No Kilts seen in Scotland!

[OC Richard]

From long experience I have only the impression that viewing the kilt is just part of a box ticking exercise. Such as, Distilery-tick, tweed shop-tick, hills(mountains)-tick, museums-tick, lochs-tick, heather in flower-tick, golf courses-tick, ruins-tick, stately home-tick, battered mars bars- tick, Nessie--- errr ummm-tick, etc, etc, etc, etc.. Oh and a sight of someone wearing the kilt would be nice-tick!

I think that, for better or worse, is the expected outcome of people who have been daydreaming about and planning a Scottish Highlands holiday, perhaps for a half-century, saved their money, and finally have the time off a busy life of work and raising a family to make the trip happen.

They've had a long time to create their list of must-do's and must-see's, and often very little time to tick all those boxes.

Being in the Southern California tourism industry it is a bit sad to see just how short the list of so many of our visitors is:

-Disneyland
-Hollywood
-Las Vegas
-San Diego (not always included, and can be either Sea World or San Diego Zoo, but rarely both)

These people will spend a week or two doing these few things, then go home. Oftentimes it's their first trip to the USA, and these few things will become, in their memories, what "America" is.

It's one of the reasons my wife and I (both with Disneyland experience) did it a bit differently on our first Britain trip, doing Farm Stay.

[Tobus]

From long experience I have only the impression that viewing the kilt is just part of a box ticking exercise.

Well, to be fair, Scotland has invested a lot of effort in establishing the kilt as its national dress, and making it an icon of Scottish identity to the rest of the world. It is perhaps the single most unique identifier of Scotland, especially to foreign tourists who don't understand the difference between Highland and Lowland cultures, or who haven't studied the evolution of the kilt's role over the centuries. One can perhaps understand why tourists would want to include a kilt sighting as part of their visit.

[Jock Scot]

Well, to be fair, Scotland has invested a lot of effort in establishing the kilt as its national dress, and making it an icon of Scottish identity to the rest of the world. It is perhaps the single most unique identifier of Scotland, especially to foreign tourists who don't understand the difference between Highland and Lowland cultures, or who haven't studied the evolution of the kilt's role over the centuries. One can perhaps understand why tourists would want to include a kilt sighting as part of their visit.

The Scottish tour industry has a lot to be responsible for, for its mis-selling of Scotland since Victorian times and probably even earlier. Yes of course there was a much needed national money making opportunity to be had and the tour industry grabbed it with both hands. Sadly the misinformation in the form of "biscuit tin" historical "facts" and romantic novels, TV series and films are being peddled as historical fact has , in my humble opinion, backfired and even the locals have difficulty in recognising fact from fiction.

So I can hardly blame the visitors for their muddled historical knowledge and when romantic misinformation is peddled to eager romantic minded visitors, its hardly surprising that we have all ended up in a very awkward position. The locals are starting to not to want to look like a visitor( see the thread "Two Telling Comments") and the visitors are happily paying through the nose for a rose tinted view of Scotland.

How long this situation will last is anyone's guess, but personally with the "help" of the internet I can only see the situation getting worse and, in my view the end result will be to Scotland's detriment. It is also starting to be a world wide problem, so Scotland is not the only place that is starting to suffer from this blight. Scotland though, is perhaps further down the tourist track than most.

[Panache]

I imagine if one were wealthy enough and had time enough to just live in another country for a while you wouldn't need to worry about "ticking off the boxes".

My beautiful wife Star and I had two weeks in Scotland and we indeed had an actual list to check off.

Dance at a Scottish Country Dance
See a standing stone (Fingal's Dogs on the Isle of Skye)
Visit Dunvegan Castle
See either Sterling Castle or Edinburgh Castle (we did Edinburgh)
See the Kelpies art installation
Walk the Scorrybreac loop on the Isle of Skye
Visit a historic Distillery (Talisker)
Visit Glasgow University (to drop off our youngest daughter who is doing a term abroad there)
Visit gardens (Glasgow Botanic Gardens, the Garden at Dunvegan)
See a bog (I wanted to see if the mushy bits really looked like the solid bits, they do, and thank goodness for sticks!)
Visit the RSCDS headquarters (they were unexpectedly closed. )
See a red kite (birders must bird!)
Visit some museums
Walk to Arthur's seat


We had thought that two weeks would be enough time to see everything in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Skye.

We were wrong.

There was so much more to see and do.

However, we wouldn't have known that unless we had made the effort to go over there and try to experience Scotland.

I think belittling checklists and deriding tourists that are looking for gents in highland attire is rather silly because the cool thing is those folks have made the effort to get over there and try to experience another country.

I just gave a talk with my friend to a men's forum with the Red Thistle Dancers about tartan and the kilt.
The audience didn't know a lot, but they were interested to learn. So they left our presentation about Scottish Music, Dance, and Tartan knowing a lot more than when they came in. If they hadn't come in the first place with some interest they never could have learned.

My point is, be nice to the people that have an interest in experiencing something new!

[Jock Scot]

I am delighted that you enjoyed your trip Jamie and I am sure your daughter will have a great time here too. I have gone on record saying that I would need two long lifetimes to see all that Scotland has to offer and as I am nearing the end of one long lifetime, I can reliably say I was wrong! I need three long lifetimes to see it all!

Being nice to people is two way thing and it is not only your hosts who have to be nice!

