kilts in Spain?

[cessna152towser]

It is reported (also by the BBC) that modern-day Scots are fed up with the tartan/heather/shortbread image of their part of the United Kingdom that is presented to the world

Its sad that officials at the English BBC are so out of touch with Scottish public opinion. Most of us love the tartan heather and shortbread image and indeed as we have gone from an industrial to a service economy a great many Scots' livelihoods will depend on preserving this image. You only need to look at Pour1Malt's Hogmanay thread to see how popular kilt-wearing is becoming in Scotland. The fact that my next door neighbour has just bought himself an extra kilt and intends to be kilted more often is another small sign that kilts are gradually becoming more commonplace for everyday wear. I always see plenty of kilted men out and about in Glasgow when I visit back home, yet kilts were rarely seen on the street when I lived there twenty years ago.
Its good to hear that there were a few kilts in evidence in Andalucia too at Hogmanay.

[Hamish]

Its sad that officials at the English BBC are so out of touch with Scottish public opinion.

Ah, but Alex, that report originated at BBC Scotland apparently! ITV also failed to give us even a glimpse of tartan at Hogmanay as far as I could ascertain. I have written to both the BBC and ITV asking why, with all the new digital channels they both have, we cannot be given just one hour of good, Scottish revelry at Hogmanay - for the thousands of Scots now living south of the border, if not for the general populace?

Most of us love the tartan heather and shortbread image and indeed as we have gone from an industrial to a service economy a great many Scots' livelihoods will depend on preserving this image. You only need to look at Pour1Malt's Hogmanay thread to see how popular kilt-wearing is becoming in Scotland. The fact that my next door neighbour has just bought himself an extra kilt and intends to be kilted more often is another small sign that kilts are gradually becoming more commonplace for everyday wear. I always see plenty of kilted men out and about in Glasgow when I visit back home, yet kilts were rarely seen on the street when I lived there twenty years ago.
Its good to hear that there were a few kilts in evidence in Andalucia too at Hogmanay.

Well, one thing I have noticed down here, and not only at Hogmanay, is that tartan kilts no longer seem to turn heads as they did not so long ago! In general, people just seem to accept them without making a fuss. I guess everyone is better educated thesedays! On the other hand, non-tartan kilts (Utilikilts, FreedomKilts, etc) DO occasionally turn heads as they are not perceived as 'kilts' by Joe Public.

As I am in danger of wandering off-thread (if not off-topic!), I'll crawl back into my corner.......