Quote Originally Posted by An t-Ileach
A Sheumais,

Well, Devil's Advocate, If you're referring to the "Bravura" thread, I must say that I agreed with you. I was going to post something supportive, but I got side-tracked.

The clansmen were warrior farmers or warrior fishermen, and "nice" and "not nice" depending on who they were dealing with; but they were in any case hard men (and women) coming from a hard environment - especially after the progressive destruction of their economy from the 16th Century onwards. The film "Rob Roy" gave a fair insight into the life.

An historian friend of mine, James Dickie, tells that the British learned how to "deal" with tribal peoples by fighting the clansmen of Scotland. You drew a parallel with the Frontier - it's hardly surprising therefore that the Highlanders serving in India (even in the "civil") identified more with the hillmen than the plainsmen - Pathans, Baluchis, Gurkhas, etc.

I think that it is essential to look back to where we came from - and the source of the kilts and their furniture - in order to draw inspriation for our modern expressions of them. As the saying goes cuimhnich air na daoine a dh'thainig thu ("remember the men from whom you came").

It's great that the kilt is being adopted as effectively the national dress of Scotland - even if very unhistorically in many cases - and that more and more people are wearing it (even the filleadh mor) in everyday life, even down south among the Sassanachs.

So, if you feal that you've become the Forums "Devil's Advocate" I can say that you'll not be lacking supporters.
I couldn't agree more. You can count me as one of your supporters as well James. Keep the great posts coming.