The Royal Mile

[CDNSushi]

Ignorant tourists don't notice the absence of a MADE IN SCOTLAND label and assume that they're buying Scottish-made goods.

I'm not trying to be confrontational here (just in case my post is seen that way) but why are you so concerned about tourists' ignorance? Stop trying to save the ignorant from their own ignorance (because not only do they not realize that they need saving, but you'll give yourself a headache in trying to do so).

As long as YOU know the difference, that's all that counts. As long as your friends, relatives and the people who venture to XMTS to educate themselves about kilts know the difference, then that's what's important. There will always be a market for tat so I'm not going to condemn the Gold Bros. for being good capitalists. If you don't want to buy from them -- fine. Don't. But don't assume that Scotland needs to be saved from them either, necessarily.

As far as the Morrison kilt shop goes, I haven't ordered from them so I can't attest to their quality, but something tells me that it might be the same case as certain craft beers. I have a friend who's a bit of a beer snob. He refuses to drink Budweiser, Miller, Coors, or anything produced for the mass market, because he hates the idea that these beers are made by global mega-corporations. Thing is, as part of my business courses, I did an in-depth analysis of the operations of AB-InBev, and found that MANY of the "craft" beers that my friend enjoys are actually wholly-owned subsidiaries of the company he refuses to support and give his business to.

Now, I COULD tell my friend what I found, but why pi$$ him off? It would serve nothing except to sour his taste for something he currently enjoys. Fact remains, AB-InBev is perfectly capable of producing some mighty fine beers, in spite of it being owned by a global mega-corp. The same way, I'm confident that it IS (at least theoretically) possible for the Gold Bros. to own and operate a kilt shop that does not sell tourist tat.

[OC Richard]

Stop trying to save the ignorant from their own ignorance...

As long as YOU know the difference, that's all that counts.

Part of me agrees, but enough people think otherwise for laws to be passed requiring food ingredients to be listed on packaging, autos to declare their estimated gas mileage, public schools to declare parental rights in writing, etc. There's an established tradition of saving the ignorant, at least in the USA.

[robthehiker]

Part of me agrees, but enough people think otherwise for laws to be passed requiring food ingredients to be listed on packaging, autos to declare their estimated gas mileage, public schools to declare parental rights in writing, etc. There's an established tradition of saving the ignorant, at least in the USA.

Right, so if the laws are being broken something should be done. If not... then not.