Wearing a tartan if not Celtic heritage

[JRB]

Right Tony. First of all I believe there is far too much reticence on your side of the pond about upsetting people by wearing their tartan. This is an inhibition that you must get under control before going to a good website such as the Scottish Tartans Authority and trolling through there until you find a few tartans you really like. Then you make a final decision and provided it is not one of the very few restricted tartans, go along to a good kiltmaker and have a kilt made in that tartan. Wear it with pride and know which tartan it is if anyone asks you, you could even throw in that it was your granny's tartan if you feel you must.

Your comment makes me wonder. Has anyone here ever encountered a Scot (or anyone else, for that matter) who was genuinly offended or upset at the sight of someone wearing a specific clan tartan who was not "entitled" to wear it? Other than the restricted tartans you mentioned I've never seen or heard of such an incident myself.

[Jock Scot]

Your comment makes me wonder. Has anyone here ever encountered a Scot (or anyone else, for that matter) who was genuinly offended or upset at the sight of someone wearing a specific clan tartan who was not "entitled" to wear it? Other than the restricted tartans you mentioned I've never seen or heard of such an incident myself.

Not unless they are drunk and then very occasionally a wee bit of inter-clan leg pulling can get out of hand. We are too polite in the Highlands to ask,we do observe though and the wearing of more than one tartan,without good reason, will be noted ,but not ever mentioned.We would just assume it was another visitor with a case full of kilts, who does not know the form. A raising of the eyebrow,a look, a shrug of the shoulders, a wry smile is all you would get, all very discreetly done I might add.

[JRB]

...the wearing of more than one tartan,without good reason, will be noted...

Not to stray too far off topic, but does the above statement apply to the wearing of more than one tartan from the same clan (i.e. hunting XXXX, dress XXXX, ancient XXXX, etc.) or just to wearing the tartan of more than one clan.

[Jock Scot]

Not to stray too far off topic, but does the above statement apply to the wearing of more than one tartan from the same clan (i.e. hunting XXXX, dress XXXX, ancient XXXX, etc.) or just to wearing the tartan of more than one clan.

Good question! So very few kilt wearing Scots have more than one kilt,so yes I suppose it would be noted if you wear more than one tartan of the same clan. I suspect the thought would be something along the lines of;"....damn fool must have more money than sense......". The wearing of tartans of different clans, without good reason (pipe band for example), would receive far more robust thoughts! Although, wearing a dress tartan of your clan,if it has one, at the appropriate time would not raise an eyebrow. |The words like " money" and "sense" may still occur to the local onlooker though!

I am considering getting a new kilt made! If I do, I think I would have the "weathered" version of my tartan, I will let you know what the locals thoughts are in due course! At a guess it will be something like;"..... best humour the old boy(silly old duffer)......has not a clue what he is doing........never been the same since........fancy trying to get all modern at his age........". I fancy I will not be too far out!