Scottish Govt put the kibosh on Dressed to Kilt

[James MacMillan]

Doesn’t make sense to me.
Is there more (or less) to this than meets the eye…?
Lowlands vs. Highlands?
Fear (or disdain) of “Scotland as a Theme Park” (for tourists rather than business investors?)
Some kind of counter-reaction to rows like Forbes vs. Trump?
Tartan Army? Tartan tat?

What?

Didn’t Lidi (for better or worse) just recently sell a boatload of economy tartan kilts?

What he said.

[MacDanar]

If I may regress for a moment... what a buncha poopypants!

What happened to "any press is good press"? Besides, the educated know that there is more to Scotland than kilts, whiskey, haggis, the Bay City Rollers, ad nauseam. And dadgumit, I like shortbread, too. You don't hear about the Irish government complaining that everyone thinks Ireland is a country of drinking and potato-eating. The Scottish government needs to mellow out a bit.

[Phil]

This discussion came up here last September after a Scotsman article saying Edinburgh was pulling out of the Tartan Week celebrations. Here is a selection of comments (all from US residents I may add) -

“I cannot understand why Scotland does not get heavily involved with the many Scottish events and bodies in the US, Canada and elsewhere. Tartan Week does not work, if you look at the US press during it, hardly any reporting is done.”

“Problem with Tartan Week in (yuk) New York is that most of us in the US don't know about it. It's not advertised in most areas and I don't blame Edinburgh for pulling out. Taxpayers are not getting their money's worth by sending people over to gad about in NY. Here on the Main Line there's a lot of Brits and Scots who never heard of tartan week.”.

“I'm sure the folks at Tartan Week don't have a clue that the oldest Highland Games in North America are hosted by the St. Andrew's Society of Detroit (Michigan). Next year marks their 159th annual Highland Games. How many Highland Games has New York City held?”

“I have lived in America for 7 yrs and as far as knowing where Scotland is they STILL think Scotland is in England.
They know very little about why its called Gt Britain.
There are Clan Gatherings all over America but again as someone pointed out they are all claiming their heritage.
When asked where my accent comes from i ask them to guess.... i have had English,Irish,Australian... and god forbid Czech...
Don`t get me wrong i like it here but it does grate a bit having to explain where Scotland is.”

“Like I said before get out of NYC. The Scots, Scot-Irish, were at first only welcomed to Pennsylvania mountains and then down thru the Applications. After the Civil War they moved West.
There are many clan societies in the U.S.A. and they do have games. True we have fun and enjoy celebrating our ancestors, however there is where represenatives of Scotland should go. It would also be the best way to reach out to the people and educate us on modern Scotland.
While there are chapters nationwide, the action seems to be in Georgia, a nice state for a visit.
Canada also boast of many of Scottish heritage, Nove Scotia, and are also very active. I probably have cousins in Canada.
I know that the Scottish Societies in Canada and America would only be too glad to help spread not only the historical Scotland but also the modern one.”

If you read the whole of this article in the Scotsman you will discover that representatives plan to spread the net a bit wider this year - no doubt in response to the type of response seen above.
http://heritage.scotsman.com/tartanw...ake.3857592.jp

[Frank McGrath]

It all comes down to education of the masses. I was raised to be able to look at a map and tell where I was and where I was going. When I went to Austria a couple years ago, one of my coworkers asked if I was going to drive and whether or not I was going to see kangaroos. I did not want to burst his bubble, so I told him yes. I have had much the same when I talk of going to Scotland. It's all the lack of education, not only in their youth, but as adults. It just grates on my nerves to listen to people when they just don't know what is going on. Ok......Soapbox: off.

[davedove]

When I went to Austria a couple years ago, one of my coworkers asked if I was going to drive and whether or not I was going to see kangaroos. I did not want to burst his bubble, so I told him yes.

So how was the drive? Actually, I have heard many people confuse Austria and Australia. Just like a lot of people don't know that Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia no longer exist.


Although a lot of it is lack of education, some of it is to be expected. As far as thinking Scotland is part of England, many people in the US equate England with the UK, and Scotland is part of the UK. Although the analogy isn't precise, how many people from outside the US understand the difference between, let's say Pennsylvania and Ohio, or a better example would be New England and the South. We here in the States know a lot about the differences, but people in other countries likely do not.

