A Highland Wedding.

[Jock Scot]

My wife and I attended a Scottish Highland wedding yesterday and since I have been a member here at Xmarks for a while now, I took note of the attire of the guests as I thought some of you may be interested. This was not a "society wedding" and there was no "big house" so we are talking of a more traditional wedding held in a barn with tented extensions to cater for 200 or so guests. There were three clan chiefs, crofters, stalkers, farmers, servicemen/women, nurses, doctors, ghillies and a whole cross section of Highland people. Right then, I think you have an idea of the wedding scene.

"What were the men wearing?" I hear you ask. Well, I counted 86 kilts, all of the traditional style. All were worn at about top of the knee height, most wore tweed Argyll type jackets, mainly with waistcoats, with green and brown being the common colours with the odd charcoal ones being worn by the younger generation and the occasional pullover too. Interestingly there were NO "silver" buttons insight. All the sporrans were leather(no animal fur) day wear, mainly black but some brown, and matching shoes. I saw very few ghillie brouges and thank goodness no white hose! The other interesting thing was that no bonnets were in sight and no plaids either. I did also spy 3 pairs of tartan trews.

The lassies were wonderfully dressed too, but interstingly they all chose not to wear any tartan at all. All sorts of floaty stuff,tweed,silk etc., mini skirts(thank goodness!), long dresses,trousers and for them, also, not a bonnet in sight.

All in all a very happy day and night!