Two Telling comments? The Answer Perhaps?

[Calgacus]

Kyle wears highland dress well, but on this occasion, oh those big white gauntlets! They are not traditional and scream "is he trying to show everyone that he's carrying the flag, even when he doesn't have the flag?"

Lol, you beat me to it with that joke!

It's true Kyle is someone who wears the kilt very well indeed. Many of his photos show him dressed for clan events, but there's one showing him just out for a wander in kilt and sweater and it's another good example of 'blending in' daywear. Kyle, I'm sure you know the one I mean, it might be worth a re-posting here?

[creagdhubh]

Honestly, Kyle, if I didn't know that you were carrying the flag I'd actually assume the tourist was the chap in the black pirate shirt carrying the sword or the one several back wearing the plain white shirt with the dark jacket and black bow tie at midday!

Good to see you back.

Hahaha! I can easily see why you would feel that way, Bren. The chap in question (Kenneth Macpherson) is actually from Inverness...born and bred. The other fellow you mentioned is past Chairman of the CMA-US Branch, George McPherson of Hollister, California. He's actually wearing a bow-tie in the Macpherson Hunting tartan and an Argyll jacket in a dark, charcoal tweed.

Here's a somewhat closer look:

[creagdhubh]

Kyle wears highland dress well, but on this occasion, oh those big white gauntlets! They are not traditional and scream "is he trying to show everyone that he's carrying the flag, even when he doesn't have the flag?"

Hahahaha! Well said! I dreaded wearing those things (they're quite old and feel sweaty and disgusting inside), but Cluny instructed me to do so.

Here's a photo from the first Clan Macpherson Association Gathering and Rally in 1947. Even though the actual gauntlets are hidden by the banner in this particular photo, I was assured that they were indeed worn. So yes, the gauntlets are quite old!

[GMan]

Nothing really to comment on, except that I am enjoying this entire thread.

[creagdhubh]

Lol, you beat me to it with that joke!

It's true Kyle is someone who wears the kilt very well indeed. Many of his photos show him dressed for clan events, but there's one showing him just out for a wander in kilt and sweater and it's another good example of 'blending in' daywear. Kyle, I'm sure you know the one I mean, it might be worth a re-posting here?

Both of the below photos were taken in the central Scottish Highlands. When I'm there, I often wear the kilt in a variety of ways (dressed down or dressed up depending upon the context), and not exclusively with a jacket and tie. Whether I'm out for a walk in the surrounding hills of Newtonmore and Kingussie, or taking a stroll down High Street (Newtonmore Road/A86) to the pub, the kilt is worn.

[creagdhubh]

punishment time....incarceration in Cluny's cage......

Oh dear!

Though, I will say that Ben Alder and Loch Arkaig are both quite beautiful!

[Calgacus]

So might it be even faintly safe to speculate upon the concept, more people "outside" the Highlands of modern, industrial, internet-cell-phone-ing, jeans, tees, athletic shoes, cable TV, tabloids, workaday earnest living...

..."not-interested in traditions / clans, et al," Highland Scotland...

...are interested in "old Scottish culture and history and allure of the kilt and its accoutrements," than "the real, modern" Highland Scots?

Difficult questions, but I'll have a go. Yes. At least numerically speaking. The population of the highlands is a fraction of that of Scotland, which in turn is a fraction of that of the diaspora, so there are almost certainly more people interested in traditions/clans/etc outside of the highlands than in the highlands.

If you mean proportionally, then it's much harder to answer. The highlander, and more generally the Scot, are to some extent steeped in our history, culture and traditions, despite the lack of actual education about them. The 'interest' is there just the same, but I think it takes a different form as a result. taking an interest in such things here takes a lot less 'deliberate effort' than it might do outside of Scotland. For example, I've noticed that highlanders quite frequently mention their ancestors and know who they are, compared to lowlanders. I'm sure if asked that they would not say they were any more interested in genealogical research than the next guy, but it's a part of the culture so it just happens.

Just to complicate matters, a counter example is to tell you that there are some Scots who actively shun many aspects of Scottish culture such as tartan, haggis or bagpipes in the (to my mind) mistaken belief that it is backwards and/or incompatible with a modern 21st century Scotland.

If so, dare the genuinely-interested but not genuine...

...ponder, if the or a metaphorical "torch" of sort has been passed to them (or picked up, "discarded")...largely by default?

Yes... and no. The torch certainly hasn't been dropped, though it may have flickered and guttered occasionally. Scottish culture is alive and well, if diluted somewhat by UK culture, and even more so by US culture.

What is, I think, undervalued is the contribution made by the diaspora, and especially by Canadians in preserving Scottish and more specifically highland culture. There are aspects of language and music which have been better preserved, quite frankly, by Canadians than by the Scots themselves. I'm not denigrating Scots for failing to preserve such things, there have been huge external pressures at work in the past, and even now, working against the preservation of such things.

PLEASE forgive any potential offense; NONE meant.

None taken. Valid questions, I'd say.

[Ron Abbott]

Oh dear!

Though, I will say that Ben Alder and Loch Arkaig are both quite beautiful!

They are indeed. Perhaps even more so if you could find the treasure!
In fact, if interested in stuff about the 'cage', MacPherson and Charles Edward Stuart, the book, "Bonnie Prince Charlie" by Frank McLynn is a good read. Although the very first part is the usual stuff.....about his background and the 45, most of the book follows his travels around Scotland after Culloden.

[Calgacus]

Oh dear!

Though, I will say that Ben Alder and Loch Arkaig are both quite beautiful!

Indeed they are! Ben Alder is one of my favourite hills. It is relatively inaccessible, which makes climbing it all the more pleasurable.

[creagdhubh]

Indeed they are! Ben Alder is one of my favourite hills. It is relatively inaccessible, which makes climbing it all the more pleasurable.

Precisely!