[McMathTX]

Although the analogy isn't precise, how many people from outside the US understand the difference between, let's say Pennsylvania and Ohio, or a better example would be New England and the South. We here in the States know a lot about the differences, but people in other countries likely do not.

I recall in an old movie (can't remember which one) a Southerner was in Europe and observed a sign that said, "Yankee go home!" The European gentleman he was with apologized profusely, but the Southerner's response was something along the lines of, "That's alright, we wish they'd leave us alone too!"
Dean

[slohairt]

It all comes down to education of the masses. I was raised to be able to look at a map and tell where I was and where I was going. When I went to Austria a couple years ago, one of my coworkers asked if I was going to drive and whether or not I was going to see kangaroos. I did not want to burst his bubble, so I told him yes. I have had much the same when I talk of going to Scotland. It's all the lack of education, not only in their youth, but as adults. It just grates on my nerves to listen to people when they just don't know what is going on. Ok......Soapbox: off.

Next time, tell him you're going to see some Viennese wallabies!

[thescot]

I think the Scottish governement is missing a big opportunity on this side of the pond.

. . .“I have lived in America for 7 yrs and as far as knowing where Scotland is they STILL think Scotland is in England.
They know very little about why its called Gt Britain.
There are Clan Gatherings all over America but again as someone pointed out they are all claiming their heritage.
When asked where my accent comes from i ask them to guess.... i have had English,Irish,Australian... and god forbid Czech...
Don`t get me wrong i like it here but it does grate a bit having to explain where Scotland is.”

“. . .l]

This quote from a tranplanted Scot says a lot. And that Scot can blame it all on Scots from Scotland. I have never been to a large gathering here in the US that didn't have UK government representatives--al of whom are English!

Where are the Scots? Here at the Stone Mountain games, there is always an English gentleman from the consulate, but I've not seen one person from the Scottish Parliament. It's as if they don't know we exist--or perhaps--care.

One visiting clan chief remarked that he never sees so large a gathering in Scotland, and I'd love to see someone from Scotland pay attention to the great opportunity here. We all know there's a lot more to Scotland that kilts and haggis, but kilts and haggis are uniquesly Scottish, and they're are terrific spring boards to the beauty and reality that is Scotland. I've never visited any countries where I was better received that in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

As mentioned above, you don't find so great a concentration of Scots-Irish, Scots, Irish, and/or any other stripe of Celt way up in NY. We're mostly concentrated in the more southern regions of the US, I think.

So come on over and get some press.

[Phil]

I have never been to a large gathering here in the US that didn't have UK government representatives--al of whom are English!

Where are the Scots? Here at the Stone Mountain games, there is always an English gentleman from the consulate, but I've not seen one person from the Scottish Parliament. It's as if they don't know we exist--or perhaps--care.

Sadly foreign affairs, which includes responsibility for overseas diplomats and relations with foreign governments, is not a matter that has been devolved to the Scottish Government in Holyrood - a responsibility reserved by the Westminster Government along with defence and a number of other issues. What you are suggesting would be akin to the Governor of Ohio sending an ambassador to London. He might well send a representative, much along the lines of our First Minister and colleagues who will be visiting North America to represent Scotland during Tartan Week, but he cannot presume to represent the Government of the United States. These powers are jealously guarded by our masters in London and Scotland has long had to suffer as the tail being grudgingly wagged by the dog in such matters. Highland games in America are the least of our problems in this regard when we have disinterested Englishmen failing to properly represent our vital fishing and other interests in dealings with the European Union so you may now begin to appreciate the intricacies of the situation Scotland faces and always has while it remains subservient to an English parliament.

[McFarkus]

Sadly foreign affairs, which includes responsibility for overseas diplomats and relations with foreign governments, is not a matter that has been devolved to the Scottish Government in Holyrood - a responsibility reserved by the Westminster Government along with defence and a number of other issues. What you are suggesting would be akin to the Governor of Ohio sending an ambassador to London.

Many governors of US states DO open trade offices abroad in order to promote their states. Ohio, for instance, has 13 international trade offices: Brussels, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Mexico City, Sao Paulo,
Santiago, Chile, Shanghai, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Toronto, Sydney and New Delhi.