Ponderings of an ancient Scot.

[davidlpope]

When the kilt was officially made the national dress of Scotland, did it pertain to all of Scotland, or just the Highlands? And if it was for all of Scotland, was it meant to encourage Lowlanders to wear it as well, even though it wasn't their custom?

I don't think that the kilt has ever "officially" been declared the national dress of Scotland. Such things as national dress usually come about as a matter of custom.

Perhaps some of our academics can chime in, but I think the pan-Scottish connection to the kilt came about as a result of George IV's visit to Edinburgh in 1822. It seems to me that by that time a significant romanticised ideal surrounding the kilt/highland culture, etc. had grown up due to Sir Walter Scott's Waverly novels. As a result, Lowland and Border families jumped on the tartan/kilt bandwagon. Later added to that start was the fabulously good marketing that the Highland Regiments gave the kilt (I mean, come on, you get goosebumps hearing about the "Thin Red Line"...).

In some ways, then, it seems that the adoption of the kilt by Lowland Scots is not that really that far off from the "adoption of the kilt" by Irish kilt-wearers. The kilt was never part of Lowland culture, but it has been adopted nonetheless to signify an identity distinct from the dominant culture group.

Cordially,

David