kilts in Edinburgh

[Archangel]

Particularly as he was a wee italian cross dresser

Now, don't you start on about that then.


I'm going to side with those who thinks it's silly to expect Edinburgh to be full of kilts just to satisfy tourists. Be a good Scottish reason not to wear one.

Stereotypically, Scots are also dour, miserable, tight, and prone to violence. Do the tourists want those qualities as well.

The reverse logic would also prevent kilts being worn in locales outside of Scotland.

If you see them, great, if not, there's always the drunken walk (what is the right name for doing the pubs on the street behind Princes?)

[cessna152towser]

Pub crawl along Rose Street.

[gilmore]

Now, don't you start on about that then.


I'm going to side with those who thinks it's silly to expect Edinburgh to be full of kilts just to satisfy tourists. Be a good Scottish reason not to wear one.

Stereotypically, Scots are also dour, miserable, tight, and prone to violence. Do the tourists want those qualities as well?

Perhaps, if they were caged.

[McClef]

I appreciate what you say about the place where you live and Edinburgh has many things you never hear about. I walked around the churchyard at the foot of the High St near Holyrood and their are some interesting gravestones there - one put up by Robert Burns to commemorate another poet, Fergusson. Edinburgh never did have a history concerning kilt wearing and the most they probably ever saw was when Bonnie Prince Charlie marched in so to have some kind of re-enactment would not be in any way authentic. There is a lot of history in Edinburgh but really none of it wearing kilts.

Photo of me in a kilt with Mr Fergusson!



At one time when the Castle was still a working barracks you could expect to see kilts at least there. Scottish Heritage issues kilts to its male employees but they are not forced to wear them when guiding tourists around the Castle (the same applies at Stirling). But braveheart tourists (I count myself as a visitor rather than a tourist lol) apart a lone piper at the Scott Monument or an employee in a kilt shop doesn't help to fill the void.

I bet you see more kilts at an International match at Murrayfield than you did with Prince Charlie's visit Kilts can come out in amazing numbers on occasions, but outside of those occasions is where we have the problem. Yes, historically kilts and Edinburgh didn't go together at least until the nineteenth century, but from that point the two did become merged in the popular imagination to a greater extent. Ozone has pointed out that Edinburgh has tried to capitalise on the highlander tradition and that is because that has now merged with that of Scotland a whole. You are no more likely to see kilts in Inverness now than in Edinburgh but Edinburgh gets far more tourists. When I visited Stirling Castle in February the numbers of people visiting the Castle were pretty few yet we managed three kilts. A couple of days later I stood on the Esplanade at Edinburgh and saw the huge crowds queueing for tickets there. Edinburgh wins hands down in the numbers game so it has more expectations to meet. Your average tourist isn't going to worry about its history of non-kilt wearing, they have seen all the brochures therefore it must be true.

[cessna152towser]

Most men I know here in Scotland own at least one kilt but they tend to wear them sparingly, for evening functions, weddings, rugby and soccer matches and when travelling. Earlier this year I met a young lad from my home town at the Edinburgh Kilt Walk and it was the first time I had seen him weaing a kilt. I asked him if he ever wore his kilt out and about in his home town and he replied, "No but I wear it every day when I'm on holiday in Florida."

[NewKilt]

I think it is a bit of a stereotype that people have of Scots that they wear their kilts day in and day out.

To your point, Phil, I'm a US citizen. Taking my daily walk this week at a local park, I ran into a group of children (1st through 3rd graders) that attend a day camp put on by the local parks and recreation department. As I passed the pavilion, I heard a young man shout loudly, "Look, there's a dude from Scotland!"

Well, my great,great,great,great grandfather was born in Scotland. However, he was a lowlander, and most likely never wore a kilt.

Still, It is rather unfortunate that more men in Scotland (and other countries) do not consider the kilt as a viable alternative to pants as daily attire. I certainly consider them to be the most practical, comfortable piece of clothing I've ever worn. If I remember correctly, there was something in another thread some time back about some of the younger men in Scotland adopting kilts as casual attire - T-shirts and boots. Perhaps the younger generations will revitalize kilt wearing as daily attire.

