About kilts in Scotland

[Robin]

So I've been to Scotland...a few observations:

It's very rare to encounter casual kiltwearers...pipers, shop staff, Highland games and wedding parties...yes, but don't expect to see many wear their kilt casual.

Apart from P1M and Cessna...seen only 1 (in Inverness)

Sort of weird, because many told me how nice it was to see someone wearing his kilt. Men nodded their head, women smiled, basicly the same as where I live...strange.

Lots of people (read: women) started a chat with me...they where surprised I wasn't Scottish (that's understandable of course), but nobody was offended because of it.
Without exception they liked it and some told it's a shame few Scots wear their kilt.

Many tourist took pictures of me (Royal Mile, Urquhart Castle, Culloden, etc.)....really funny

Conclusion...it's nice to wear a kilt in Scotland, but it's a bit disappointing the kilt is a rare sighting...even in Scotland.

Kiltshops/Kiltmakers:

It's nice to visit kiltshops in Scotland, but some sell trash or just standard gear, poor service, high prices, shockingly little knowledge.

An example...

"I'm looking for Lovat blue hose"
"Lovat Blue what?"
"Hose..."
"Hose?"
"Socks...."
"Ah!...no, we only have white socks"

The "big names" like Geoffrey (Tailor), Kinloch Anderson, Lochcarron and Hector Russell offer good quality and have a well trained staff, but also lots of standard stuff...not much special.
I was looking for a good quality (handmade) daywear sporran...nothing special found, just the standard sporrans we all know. Often cheaper when you buy them through internet shops btw.

Conclusion...I'm spoiled

[McClef]

When I was in the highlands in July I saw only three other kilties besides myself - 2 in Ullapool and one in Inverness but as he worked in a highland dress shop he couldn't really be termed as casual.

Had to pose for tourists as Inverness Castle (as have had to do in the past at Edinburgh Castle also).

And sites such as this indicate that there is much more kilting activity outside Scotland (except perhaps on the proverbial "special occasions") than inside it.

And it's often up to us who don't live there to "fly the kilt" when we visit and put the natives to shame!

[Graham]

Robin, from our trip to Scotland I would come to the same conclusion, I even entertained the thought that kiltwearing was more difficult in Scotland, I sensed that some thought I was a tourist (which I was) or worse. Kiltwearing was not as natural as I'd hoped.

Maybe the people there (like so many other places), carry a lot of baggage from the past.
In England, well, perhaps worse, I still suspect that Scots are not well liked there (I'm English-born, so I can say that!!).

This is compared with Australia, where I feel that things are more easy going and attitudes to dress more casual and tolerant.

I may be wrong, but that was my impression.

[AllenJ]

I have also heard from many native Scots that they do get tired of the 'kilts and castles' cliche. It would be if you lived in Texas and everyone kept asking you where your cowboy hat and 6 shooter were. Its to be understood really.

[Colin]

Scotland was actually the first place I ever met a casual kilt wearer (met 2 of them actually). That was in 1999.

[Rampant Lion]

I wouldn't expect to see kilts worn casually any more in Scotland (not including touristy spots) than other places. I would expect for the same reason I don't wear my kilt casually; the bloody thing is expensive, so who would want to risk it being wrecked by everyday wear. Anyway, just my thoughts.

[Chris Webb]

I have also heard from many native Scots that they do get tired of the 'kilts and castles' cliche. It would be if you lived in Texas and everyone kept asking you where your cowboy hat and 6 shooter were. Its to be understood really.

Yer right as rain, AllenJ! I call it the Alamo Effect. There's lots of folks who live in San Antonio, Texas, who have never seen the Alamo ... if yer from there you've seen so many danged plastic Alamo's, pueter Alamos, Alamo snow domes, postcards, inacurate movies and the like that they just don't really care to go ... the Alamo in San Antonio, like the kilt in Scotland, is rolled out for wedding pictures, special occasions and formal events, but no 'real' San Antonian ever goes there 'just for fun.'

I've seen the same danged thing in Fort Worth, Texas, home of the worlds biggest and longest running rodeo in the world ... but go down town on most any night and it's entirely possible that you will not see one single solitary cowboy hat. But just wait for that rodeo, or that wedding, or that 'Denim and Diamonds' ball and you'll see the natives showing up looking just like the rest of the world thinks they are supposed to ... Boots and Hats, BABY!

I used to travel alot and I've always said that it's more fun to be a Texan outside of Texas ... I suppose it could be more fun to be Scottish outside of Scotland too. When I was in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Brussels ... I was all Texan there, they ate it up like butterscotch puddin' and I loved dishing it to'em. But back here in Texas, shoot, people look at ya like yer hairs' on fire if ya dress and act like that during the normal day. They're likely to say, "Ya think yer special, ya yahoo?" And why wouldn't they say that, there's really nothing that special about being a Texan in Texas around everybody else who've grown so danged accustomed to all that makes Texas special to be inclined any longer to really stand up and take notice of it anymore.

Hum, I think I'll put on my cowboy hat with this US Army Tartan SportKilt I'm a wearin' and mosey on down to Walmart ... Texas, Scotland, it don't matter one bit, anyplace in the world is the right place to ...

Kilt On!!

Chris Webb

[Blu (Ontario)]

We have no business being either judgemental of or disappointed with the way Scots choose to wear their kilts. They simply do so in a manner that suits them.

Likewise, there is nothing stopping anyone else from doing the same.

.

[MacTavishOfJapan]

I think in Scotland there is perhaps some perception of highland dress as being "traditional" formal wear.

In Scotland there was (is) a perception of casual/contemporary kilts as being knock offs of the real deal, my brother was dissmissive of the Utilikilts idea for example. And I'm not sure the use of alterative fabrics to wool is common. Which means that the kilt most of us Scots would buy is an 8 yard 'tank' hence the formal dress thing.

This is coming from someone who has lived overseas for three years and from my own experience. I wouldn't dream of pretending to speak for all Scots.

Until I joined and read some of the posts here, I would never have dreamed of buying a PV kilt from USA kilts or the like. I am considering it now.

[Andrewson]

I used to travel alot and I've always said that it's more fun to be a Texan outside of Texas ... I suppose it could be more fun to be Scottish outside of Scotland too.

How very true. I do enjoy being a Scotsman in England. And for the same reason as some of us wear kilts - we stand out in the crowd.

I would feel much less comfortable wearing a kilt casually in Scotland than I do down here where I live in England. Not because there would be competition from all the other kilties - some hope - but because I know that the local natives would assume that I must be a tourist