The Royal Mile

[Nick Fiddes]

That being said, how do you envision tackling this problem? Is there a legislative or regulatory approach you think would be practical? Is EU involvement necessary or would Scottish and British legislation be sufficient? How much would you depend on education of the public and how could it be accomplished without coming across as snooty or snobby? There are those who see appeals to quality standards as an attempt to shut out anyone other than the upper crust.

This is indeed a topic to which I've given much thought. And really I don't think there's one single answer, not least because as I remarked earlier there is more than one overlapping issues involved, which I'll address one by one. And whilst I do think the racism issue is a big red herring, there are real issues like EU anti-protectionism legislation and governmental duty to be commercially even-handed (supposedly) that must be allowed for.

Since this discussion began by talking about the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, I personally think that should be a special case. If tourists want to spend twenty quid to look silly in a schoolgirl's skirt, that's fine by me. But I'd like to see this particular street protected from it, due to its special status as the very heart of Scottish heritage. If the political will existed, that would be as simple as setting up a special planning zone, as Councils up and down the land have done, with rules about activities permitted within it. Then you write detailed rules dictating the quality threshold for retail in the area, and punitively tax exceptions. Easy.

Regarding tartan design, I'm actually due to take part in a special meeting a month or two hence as a member of the Tartan Register steering group, where we'll be discussing whether stricter guidelines are needed for what can be registered. I'd like to leave my comments at that meanwhile, as I don't want to prejudice any positions.

Regarding tartan fabric weaving, the situation currently is that there are a few big mills (and a handful of smaller ones) in Scotland who produce the bulk of the designs available. There are also a few weavers in North America producing good quality in a more limited choice. Plus there are mills in Asia and elsewhere churning out low quality fabrics in a few designs that have little commitment to historical accuracy etc. (Sorry if anyone feels left out by this synopsis.) Whilst I recognise there's an argument for full 'protection' along the same lines of champagne or cheeses, I'd like to see Scottish tartan positively identified by means of a quality mark scheme, certifying the fabric's origins. This would still enable overseas producers to weave tartan fabrics, but would help preserve the cachet of the domestic original.

Regarding kilt making, I think it's perfectly possible to identify a few key characteristics of a properly made kilt that could be applied evenly and fairly internationally. And I think this could and should be enshrined in law. Some of the advocates of this approach are so strict they'd like to outlaw garments like the casual kilt, which I understand but believe is misguided. (After all, the kilt began as simply a length of cloth slung around the body, more or less...) But by requiring a set of fair criteria governing pleating, sett balance, etc. I think you could shut out the tartan tat rip-offs whilst still enabling the tradition to breathe and evolve.

The most contentious issue on my last point is probably fabric. At Scotweb we ourselves do offer a polyviscose kilt option, mostly for those allergic to wool. And I know many people on this forum find plastic kilts perfectly acceptable (I myself own three cotton kilts in various designs and a leather one). But I think on balance I'd prefer to see the kilt defined as pure new wool, and anything else be called 'kilted...' in the same was as in the UK there's a legal distinction between a food being 'flavour' (made from) or 'flavoured' (tasting a bit like). However, this will presumably stir up a flame war from those who disagree with me. So I'll step back from the blue touchpaper now and accept that if such legislation were ever brought forward that issue would be decided after full and free debate.