[Kitfoxdave]

I have read through many threads regarding wearing a kilt in Scotland... I am an older gent with "substance" and a gamey leg... hip replacement with the old style long scar...
Many screws in hip and ankke...I had been thinking about getting a kilt for several years and finally did so about 2 years ago... I find them to be extremely comfortable as they do not ride on the scar tissue. The kilt hose are an enjoyment to wear as they dont mess with the ankle hardware.
Now that I retired, I wear my kilts every day.
Planning a trip to go to Scotland in late June and much of July. Being from Florida, it will likely be on the cool side.. last time I went I wore a leather bomber jacket most days with a light sweater underneath.
I lived 3 miles from Disney for 8 years and quite familiar with the ugly tourist scenario...
I plan to continue wearing a kilt (family tartan) every day on my travels, and wearing it in a nice casual style. I tend to be a quiet individual, and listen much more than I speak.... and work hard NOT to be "that guy"...
What are your thoughts on kilt with Henley T-shirt as least casual up through light sweater and leather bomber jacket?
Will NOT be spending a lot of time in cities, mainly Highlands and Isles.

Thanks for your thoughts...

[Jock Scot]

I would not wear a T shirt, perhaps a normal button up shirt with the top button undone? I cant say that I have ever seen a leather bomber jacket worn with the kilt but, in my imagination I cannot really see it working. You will of course wear what you will and I doubt that most will not even notice, but..........

If you happen to be anywhere near Fort William perhaps we can both hobble down to the nearest pub for a wee dram should I be about?

[Tomo]

Regarding the tourist trade - it is perhaps something of a chicken and egg situation.

I run small group tours to Scotland from Estonia. Now the itinerary we offer could be seen as a tickbox exercise - it's certainly a compromise given the time constraints, budget and the amount of ground we cover - but we try provide a mixed bag and give more of an introduction to Scotland than an in depth experience and hopefully stimulate further travel:

• The neolithic sites at Kilmartin Glen
• Mull, Iona and Staffa
• Hiking in Glen Coe (typically Coire Gaball - the Lost Valley)
• Fort William
• Seafood Brunch
• Steall Falls
• Inchree Falls
• Fort Augustus
• Skye - with hikes to the Fairy Glen, Fairy Pools and the Stor
• Workshop visits (e.g. tweed workshop, horncraft, soap factory or similar)
• Kilt and Tartan talk (which I do)
• Distillery visit (usually Talisker, Torabhaig or Isle of Raasay - the latter is our current favourite)
• Eileen Donan Castle (although I am keen to change this for somewhere new next time)
• Pitlochry
• Edinburgh - inc. walking tour (we have done Glasgow on some of the earlier trips)

Do I wear a kilt? Some of the time yes - certainly when I meet the group and when I talk about kilts and tartan, but not normally when we are hiking or jumping on and off boats etc.

Is the perpetuating the myth - are we providing clients with what they want - or is it just another stereotypical package tour?

[Jock Scot]

Regarding the tourist trade - it is perhaps something of a chicken and egg situation.

I run small group tours to Scotland from Estonia. Now the itinerary we offer could be seen as a tickbox exercise - it's certainly a compromise given the time constraints, budget and the amount of ground we cover - but we try provide a mixed bag and give more of an introduction to Scotland than an in depth experience and hopefully stimulate further travel:




Is the perpetuating the myth - are we providing clients with what they want - or is it just another stereotypical package tour?

I think as long as you stick to the facts, strictly to the facts , then I think that you are doing Scotland a service and if you do and I have no reason to think otherwise, I hasten to add, then carry on.

In the past I have stood and listened to various tour guides and their talks as they lead people around the chosen monument or some such and to be honest, their version on occasion, of Scottish history does leave a lot to be desired. I took an American couple who were staying with us to Culloden a couple months ago. I was sadly not fit enough to go round the battlefield so I sat in the rather nice tourist centre and had a most illuminating insight into tourist guide versions of the battle! I will not go on, except to say the most common comment was that the Battle was fought between the Scots(good) Army and the English??????!!!!!(bad) Army!!!! Grrrr!

It took the best part of the drive between Inverness and Fort William(about 70 miles) to get my American friends to understand the difference between English and British and the fact that more Scots fought on the British side than the Scots!

I am still up for that pint if you have a spare hour or two when you are up this way.

[Ninehostages]

I have read through many threads regarding wearing a kilt in Scotland... I am an older gent with "substance" and a gamey leg... hip replacement with the old style long scar...
Many screws in hip and ankke...I had been thinking about getting a kilt for several years and finally did so about 2 years ago... I find them to be extremely comfortable as they do not ride on the scar tissue. The kilt hose are an enjoyment to wear as they dont mess with the ankle hardware.
Now that I retired, I wear my kilts every day.
Planning a trip to go to Scotland in late June and much of July. Being from Florida, it will likely be on the cool side.. last time I went I wore a leather bomber jacket most days with a light sweater underneath.
I lived 3 miles from Disney for 8 years and quite familiar with the ugly tourist scenario...
I plan to continue wearing a kilt (family tartan) every day on my travels, and wearing it in a nice casual style. I tend to be a quiet individual, and listen much more than I speak.... and work hard NOT to be "that guy"...
What are your thoughts on kilt with Henley T-shirt as least casual up through light sweater and leather bomber jacket?
Will NOT be spending a lot of time in cities, mainly Highlands and Isles.

Thanks for your thoughts...

I wore my kilt to a Legion/Veteran event a couple of weeks ago when I was just three weeks post hip replacement surgery and It felt WONDERFUL to have zero pressure on my (13" long) incision. Wear your kilt for health reasons by all means.