Why you don't see Scots wearing their kilts often

[Jock Scot]

I have said far too much already on this subject and apparently I am accused,by some, of being jingoistic and speaking for Scotland as a whole, and if that is how I have come across then please understand that is not my intention.

However I do have firm opinions, uncomfortable for some they maybe, but when I voice them I do at least try to steer a line that is as courteous as I can be without watering down the point I am making.To those that I may have offended, I am sorry and please be assured that no offence is intended.

Nevertheless, whilst there is much to be said on this subject that is of interest to some, I think it is time for me to bow out.

[Redshank]

I have said far too much already on this subject and apparently I am accused,by some, of being jingoistic and speaking for Scotland as a whole, and if that is how I have come across then please understand that is not my intention.

However I do have firm opinions, uncomfortable for some they maybe, but when I voice them I do at least try to steer a line that is as courteous as I can be without watering down the point I am making.To those that I may have offended, I am sorry and please be assured that no offence is intended.

Nevertheless, whilst there is much to be said on this subject that is of interest to some, I think it is time for me to bow out.

Is this a sign of the times, when a respected sage of a man can be brow beaten into submission and accused of being jingoistic when talking openly and honestly about things very dear to his heart.
I certainly hope not, come on Jock, not all may agree with your words, but your words are indeed wise and come from the heart, speak man and be heard.

[Paul Henry]

Is this a sign of the times, when a respected sage of a man can be brow beaten into submission and accused of being jingoistic when talking openly and honestly about things very dear to his heart.
I certainly hope not, come on Jock, not all may agree with your words, but your words are indeed wise and come from the heart, speak man and be heard.

My, my, the idea of "brow beaten into submission " is amusing... I can't imagine it ever happening!

The point which does need to be remembered is, we all have views, and they are all worth considering, but they are opinons, sometimes based on history sometimes not.
We all have our own ideas , indeed even prejudices, but we have to be careful not to allow ourselves to be swayed without considering other views as well.

[OC Richard]

[QUOTE=Jock Scot;959224]

...rather stupid kilt wearers, often being Americans or otherwise foreign people, visiting their country...


...they almost certainly will assume the wearer of the kilt not to be Scots.

As I've shared before, I encountered this attitude before, and I just had to laugh about the irony of the situation.

We were playing in George Square in 2007



A huge throng of people including hundreds of locals were watching and listening and the locals thought it all quite grand. They said so when interviewed on local TV anyhow.

But when we were done playing and I was walking over to the nearest Underground station, dressed in band kit and carrying my pipes, I was accosted by an elderly lady.

"WHERE are you FROM?"

"California".

"I THOUGHT so!" she dismissively said and went harrumphing off.

Had she seen us play she would have probably thought the idea of Californians wearing kilts in Glasgow acceptable. Me just walking around, she probably assumed that my pipes were merely some sort of prop.

[CMcG]

I think Jock Scot has responded quite well to this topic as to the situatio in Scotland. In Ontario at least it tends to be at special occasion events - weddings, Burns Dinner, Scottish country dances, Highland games etc. but not necessarily by all attendees and will likely not change quickly.

Although there are some notable exceptions, like our own McMurdo...

[GG]

Actually ...but doing the "King Canute" bit is a fruitless exercise!

Canute? In the beginning the name didn’t say me anything, but then, when you mentioned the tide, I remembered. It was our king, Knud den Store (the Great) who was King of England 1016-1035, of Denmark 1018-1035, of Norway 1028-1035 and in some parts of Sweden from 1026-1030. By the way, Knud died in England.

He is said to have set his throne by the sea shore and commanded the tide to halt and not wet his feet and robes. Yet the tide dashed over his feet and legs without respect to his royal person. The reaction of the king: "Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings, for there is none worthy of the name, but He whom heaven, earth, and sea obey by eternal laws".

He should then have hung his crown on a crucifix and never worn it again.

Well, only a few Danish kings have been good at warfare. Every time they started a war it ended up with Denmark being reduced as a consequence. So we lost Norway and what is now Southern Sweden.

Thanks Jock!

[GG]

Nevertheless, whilst there is much to be said on this subject that is of interest to some, I think it is time for me to bow out.

No, don't. I deeply respect your opinion, even if you and I may not (always) totally agree.

[MacBean]

I've struggled with this topic for many months here, and now wish to speak out. At first the exclusive and traditional line disturbed me (I tend to be egalitarian and progressive and I'd never been to a Highland Games in the States). But I have to say that I find that the native Highland Scots have won me over to their point of view. The number of people in the Highlands are few, the number of Gaelic speakers far fewer. Their traditions are theirs to hold and cherish, and I'm delighted to see Jock fight (courteously as always) for them.

I'v seen the chocolate (cacao) tree and its wonderful cousins in their native habitat, and it is a marvelous thing to see the great fruits spouting out of the trunks of trees. Yet we must realize that cacao is now grown all over the world and tends to thrive in foreign lands more than it ever did at home. This is always natural. But if you want to see the true cacao or its cousins, you must visit its native home. And even then, you may never fully understand the local ambience and culture that surrounds this fruit. Quite naturally the Brazilians complain that chocolate, rubber, babacu palm, papaya, and much else has been stolen from them, and yet they grow Ethiopean coffee, Chinese soybean, Australian eucalyptus, and Egyptian-American cotton as their main crops.

So thank you Jock, for holding fast to your traditions, and keeping us company as we emulate them.

[ThistleDown]

Always with sincerity and wisdom, Jock. Thanks for speaking for many of us.

[Woodsheal]

Personally, I put Jock Scot's opinions regarding Highland Dress in the No. 1 spot on this forum...!

I think we should separate kilt-wearing norms in Scotland from kilt-wearing practices Around the World. The two are hardly the same. Plus, the dedicated kilt enthusiasts of this forum are hardly representative of the population in general. Sure, most of us like to wear 'em as often as possible and look for occasions to do so - and some have gone so far as be "full timers." But, these are not Scottish notions, nor even European or N. American notions as it relates to the populations of these regions in general.

The idea of more widespread kilt wearing is really wishful thinking on our part, don't you think...?