I have been aware of my Scottish heritage through my mother’s Clan, Keith, for most of my life. Keith is my middle name (as well as my oldest Grandson’s middle name) in honor of our Clan. Throughout most of my adult life I have researched my Scottish family genealogy & have collected books on Scotland. In 2003, I purchased my first kilt at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Festival in 2003, to the horror of my wife (who is also of Scottish descent). Her “horror” did not phase me by then & I continued to build on my kilt wardrobe (my wife is no longer around & my passion for all-things-Scottish remains even stronger today).

In 2016, I fulfilled a lifetime dream of touring Scotland & having my picture taken in front of Dunnottar, our Keith Clan castle, just outside of Stonehaven. These days, when those bagpipes play, they play straight to a Scottish American, part of whose heart will always remain in Scotland.

Slainté!