Darrell

[McClef]

Earlier this year I met a young lad from my home town at the Edinburgh Kilt Walk and it was the first time I had seen him wearing a kilt. I asked him if he ever wore his kilt out and about in his home town and he replied, "No but I wear it every day when I'm on holiday in Florida."

It reminds me of that biblical phrase "a prophet is without honour in his own country and in his own house." In this case a kilt rather than a prophet.

When Scotsmen wear kilts abroad it helps to reinforce the impression that they must also do so at home and this increases the expectation for visitors.

[Martin S]

As initiator of this thread, let me add that I would never say that citizens of Edinburgh or anywhere else *ought* to wear the kilt, but one cannot help but feel faintly disappointed at seeing so few in the capital of the country that led the way in non-bifurcation.

I never expected to see any more kilts in Scotland than in France up to now, and I'm quite sure that this monomaniac forum is responsible for raising expectations; reading here day after day, it seems that the whole world is getting into kilts !

It was then disappointing to find that, apart from its very disticntive architecture and urban layout, Edinburgh is little different from any other town in GB (Marks & Spencer, Woolworths... and men in trousers). Why the locals even sound like something out of Eastenders these days!
(popular very southern Sassenach TV soap; it appears that even the Queen watches it, probably so that her speeches will be more understandable by hoi polloi.)

Martin

[Phil]

Why the locals even sound like something out of Eastenders these days!
(popular very southern Sassenach TV soap; it appears that even the Queen watches it, probably so that her speeches will be more understandable by hoi polloi.)

Martin

They are known as "Yaa-Yaa's" by the locals because they keep saying "Yaa". Must be a deficiency in the southern English dialect. They send their children to Edinburgh University, buy them expensive flats and lavish money on them so they can sit in restaurants, clubs and pubs saying "Yaa". They don't seem to mingle with the locals but keep very much to themselves in an effort to ensure that their carefully groomed superiority complexes are not compromised by any contact with Scottish people. There is another branch of the species but they are normally only recognisable until late afternoon on a Friday. They also do not mingle with locals but stride purposefully towards the nearest pub. They have just been disgorged from a train on their way to Rose Street at the start of a "Stag weekend" and can still speak as they will only just have started pouring prodigious amounts of alcohol down their necks. They can be instantly recognised by their matching T-shirts usually bearing obscene slogans, frequently by their distinctive headgear such as cowboy hats or viking helmets and their rich Cockney accents (as in "Eastenders") which are always liberally interspersed with obscene expletives. They invariably manage to surprise and entertain groups of douce local elderly ladies while on their way to church especially when, by Sunday, one or more of them can be seen trying to retain some modesty after their companions have stripped them naked on the Royal Mile or other such boyish pranks. They are soon gone, however, leaving behind their distinctive trademarks which is usually the contents of their stomachs and more that I really shouldn't mention up and down the streets of the Capital. While this is always good news for the pigeon population providing them with a welcome addition to their diet it can make the Monday morning walk to work a bit of a minefield.
Still enough of our Southern neighbours, apart from myself I saw three kilted locals today, none of whom were busking with bagpipes, opening hotel doors or working in a kilt shop and all of this between one end of Princes Street and the other. I dutifully had my camera with me but, sadly, not a single Japanese wearing a kilt over his jeans but I will persevere. I didn't count the piper near Waverley Station nor the doorman at the Balmoral hotel so that adds up to 6 altogether - not a bad tally really for a Friday in Edinburgh.

[ozone]

Phil,

Glad that you have the camera at the ready now. I am sure that the opportunity will present itself for a japanese or other tourist trying and failing to pull off the local garb. Kee pat it and post the piccies when you get them. Today I met a nice Scot at the food and wine festival by the name of Martin, he's the head salesperson for Highland Park Whisky. He was wearing a nice 21st century business kilt with matching jacket. We spoke for awhile, but no free whisky bottle came my way. I'll try again tomorrow and at least get a picture. So there's a Scot who liked wearing a kilt for work.....in Aspen Colorado.

BTW, highland park 18yr is VERY nice