kilts in Scotland

[Chef]

Good; then they can't complain when others take up what they have tossed aside.

I remember St Francis of Assisi once predicted in the thirteenth cent. ; " the evil day will eventually come when priests & nuns will cast aside their Habit with contempt and dress as the Worldling..but then the Worlding will take up the Habit and hold it in reverence until the darkness passes".
Maybe the same could apply to the Kilt? (Prediction of "St." William Wallace???)

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Sorry Stan, I've got to call you on that, and as a Scot, personally I find it rather insulting. The fact that kilts are not common for day to day wear does not mean that Scotland is tossing it aside.

Let's look at what we are dealing with, a proper modern kilt is an expensive proposition it always has been. Until fairly recently factory kilts were not available (many don't think they are kilts anyway but that is a different argument). Given the economy of Scotland over the century and the fact that the majority of Scots were common working folk is it any wonder that such a garment would be kept for special occasions. Should they have worn them into the coal pits or the shipyards. Would it have made sense to milk the cows in them?

You also had 10 years of rationing in the UK, during and after the War, which included clothing. Wool was rationed because of the need for uniforms. But even today, why would a rational frugal working Scot get dressed in an expensive kilt to go to work? To please some tourist's idea of a Scotsman?

Of course there are some Scots who wear the kilt regularly and a few who are kilted primarily but lets face it as much as we love kilts they are NOT the most practical garment for a lot of work. If they were women wouldn't wear pants.

When I think about this what amazes me is not that so few Scots wear the kilt regularly, but how many feel that it is an important part of life's special occasions in Scotland or to show your national pride. My Grandfathers owned kilts as did many of their peers, but they worked in coal mines and saved a pretty penny to get them. That's not tossing aside, that's holding on with great reverence an respect. It would have been to easy for the kilt to disappear from Scotland during difficult times but it didn't.

So maybe when you hear complaints from Scots who think it's wrong for someone who isn't Scottish to wear the kilt you will understand where they come from. For you it's a piece of clothing but for many Scots (whether they wear it regularly or not) the kilt symbolises much more.

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