What got you interested?

[macwilkin]

The Covenanters is where the term "redneck" came from. They wore red scarves to distinguish themselves from others. A holdover from that can still be seen today in the red collar of some Presbyterian clergy.

Hmm...someone's been reading my article:

http://www.geocities.com/celticchief/hillbilly.html

Thanks, Bubba!

Cheers,

T.

[bubba]

Hmm...someone's been reading my article:

http://www.geocities.com/celticchief/hillbilly.html
T.

I knew this stuff a long time ago, but it's good to get this stuff spread around. It's fun to blow away the idiots that call me a redneck.

[Alan H]

Well, as far as I know I haven't an ounce of Scots blood in me. My Dad's side of the family is all french, and it turns out that some Hebert back in 16-whatever was court pharmacist (or the equivalent) to Louis the umpty-umpth.

No Scots, there.

On mom's side they're Danish and English, with Hall being one of the family names. However, my maternal grandfather's name was Kindall, which just occurred to me, yesterday, might very well be a modification of "Kendall", which is about as Scottish as you can get. It might be a bit of a challenge to figure out where the name came from, though my cousin might have a clue.

No, my interest in kilts comes from seeing them at Ren Faire's and Celtic Festivals, and thinking that they're just good looking pieces of clothing. Big Guys (I'm 6' 2" and about 250 pounds) look good in kilts. Kilts are a little bit different from the norm, which appeals. I've messed around at a couple of low-key Highland Games with some of the events like putting the stone, and I enjoy them. Gotta have a kilt to do that! And finally, since I play in an unusual band that does some celtic music...why not? The guys in "Tempest" (SF Bay Area-based serious celtic rock band) often wear Utilikilts, and they look great. Eh, why not? And if anybody has a problem with me wearing a kilt, well I guess that's THEIR problem.

[Mychael Sporrano]

The Scots sent to Ulster (Northern Ireland) were not rebels per se, at least not Jacobites -- as Casey stated, they were Protestant, mostly Calvinist/Presbyterian, and somewhat troublesome to King James VI & I, so he "killed twa birds wi' one stone" by sending them to settle the Ulster plantation.

Did the 100 or so years that the transplanted Scots hung out on "the plantation" serve to make them Scots/Irish? What I am trying to ascertain is if a person descended from these folks can claim to be of Scots/Irish descent or are they Scots alone?

Mychael

[bubba]

What I am trying to ascertain is if a person descended from these folks can claim to be of Scots/Irish descent or are they Scots alone?

Mychael

Their ancestors originally migrated from Ireland to Scotland

[macwilkin]

Did the 100 or so years that the transplanted Scots hung out on "the plantation" serve to make them Scots/Irish? What I am trying to ascertain is if a person descended from these folks can claim to be of Scots/Irish descent or are they Scots alone?

The majority of the Scots who were transplanted to Ulster did not intermarry with the "native" Irish, so they are Scots in heritage, but "Irish" in residence.

There are always exceptions to every rule, of course, but the Ulster-Scots are now embracing their Scottish heritage and maintaining that their culture, language (Ullans) and history is different from their neighbours in the Republic. The Scots originally came from Ulster (The Scotti tribe), but like the so-called "Viking or Norman" clans of Scotland, have been assimilated into what we think of as "Scottish" culture. The Ulster-Scots resisted assimilation into the society of the "native" Irish and argue that they are a different creature.

Besides the Scottish heritage, you can also find English, Welsh, German Palantine and French Huegenot heritage in Ireland as well.

The term "Scots-Irish" came about after the increasing number of "famine" or "green" Irish immigrating to the US after the 1840's -- the "Orange" Irish did not wish to be associated with these new arrivals, and adopted this name as a way to differeniate themselves.

The Ulster-Scots Agencey fron NI has a nice history & culture section:

http://www.ulsterscotsagency.com/culture.asp

Personally, I was always raised that our "Scots-Irish" ancestors were just Scots who made a "temporary" stop in Ireland before moving on to the US, and that we were Scots in heritage rather than "Irish".

Cheers,

T.

[Rufus]

Todd, thanks so much for that information about the Ulster Scots. I've been trying to figure out some things genealogically, and that's answered some of my questions!

I posted this once before, but the thing that really got me interested in kilts was an ad for Abercrombie & Fitch about 13 years ago. This was before they turned to Pornocrombie & Fitch. In the ad, a guy was dancing in a club in a kilt, and I just thought it was the greatest thing I'd ever seen.

Last summer, something just kind of sparked with me, and I decided to check into getting a kilt. I really don't remember what it was. So, after a while, I found out about this place and learned enough about kilts to feel like I could get one for myself.

[Mr. Kilt]

I was watching the episode of "Home Improvement" that had Tim and Al wearing kilts for most of the show. I'd just had a shower and was in my housecoat. For some reason I made a connection...my housecoat was the most comfortable thing I owned to lounge around the house in. Perhaps a kilt would be just as comfortable.
The rest is history, although I'm still not at the point of wearing my kilts out in public as much as I'd like.

[Kilted_John]

For me, I think what made me interested was looking at an album that we've had for a good 20-25 years, at least. Was the Highland Pageantry album by RCA, which was a recording of one of the Black Watch pipe bands from Scotland. Also helped seeing Rob Roy and Braveheart... I bought a kilt back in '01, thinking I could shrink enough that it'd fit... Yeh, right. About a year later, I purchased my first properly-fitting kilt (the Lennox District kilt for $150). Since then, I've purchased two more trad. kilts, and am in the process of purchasing a used standard Khaki Original UK from a member over at Tom's... I went from being mainly a jeans/shorts wearer, to mainly kilts within the first month of having the Lennox kilt...
-J

[mcnice]

many of yours got heritage and it would be interesting to quote the replys by the motives of boy dreams, heritage or just chance. and how was the evolution, would be an interesting study theme. i really enjoyed the story about Mychaels son and i thinkt kilt wearing will need one more generation of boys grewing up with it. children have in a way much more self conscious; they are not so manipulated by society yet.

my way was quite freaky. it started last year when i was 23.
as a political science student we can choose, from other topics, much gender studies. and as i am a modern man loving women and hating mens oppression and don t wanted just to read theories and books about it, i told to my girl-students that i wanted to go with them on saturday night to the disco club. but not only observing the girls and the behave of staring boys. i wanted to get myself disguised in a nice girl in order trying to get how it must feel in the role of a girl. reading and empathy is one thing, to live the role another. i know a girl friend working at film and i was ready to shave my arms and legs, droping a wig.
everybody told me noone would think i am girl as i am to tall, especially my quite big feet and having simply a male body shape. but it was scientific interest mixed with fun. why must science be borring...
the girls said that before i must learn how to move in skirts and stocks, at least thats the most important quest about it. so i asked my mother to make me a kilt, so that i could go in casual life for a few weeks, without looking like a transvestite in womens skirts and not absolutely weird.

so i had to get used skirts, learn how to move and i talked to my mother: my mother made me a royal stuart and blackwatch, casual, lightweight summer wear, that are until now my first tailormade ones. ;)
i wore the kilts and i felt like having nothing around my waist, just like coming from bath. from the first moment, i was liberated from trouser tyranny.
concerning my real life experiment, i never did, but i won the life experience of kilts.
i got convinced that i really must be manly girl and at least i got completely crazy on kilts and scotland that i had enough to think about.
since i wear my kilts everyday, except austrians winter when the wind is too sharp and my honey (we live together since 4 years) loved it also from the beginning.