Two Telling comments? The Answer Perhaps?

[McMurdo]

Perhaps the name of the forum needs to change to XMarkstheAmericanTourist. While I completely understand where you are coming from Jock and I do appreciate your bringing this up I wonder where exactly the tartan industry would be without the enthusiastic American Tourist? It seems to me that there is a love hate relationship with all things kilt and tartan in Scotland, on the one hand tartan and the kilt are national symbols that have resonated and become recognized the world over. On the other hand people do not want to look like a tourist in their own country or look too Scottish.

Another symptom of this type of thinking is that the kilt is to be only worn in Scotland by Scots in a certain way, Tartan Army be damned. The real problem with this exclusionary, inclusive thinking in the modern global climate is that the market will continue to shrink into non existence.

I am not a Scot, I am a Canadian, born to Scottish parents. One thing about Canada is that we are never too far away from our heritage. For example, just a few blocks away is Bannochburn Drive. A few weeks ago I was watching a news program, the news started with pipers then it went to a céilidh, after that they went over to a story on the gaelic community centre, was I watching news from Scotland? No it was news from Atlantic Canada. So you see I am living in a place that tells me that traditions are really kept alive by people not places.

I am sorry you feel the way you do and I am sorry your friend feels the way he does regarding the kilt. To my mind one way to change the mindset would be for Scots, real Scots, to wear the kilt and show the unwashed masses how to do it right.