Greetings friends

[Farmer Jones]

Hello everyone. I live in an area of Canada where kilts are often seen. This area was originally settled by an entire army of Scots, who were given land and set up as farmers by the British government. We have several pipe bands, highland dance troupes and many official bodies that have their own tartans, which they wear for every holiday and celebration. We have an annual kilt run. People wearing kilts run, walk, or hobble, 5 miles to raise money for charities. This year we had over 1500 participants. It is not unusual to see men in tartan kilts at the local pub, and men wear utilikilts at the hardware store.

I found this forum because I was searching online for an inexpensive (tartan) kilt for myself for regular use. I am somewhat impecunious, so having a tailored full weight kilt is out of the question for the time being. I have identified 11 tartans that I may wear. My wife was a Macmillan before I married her, and years ago I sought and received permission from the head of the clan Macmillan in Scotland, to wear their colours. If my circumstances change I intend to have the Maple Leaf tartan in full dress weight made for myself for ceremonial occasions. There are several others I would like to wear, but I am not fooling myself, at this stage of the game, that my circumstances are likely to change sufficiently that more than one would be on the horizon. I have many ceremonial duties in my community as a result of my affiliation in with several organizations. It has been an honour for me to lay the wreath for Canada at the cenotaph on Remembrance Day for the past dozen or more years. I would one day like to perform this duty wearing the Maple Leaf tartan.

I am really glad to have found this forum. I have read quite a few threads before introducing myself, and have learned a lot. Enough to confuse me about styles of pleats, and to make me worry about the source and weight of the material I will eventually choose.

[Father Bill]

Welcome to the "Great Rabble!"

[Rob, ClanMacMillan, NM]

Greetings and welcome indeed!

Rob.

[NorseCelt]

Greetings, and welcome from south of the border, in the state of Illinois.

[bluebonnet]

Hello and welcome from Alberta! If you are anywhere near the PWOR in Kingston, why not volunteer to learn to play the pipes or drums for their band? They wear the Maple Leaf tartan. http://dutyandvalour.com/wiki/The_Pr...ipes_and_Drums

[tulloch]

Welcome from the highlands of Central Massachusetts, New England.

[Farmer Jones]

Hello and welcome from Alberta! If you are anywhere near the PWOR in Kingston, why not volunteer to learn to play the pipes or drums for their band? They wear the Maple Leaf tartan. http://dutyandvalour.com/wiki/The_Pr...ipes_and_Drums

Thank you bluebonnet. I am in the relative vicinity of Kingston, about 100 km away, and know the PWOR well. Before she went off to university, my daughter was taking piping lessons from the Gordons. Unfortunately I have many other commitments to my community that would prevent my being able to give the time to it.

[O'Searcaigh]

from The Big South Fork, north central Tennessee!

Wow, it sounds like you live in kilt heaven. I've always wondered if there was anywhere where kilts are worn/seen often. I envy you.

[Farmer Jones]

from The Big South Fork, north central Tennessee!

Wow, it sounds like you live in kilt heaven. I've always wondered if there was anywhere where kilts are worn/seen often. I envy you.

You must come to Easter Ontario, particularly places like the Loyalist Townships, Perth and Lanark. In the village of MacDonalds Corner in the Lanark Highlands, I have never not seen the village carpenter without a kilt.

[WillowEstate]

Hi and welcome from sunny Queensland!

Checkout the links at the bottom of the home page, some have very affordable kilts as do Heritage of Scotland, who ship internationally. Their polyviscose kilts are very reasonably priced. As a starter kilt, they are OK but the disease we all share will get you and you'll be wanting a wool kilt upgrade pretty soon!