Do Scotsmen REALLY wear the kilt?

[Jock Scot]

I am trying to make it there July '09 for the Gathering in Edinburgh.

Are you coming all this way, just for that?

[FreakPower70]

I think a lot of this is down to the fact that the kilt is still considered to be a National Costume rather than a garment, as is National Dress in other countries. If one thinks about it, how many German men would wear Lederhosen, or Norwegians their Bunad, on a daily basis or as casual dress?

Fortunately, many traditional retailers of Highland Dress now offer casual outfits alongside the Prince Charlie and Argyll accessories but, these usually consist of the Jacobite style of shirt and Ghillie brogues which do rather carry a 'costumey label'. What is needed is for those retailers to promote the teaming of ordinary, everyday shirts and footwear with their kilts. This would demonstrate to the uninitiated just how good/kewl the kilt can look when worn as a day-to-day garment.

Most of us 'kilties' play our part by dressing in that manner as we go about our daily lives - but that is not quite enough. It's high time the traditional retailers moved up a notch too!

Yes, our kilt IS part of the Scottish National Dress, and rightly so, but it doesn't have to stop there - nor should it.

Take care,
Ham.

I understand what your sayin' here, but when we say every day close do we mean a cheesy t-shirt that read "your girlfriend thinks I'm hot" and nike shoes. Because I don't think I could do it.

FP

[Woot22]

Are you coming all this way, just for that?

Yeah definitely, should be allot of fun. There is supposed to be highland games, piping competitions and such, plus whatever else I stumble upon. Hopefully I will still be able to make it there.

[gilmore]

Are you coming all this way, just for that?

The Scots tourist industry is promoting it rather heavily here in the US and online. Our local Burns club is organizing a group tour of sites associated with Robbie Burns that will coincide with it, and several clan associations will have meetings and tours of various kinds at the same time.

I was tempted to go, never having been to Scotland, but have decided to wait for a less crowded and less expensive time.

[English Bloke]

When I joined this forum recently, I prattled on for ages (sorry!) about how being an Englishman working in Scotland, combined with a bit of tenuous Scottish family heritage had sparked my interest in Kilts. I also noted that many of the Scots Nationals with whom I work were either amused or appalled that an Englishman had the audacity to wear a Kilt. (I stress it's all taken in jest and there is no real animosity, and if there is... It bothers me not!!)

I now wear my Kilt(s) almost daily in Englandshire (when I'm in Scotland I'm in a full-on work environ so personal protective is the garb of choice and putting coveralls over a kilt would look like I was wearing Tudor trousers.) but I have subsequently assertained that many of the amused, owned kilts and wore them often or occasionally, where-as most of the appalled did not ever wear a kilt.

You'll be pleased to know that my interest... nay obsession, has now prompted three previously un-kilted Scotsmen to Kilt up. They even came to me for purchasing advice.

Now there's an Irony

I can't say I've seen any Kilties out and about while I've been in Scotland 'cause I'm generally just passing through on my way from/to home.

I work about 170 (nautical) miles North-East of Aberdeen so there ain't any at work but as previously mentioned, that's hardly surprising.

The more Blokes who don the kilt, the more will don the kilt. People don't usually like to stand out in a crowd me thinks; so if the crowd becomes mainly kilted...
You see where we're going with this.

I honestly believe that the advent of affordable non-wool casual Kilts for everyday wear (footy, pub, shops, whatever) is a good thing and encourages people who would otherwise not wear one at all to want to buy a real Kilt ie. worsted wool, for the special occasions (the 'for best' Kilt you don't want to spill stuff on). This is a good thing for the Wool Kilt Industry. Anything that promotes an interest where previously there was none can't be a bad thing.

My vague stats would bear this out if 5% of the blokes I work with are now wearing kilts in their off time too.

*Note to self: I must stop waffling and firing in these long posts...

I've done now; wake up everybody!!

[McClef]

Well done John - it's almost like a Mission field!

5% is how many of the total?

[thanmuwa]

In the UK so-called "Scotch" is referred to simply as "whisky".

Not in Northern Ireland, still part of the UK. Ask for whisk(e)y and you will get Bushmills or another Irish whiskey, you need to ask for Scotch to get (blended) Scotch.

All other "whiskey" (note the added "e") is called by names such as Rye, Bourbon, Irish, Canadian, etc.

Whiskey with an e refers just to American and Irish whiskeys. Canadian, Japanese or in fact any other whisky has no e. This was an artificial distinction brought in when Scotch was a new entrant to the international market. The Dublin distillers added an "e" to distinguish their high-quality pot-still-produced product from the cheaper Scotch mass-produced in continuous Coffey stills.

[beowulf67]

Yeah definitely, should be allot of fun. There is supposed to be highland games, piping competitions and such, plus whatever else I stumble upon. Hopefully I will still be able to make it there.

I'm going to the gathering too, and then hope to spend a week or so traveling around the highlands.

[thanmuwa]

But it did make me wonder just how common kilt wearing actually is in Scotland?
(Other than for formal events - when I've been to one or two of these in Aberdeen you were the odd-man-out if you DIDN'T wear a kilt.)
Any comments/observations, much appreciated.
Best wishes
Graham.

Back on topic, an observation... I spent a weekend in Oban last month, which is pretty much in the Highlands, and I didn't see anyone else in a kilt, to the extent that tourists were asking for photos with me (and seeming secretly disappointed when they found out I was Irish )

[Jock Scot]

Yeah definitely, should be allot of fun. There is supposed to be highland games, piping competitions and such, plus whatever else I stumble upon. Hopefully I will still be able to make it there.

I am sure you will enjoy it.

The Scots tourist industry is promoting it rather heavily here in the US and online. Our local Burns club is organizing a group tour of sites associated with Robbie Burns that will coincide with it, and several clan associations will have meetings and tours of various kinds at the same time.

I was tempted to go, never having been to Scotland, but have decided to wait for a less crowded and less expensive time.

Do you know, that is what I would do.