Scottish outlook on kilted Americans?

[Mainer In Exile]

Early on, the topic of country music and Scotland arose. Yet in twenty-one pages, there's no mention of the most famous film example of a Russian fisherman singing a faux-Texan song at a ceilidh? Here's "Victor's Song": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBq8gBo5uTs

I don't recall seeing a great many kilts in the film.

[ThistleDown]

Steve,
An aspect that has been touched upon in this discussion is "What do Scots think about Scots wearing the kilt?" Debate on such a question might be of interest to all, Scots and non-Scots, but would undoubtedly be heated. As Forum Owner, how would you feel about such a new thread in which it would be hard to avoid political comment?

Steve may respond as he wishes, neloon, but as a Moderator I would strongly advise against it. This is a kilt forum. You and Phil and Jock and others and I may discuss the other issues of our culture separately and in a different venue.

[ThistleDown]

Now hold on a minute Singlemalt, what you have accused the Scots replying to this thread is unfair and frankly just plain wrong. The title of this thread is " SCOTTISH OUTLOOK ON KILTED AMERICANS"and the OP's question was specifically American/Scots too. Had the question been worded differently then our answers would have been more inclusive and had they not been then you would have every right to have written what you did. BUT.................

Now I am sorry that the Scots have caused you such upset and baring in mind the above, should you care to wade through this thread again and read the Scots posts you will see that the woldwide Scottish diaspora are recognised, albeit in minor way. On reflection, I hope that you could reconsider the wording of your post.

To the Scots that have replied to this thread I must apologise for speaking for you without your permission and I hope my words are not too far out from what you might say.

Jock, no high-horse here, the man is perfectly entitled to say what he has said and we must hear between his lines. Please.

[Jock Scot]

Jock, no high-horse here, the man is perfectly entitled to say what he has said and we must hear between his lines. Please.

Indeed Rex, he has every right to say what he had said. However, I have every right to firmly, but I hope gently, point out where he is wrong. The days of me riding a horse yet alone a high one are long gone.

[ThistleDown]

You are up early this morning, Jock. High horses for me are long gone, too, but sometimes I wish they were still at reach. Do you have a good day planned?

[Phil]

I see that this thread has now touched on an extremely raw nerve, particularly with the members of the diaspora who now feel aggrieved that they have supposedly been 'disenfranchised' of their Scottish identity by the comments here. I don't believe that this was ever anyone's intention rather, perhaps, a regret by the Scots that our compatriots have left and the only thing they are now interested in about their former home is a bit of cloth to drape about their waist.
Scotland is so much more than kilts and bagpipes, shortbread, malt whisky and Rabbie Burns and we wish people would recognise that and act accordingly in more tangible ways. One contributor said he overheard a B&B owner saying "Another American living the dream" which is pretty well what most of what is said here comes across as - people coming here to play at being 'pretendy' Bravehearts for a week or two. Nobody resents this, of course, but it is not something likely to engender respect among Scottish people, many of whom look upon kilt-wearing as a bit of an anachronism and full-time wearers as a bit "odd".
What Scotish people really want is people to bring their skills and/or investment to help make this country great rather than delving into what Scotland was a few hundred years ago. It may massage their egos but it does little for the country beyond putting a few tourist dollars in the pockets of (by the sound of things) unappreciative B&B owners and their ilk.

[Derek]

While some of us have different views we share this one thing. Our love for the kilt. The strength of this forum are those differences joined by our common interest.

I will raise a glass to that
Derek

[Jock Scot]

You are up early this morning, Jock. High horses for me are long gone, too, but sometimes I wish they were still at reach. Do you have a good day planned?

Shooting in about 10 minutes!

[cessna152towser]

I can't go to sleep tonight without reminding you of the tens of thousands of Canadians who have died serving their Crown and Country kilted.

I for one am well aware of this. My late wife had an older Canadian cousin whom she never met because he was killed in action flying for the (British) Royal Air Force in 1942.
The question posed by the OP referred to kilted Americans and I know of the differences. Although I am born and bred in Scotland, I have always felt at home in Canada because my cousins are Canadian born due to their parents having emigrated. All these relatives are on my mother's side. My father resided in Canada before he married my mother and it was a head injury in 1943 caused him to return to Scotland where he started courting my mother whose family were already in Canada. Being an only child and having a history of only children and childless great-aunts and uncles on my father's side I have in recent years become very much alone in Scotland particularly since being widowed and always look forward to visiting Canada again to be with family. I have always been able to travel to Canada without needing an advance visa application and have always had no difficulty in passing through Canadian immigration subject to signing the usual undertaking to leave Canada again within six months.
USA is a different matter. When I first applied to visit the USA during the nineteen eighties I applied for and was refused a visa as I had spent time in Soviet occupied East Germany as a student fifteen years earlier. In more recent times I joined a USA based clan society in the hope of finding relatives on my father's side as my father's surname is common on the west coast of USA and I believe some of his great-grandfather's brothers may have emigrated to the USA. I encountered a very helpful clerk in the US Embassy in London England who assisted me in obtaining authorisation to visit USA in 2009 and again in 2010 when I was able to spend time with new found friends from Xmarksthescot and from my clan society, and also stayed a few days with a Canadian born cousin who married an American and now lives in USA.
So yes I can clearly differentiate Canadians from Americans, and when I meet a tourist I can usually recognise a Canadian accent as distinct from an American one.
As I see it an American means a citizen of USA, a Canadian means a citizen of Canada.
North America or North American would be a generalisation which would cover both.

[Angstrom]

Scotland is so much more than kilts and bagpipes, shortbread, malt whisky and Rabbie Burns and we wish people would recognise that and act accordingly in more tangible ways. One contributor said he overheard a B&B owner saying "Another American living the dream" which is pretty well what most of what is said here comes across as - people coming here to play at being 'pretendy' Bravehearts for a week or two. Nobody resents this, of course, but it is not something likely to engender respect among Scottish people, many of whom look upon kilt-wearing as a bit of an anachronism and full-time wearers as a bit "odd".
What Scotish people really want is people to bring their skills and/or investment to help make this country great rather than delving into what Scotland was a few hundred years ago. It may massage their egos but it does little for the country beyond putting a few tourist dollars in the pockets of (by the sound of things) unappreciative B&B owners and their ilk.

Understood, but what seems a bit odd is the notion that appreciating the old and the new Scotland are mutually exclusive. We are talking about kilts using a global web of computers......

Sure, I'd like to see the ruins of Castle Lachlan, but I'd also like also like to see the Falkirk Wheel. It is one of the best fusions of art and engineering -- and of updating an old technology -- that I've ever seen. There is a long history of Scottish excellence in engineering that I'm delighted to see continues.

Why should a CAD jockey who builds solid models of aerospace components feel embarrassed to wear a kilt to the pub? We can put iPhones in our sporrans and appreciate both.