What's This Then?

[Riverkilt]

Surfing through the Cuillinn site saw this pic of a saffron kilt with what looks to be two blue ribbons on it.


Can anyone tell me what they're all about. All new to me. Thanks.

Site is http://www.cuillinn.com/saffron_day_oval.jpg if the pic won't come up for you.

Ron

[Dreadbelly]

I once woke up after a bender with a blue ribbon...

[chasem]

looks like the ribbons I've seen on a couple military kilts. Unfortunately I know nothing further about them.

[ozone]

Does that mean that the wearer won two first prizes? Perhaps like in the song...

[thescot]

The rigbbons usually represent an NCO or officer rank. I'm pretty sure that the Argyl and Sutherland as well as the Black Watch wore then on kilts for that purpose.

I think the same applies to the saffron for the Royal Irish Regiment.

[macwilkin]

The rigbbons usually represent an NCO or officer rank. I'm pretty sure that the Argyl and Sutherland as well as the Black Watch wore then on kilts for that purpose.

I think the same applies to the saffron for the Royal Irish Regiment.

Argyll Officers & NCO's wear a kilt panel:

http://www.calgaryhighlanders.com/kiltpanel.htm

The Calgary Highlanders are an affiliated regiment of the Argylls, so they have adopted many of the Argylls' regimental customs and traditions.

RHR (Black Watch) NCO's wear a rosette, and RHR pipers wear Royal Stewart rosettes.

The RIR's pipers have a "shamrock" style rosette, as evidenced by this photo:

http://ezpiper.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Piper6.jpg

Here's what the author of this web site has to say about them:

They are remembered by the Three shamrocks and badges worn on the saffron kilt of the Pipers, as can be seen in the picture of a very young me, below. This was also carried on with the Royal Irish Regiment of today.

"They" refers to three regiments, The Royal Irish Rifles, the Royal Irish Fusiliers and the Royal Inniskilling Rifles, who were amalgamated to form the old Royal Irish Rangers, which then became part of the Royal Irish Regiment*.

*amalgamated with the old UDR, the Ulster Defence Regiment.

Cheers,

Todd

[thescot]

Argyll Officers & NCO's wear a kilt panel, not rosettes:

http://www.calgaryhighlanders.com/kiltpanel.htm

The Calgary Highlanders are an affiliated regiment of the Argylls, so they have adopted many of the Argylls' regimental customs and traditions.. . .

Actually, it appears that they wear both a kilte panel and a rosette. You can see both in the photo, and the instructions at the bottom of of the page address the alignment.
"When the kilt panel is attached to the front of the kilt, the small rosettes can be lined up; the head of each small rosette should line up with the head of the large rosettes. These small rosettes get stitched to the 3rd pleat on the back of the kilt, again, on the wearer's right hand side. The heads should be firmly stitched down, with the tails free to dangle."

You can even order Black Watch rosettes from the Black Watch shop at http://www.blackwatchshop.co.uk/prod...products_id=52 . Theirs is more of a bow than is the Argyl/Sutherland version which is more of what I think of as an actual rosette.

This is way too much information, isn't it? I've never even seen a rosette on a kilt in person. Cheerio!

[Pour1Malt]

lueks like ribbons fur ponies tae me....

[Dirka Skene]

lueks like ribbons fur ponies tae me....
[/IMG]

I agree.

[macwilkin]

Like many things in Highland attire, what was once practical is now today ceremonial and symbolic; the rosettes are really no different than the kilt pin, which reportedly had a practical function and are today, largely ornamental. Before the introduction of kilt straps, regular pins were used to fasten the kilt together, and frequently in the field, a Highlander would go through a bramble bush, hedge, abatis and find themselves without their kilt. (Reid, Wellington's Highlanders)

Personally, I think the rosettes give the kilt a bit of...dare I say it...panache and are a nod back to the early history of the kilt and Highland attire.

Regards,

Todd