The Act of Proscription

[Archangel]

This is a very good suggestion.

There was a Highland saying that if you met a man in a kilt you knew that his language was Gaelic. Well the same policy that proscribed the kilt was also used to suppress the language. Pity we can't campaign for the revival of Gaelic in Scotland.

However, following on from Dave's suggestion, next year, 2006, will be the 260th anniversary of the Act of Proscription - perhaps we could start campaigning now for a BIg Commemoration (and defiance) among Scots and kilt-wearers world-wide. That would raise the public's awareness of the kilt even more, wouldn't it?

We'll need to double-check the date. I've just done a quick check and I'm starting to think that it was written in 1746 to take effect in August, 1747. I'm not finding a clear distinction between the Highland Dress Act and the Disarming Act and wondering if it's different names for the same thing. I can do a fuller check tomorrow if nobody else clarifies it.

In any case we could try and tie in the whole month of July: from July 1 to celebrate the lifting of the Act to August 1 to remember the imposition of the Act.

[macwilkin]

We'll need to double-check the date. I've just done a quick check and I'm starting to think that it was written in 1746 to take effect in August, 1747. I'm not finding a clear distinction between the Highland Dress Act and the Disarming Act and wondering if it's different names for the same thing. I can do a fuller check tomorrow if nobody else clarifies it.

In any case we could try and tie in the whole month of July: from July 1 to celebrate the lifting of the Act to August 1 to remember the imposition of the Act.

That's what I'm trying to find out as well; it looks like your statement about the Act being written in 1746, and took effect on 1 August 1747 is correct. From what I'm reading, they are one and the same. The exemption, of course, was for any Highlander serving in the British Army.

http://www.tartansauthority.com/Web/.../TartanBan.asp

http://www.medievalscotland.org/clot...hing1746.shtml

Yours Aye,

Todd

[davedove]

It looks like both years have validity. From the Scottish Tartans Authority:

"the Act of Proscription 1747 which was actually introduced in 1746 but gave the authorities a year to prise all arms from the Highland miscreants. August 1st 1747 was the 'crunch' day for the Highlanders "

I don't remember which site I got the '46 date from, but I guess they used the introduction date. Either way it's August 1.