Scottish outlook on kilted Americans?

[mookien]

So does the same logic mean that Canada, for instance, is a region of the United Kingdom? ...

... What you cannot deny, however, is that the kilt is a Scottish symbol and one which so many others covet and aspire to. If this causes you problems, perhaps because it is something you will never genuinely achieve yourself, then so be it. It is not a reason, however, for you to try to diminish Scotland and the Scots.

Phil: Canada is a distinct country from the UK, whereas Scotland is part and parcel of the UK. So, I did not take Colin's comment as applicable to Canada.

By "you" in your comment, I'm reading "any generic unidentified person", not Colin per se. I didn't take any of his descriptions as how he personally feels about the subject. He may feel that way, or he may not. I read his excellent post as a taxonomy of feelings he has identified/encountered. While, perhaps not collectively exhaustive, his descriptions do cover a lot of territory.

John

[cessna152towser]

Scotland was and is to this day a separate nation in its own right, with its own distinctive system of laws, education, religion, language, customs, music etc. and to infer otherwise is to completely misunderstand the unique nature of the United Kingdom.

The preservation of Scotland's legal system was expressly written into the Treaty of Union and there are procedural differences in how the Christian religion is practised in the Church of Scotland compared with the Church of England. Also as Phil says, an entirely different educational structure.
Scots people regard Scotland as a nation, some would like full independence, others would prefer to stay within the United Kingdom, but we won't go down the route of discussing politics. Geographically Scotland is very different from England, having almost similar land mass yet only around one eleventh of the population compared to its neighbour.
I think the situation here in Scotland is different from Canada, with the possible exception of Quebec which seems form my perspective to have its own distinct language and culture.

[CMcG]

Scotland was and is to this day a separate nation in its own right, with its own distinctive system of laws, education, religion, language, customs, music etc. and to infer otherwise is to completely misunderstand the unique nature of the United Kingdom.

...

What you cannot deny, however, is that the kilt is a Scottish symbol and one which so many others covet and aspire to. If this causes you problems, perhaps because it is something you will never genuinely achieve yourself, then so be it. It is not a reason, however, for you to try to diminish Scotland and the Scots.

Apologies, I did not mean any offence and I'm not trying to "diminish Scotland and the Scots," but rather to point out my confusion regarding a point of view held by some Scots. This conundrum is that there are Scots who think that Scotland's national attire should only be worn by the people of a nation that is not a nation, in the common sense of that word

I guess I don't understand the unique nature of the United Kingdom and I'm not trying to start a political debate, which is not allowed on this forum. My lack of knowledge regarding the nuances of the UK system, however, is belied by the simple fact that Scotland cannot be an independent member of the United Nations (nor can England for that matter) and there is no such a thing as a Scottish passport that could serve to identify Scottish nationals. Or I am mistaken and a British passport can say "Scottish" (not British) under the nationality section?

There is no denying that the kilt is a Scottish symbol and a very important one at that. Things like a "system of laws, education, religion, language, customs, music etc." are markers of distinct society and culture, but not necessarily nationhood, unless we take nation in its other sense as a group of people bound by ethnicity, culture, history, and language, without the requirement of being a sovereign state.

In a transnational, post-modern world, the broader and more inclusive meaning of nation makes more sense to me than one defined solely by geo-political boundaries and citizenship because it has more to do with lived experience and identity. In this sense, I can understand Scotland as a nation. That's why I am still boggled by the view held by some Scots that their national attire should not be worn by people who are citizens of another country. I have more understanding for the position that Highland attire be worn only by people of Highland descent, though I don't necessarily agree with it or think it to be problem free either.

So does the same logic mean that Canada, for instance, is a region of the United Kingdom?

...

The same logic would have applied to Canada up until 1982, when we repatriated our constitution and thereby moved legal supremacy from the British Parliament to the Canadian Constitution, Parliament, and Supreme Court.

[bikercelt1]

Discussions of Scottish Nationalism and legal system are interesting and all, but the question here is how will a Scot feel if I show up on his doorstep in a kilt. I wrestled with this a bit myself a few years ago when I had the opportunity to travel to Dublin and Edinburgh. I enjoy Irish and Scottish things but I am not Irish or Scottish, though I have ancestors who were. I prefer to wear a kilt and have done so daily for over ten years now. I don't affect an accent and I never present myself as anything other than an American. I don't want anybody to think I'm posing or pretending to be a Scot. I'm a proud American who prefers to wear a kilt. Nothing more and nothing less. So I wrestled with what to wear on my trip. I decided that it didn't make sense for me to dress differently just because I was going to Scotland. Some people were confused by me but most were very friendly and some were extremely positive. The only negative thing said was something I didn't even hear. As I was getting off the plane back here in the USA my wife a daughter heard one of the stewardesses remark about my kilt to her fellow steardess saying "that's a typical stupid tourist thing to do". Kind of shocking to me that the only person on my trip that treated me with contempt and condescension was a countryman who is supposed to be service oriented.

I would hope that other people can accept my preference for wearing a kilt, but at the end of the day I'm going to do what seems right to me whether others approve or not. If I'm not mistaken I believe that is the kind of attitude that is typical of both the Scots and we Americans.

Jamie

[Woodsheal]

Trying to keep anything confined within national borders in the 21st century - whether it's an article of clothing or whatever - is an excercise in futility. It's a global economy, and increasingly a global community. You will find the remotest tribesmen in the Amazon basin, or the depths of new Guinea, wearing New York Yankees caps! The kilt says "Scotland" but it, too, has gone global. The notion of limiting it to native Scots alone is an archaic concept who's day is long gone....

[mookien]

... gone with the wind.

[CMcG]

Trying to keep anything confined within national borders in the 21st century - whether it's an article of clothing or whatever - is an excercise in futility. It's a global economy, and increasingly a global community. You will find the remotest tribesmen in the Amazon basin, or the depths of new Guinea, wearing New York Yankees caps! The kilt says "Scotland" but it, too, has gone global. The notion of limiting it to native Scots alone is an archaic concept who's day is long gone....

If the global reach of Scottish companies selling Highland attire and the internet presence of Scots in the kilt education of non-Scots is any indication, many (most?) Scots have long-since abandoned any idea of keeping the kilt within their borders. There are some who might FEEL differently or take a protective view of the kilt towards people outside wearing it, but I don't think anyone is actually planning on mounting a kilt roundup to bring 'em home or seeking legal, political, or, heaven forbid, military enforcement

[opositive]

you will have to take my kilt(s) from my cold, dead hips

[seanachie]

is belied by the simple fact that Scotland cannot be an independent member of the United Nations (nor can England for that matter) and there is no such a thing as a Scottish passport that could serve to identify Scottish nationals. Or I am mistaken and a British passport can say "Scottish" (not British) under the nationality section?

Just for clarification you are stating this as it applies today, correct? Not some type of legal prohibition correct?
I ask this, not delving into any political discussion, but simply as a matter of fact because in terms of EU membership this issue seems open to debate.

[ThistleDown]

This was a nice simple question asked of Scots folk and answered in pretty much the same way by all of us, no matter that some from offshore differ or wish to cause dissention. We like you to wear the kilt; the kilt is a symbol of Scotland; wear it with pride; don't make a costume of it; be respectful of its heritage; come home often and ignore the wee loons who are green with envy.

Highland dress is not a political statement.