sometimes wearing them on some pretty rugged ground in some pretty rugged weather.) a pair of those leather lined boots are one of those things well worth having!

[Jock Scot]

Someone contacted me after reading my posts about leather lined wellingtons and wanted to know the name of the maker of the boots that I wear. Le Chameau are the makers of the ones that I am talking about , made in France.

There is another maker of leather lined boots that I see about too and I think they are also a French company called Aigle-------- please forgive the spelling! As I cannot speak from personal experience of them and I do have to be clear here about that, but, those that do wear them do appear to be happy with them.

[figheadair]

A example is support of the title.

[Canadian Vet]

A example is support of the title.

That's a good Loch looch.

[Allan Thomson]

I am intrigued by your question. Why, I wonder, would you think that Wellington boots would be appropriate with Highland dress.

The Wellingtons shows on S&F website are military (never worn by civilians) dress riding boots which are worn with close-fitting Number One (Blues) uniform trousers that come down over and outside the leg of the boot, and have a stirrup-strap with a button fastening under the arch of the boot. The cuff of the trousers is cut to cover most of the boot and to fit the leg with no 'break' or creasing.

It is, or course, perfectly posible to wear such boots with the kilt, but combining what is essentially 19th century English light cavalry boots with modern Highland dress seems a bizarre desire. It has often been said over the past 250 years or so, that the only proper footwear with the kilt is the Highland brogue, and there are any number of versions by different makers to choose from.

If it is the military look you are after, the civilian version of the army-issue 'Braemar' brogue that S&F also supplies is by far the best and most correct choice. As an alternative the ghillie-brogues, the closed-front, full-brogue Braemar is probably the shoe most often seen worn with the kilt here in Scotland.

Mixing English city styles of footwear (think Oxford or Derby style shoes) or military boots is often suggested for kilt-wear, but is a very poor substitute for proper Highland styles, and will always be regarded with suspicion by critical eyes.

That said, however, the rubber Wellington boot is an entirely different thing, despite the name. They are wet-weather footwear, and worn when conditions under-foot are anything more than damp. Again, they are an English style (not Highland dress, despite the occasional photo of a kiltie a-booted) and are immensely practical - you can wade almost knee-deep in water or tramp around a water-logged Games field all day whilst maintaining comfortably dry feet.

Once a Scottish-made product, the green Uniroyal 'Hunter' wellie has been the rubber boot of choice for kings, nobles and the common man, and for very good reason, too. Hunter wellies as a brand have been put through a fashion and marketing programme in recent years, and are now available in a wider range of colours and styles, intended to be worn as fashion footwear by hip city types.

French boot makers, like Aigle and Le Chameau, now seem to be more popular (and arguably better) than Hunters with the country set, and certainly have both the 'look' and the variety of styles and prices - there is something for every taste and budget. The rubber-coated leather boots are excellent. The original black farmer's wellie with the tougher sole and reinforced toe-cap is still available, if the 'farmer gone to market' is the desired style.

Perhaps the best advice you can be given, is to keep a pair of wellies for when conditions demand them (regardless of whether your are kilted or otherwise), and wear the kilt the same way as a Highlander in his native glen, with footwear appropriate for the activity.

Forgetting Hoggs there...if you want a truly Scottish manufacturer

[Allan Thomson]

Hm! Do you have pix? I couldn't find any with quick scan.

Not to hand but it is on this site. But if you just google Liverpool Scottish at Peel station 2 images come up on the Manx Nostalgia page of Facebook. They were off to their annual camp at Knockaloe. Dated 1912/12

[Allan Thomson]

Also on here there's a thread called Liverpool Scottish some interesting images where you can find the afore mentioned images

[Troglodyte]

Forgetting Hoggs there...if you want a truly Scottish manufacturer

Not forgetting Hoggs at all..!

Hoggs are more a retail brand than a manufacturer, and their footwear is made for them to their own designs. I understand that Cheaney in Northamptonshire makes their shoes, and fine, bench-grade shoes though they are, they are English-made.

For truely Scottish footwear still producing in Scotland by Scottish hands, you need to go to Glenrothes for A. E. Struthers - who make the Thistle brand of Highland dress footwear, and the Ryan & O'Donnell Irish 'clickety-clack' dance shoes. Struthers are also in league with Loake of Northampton (and why not?), and I have been told both brands have their shoes made outside the UK.

Hoggs' range of wellies used to be wider, with a selection of good old-fashioned proper farmers' boots, but theirs now seem to be aimed at country sports rather than country work.

I wonder if anyone still wears seaboot socks with their wellies. I have a couple of ancient and still unused pairs in the thick natural colour, with the chunky knit rib panel around the heel. These will always be my first choice of sock with tweed breeks, my 50-year-old Hawkins boots and gaiters when on the braes in the winter months.

[Jock Scot]

Frankly this idea of slavishly buying "Scottish only" for goods is just " cutting your nose off to spite your own face" and is plain silly. As far as I am concerned, I wear and use the best gear that I can afford from wherever that might be. If that is Scottish then great! If it is made somewhere within the UK that is also great! But, but, I am not averse to wearing French wellingtons if they suit my purpose effectively, likewise I happily wear a Swiss watch that has kept very good time for over many a decade. Or, American tractors, or, German combine harvesters, or French wine and so on and so forth and Yes! I prefer the taste of Scottish whisky!

Yes of course I buy Scottish goods if that is the best, or its what suits me, but for goodness sake this slavish idea of buying Scottish just because its Scottish is just plain crazy!

There are two exceptions! I would never knowingly buy wool tartan, or, tweed that was not woven in Scotland. Yes, yes, I know the wool used was almost certainly imported!

[The Q]

For those not wishing to buy the more expensive leather wellingtons...
Rigger boots are a good alternative, some are fur lined for the winter...