Kilts in Aberdeen and Edinburgh?

[ProudGrandsonofClanGrant]

Hello all,

It's been a long time since I've posted. I've been busy with work and school, but it is winter break now and I have a few questions. I will be moving to Scotland in August. Either Aberdeen or Edinburgh (I can't decide between universities.) I was just wondering how kilts and highland attire are viewed in these areas of Scotland. I am also wondering about the cities themselves. Any advice or comments about the kilt or the cities would be very much appreciated.

Cheers,
Nick

[cessna152towser]

You can expect to see plenty of kilts being worn out and about at weekends when there are weddings and sporting fixtures taking place, but during the working week although you will see a few kilts around Edinburgh and Aberdeen, these are mostly worn by street pipers, tour guides, kilt shop staff etc.. So if you choose to wear a kilt out and about during the university week, expect that the locals will assume you are an American tourist and be prepared for Japanese tourists accosting you and ask to be photographed with you.

[kilted scholar]

I did my PhD at Aberdeen, although it was thirty-five years ago. The student world is a little different and at that time it was not unusual to see a kilt on the campus on more or less a daily basis. Notice I say "a kilt" rather than "kilts". I cannot recall seeing a plurality of kilts on any one day. Perhaps I could add that the kilts I saw were not worn by the same person each time; it was not as if there was one kilt-wearer who wore the kilt almost every day and I happened to observe him. Rather, there was a variety of persons wearing the kilt, and on most days I would observe one of them so doing.

At church services it was different. Occasionally in the Church of Scotland one would observe a kilt; when I say occasionally it would be approximately once a month on average in a large congregation of several hundred. In the smaller Free Church of Scotland - a predominantly Highland denomination - it was much more frequent, on most Sundays. In fact, on some days there would be a generous plurality.

However, this was back in the late seventies.

[ProudGrandsonofClanGrant]

cessna152towser,

Thank you for your help. I figured that kilts were not everyday attire, but I wasn't sure if some people might wear a kilt occasionally about town.

Kilted Scholar,

I'm not sure if the kilt would have been more prevalent in the 70's or today. It seems the kilt is having a bit of a come back. It's funny that you rarely saw a kilted churchgoer. I would have thought kilts would be more common there. Thank you for the information .

[McClef]

I would say that on an ordinary weekday you have a better chance of spotting the lesser spotted Sutherland Haggis.

If you see one who isn't playing pipes in Edinburgh during the week he is either a hotel doorman or a tourist.

When I was at St Andrews you only saw them come out on Sundays or at Ceilidhs.

[madmacs]

I worked in the centre of Aberdeen about 15 years ago, generally the only kilts you'd see we're as said weddings, ceildhs, or someone working in a kilt shop out for their lunch... Graduation etc you'd see plenty, and I believe that the Uni had a reasonable social calendar...

As a student however... Pretty much whatever you wanted to wear would go...

[ProudGrandsonofClanGrant]

Thanks McClef. It seems I won't be wearing a kilt any more often in Scotland than I do in the U.S.!

Nick