Where to find an inexpensive kilt for beginners?

[RectaPete]

The Irish National tartan kilt on Tartanista's website is a different pattern from mine, so I might have bought it from a different UK merchant:

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This is also true with certain other "National" tartans, including St. Patrick--there are variations...

Think that might be the "Heritage of Ireland" if it's an 8 yarder. It's a pretty common tartan in the 8 yarders on the sites selling PVs and I do like it a lot.

[DyerStraits]

Think that might be the "Heritage of Ireland" if it's an 8 yarder. It's a pretty common tartan in the 8 yarders on the sites selling PVs and I do like it a lot.

You're right, mine actually is Heritage Of Ireland. My relatively lame excuse for buying it is the rather real possibility that my great-great grandfather Dyer was Irish rather than Scottish, although of course there's always the possibility that the Gaelic branch of my family tree includes both. The kilt and the tartan are among my very favorites, and rarely fail to attract compliments. The photo with my condo neighbor and our dogs was taken this year on St. Patrick's Day.

[RectaPete]

You're right, mine actually is Heritage Of Ireland. My relatively lame excuse for buying it is the rather real possibility that my great-great grandfather Dyer was Irish rather than Scottish, although of course there's always the possibility that the Gaelic branch of my family tree includes both. The kilt and the tartan are among my very favorites, and rarely fail to attract compliments. The photo with my condo neighbor and our dogs was taken this year on St. Patrick's Day.

It would seem, according to http://gbnames.publicprofiler.org/Surnames.aspx, it was more popular in Cornwall in the 1880s with virtually no occurrences in Scotland! So I'm guessing out of Scottish or Irish it's more likely to be Irish, but it could very well be Cornish. Occupational surnames are difficult to track down- I believed until May of this year that my Fletcher branch were Norman French and/or from Nottinghamshire, like many Yorkshire Fletchers are. Was pretty thrilled to hear they were Scottish ;)

[DyerStraits]

It would seem, according to http://gbnames.publicprofiler.org/Surnames.aspx, it was more popular in Cornwall in the 1880s with virtually no occurrences in Scotland! So I'm guessing out of Scottish or Irish it's more likely to be Irish, but it could very well be Cornish. Occupational surnames are difficult to track down- I believed until May of this year that my Fletcher branch were Norman French and/or from Nottinghamshire, like many Yorkshire Fletchers are. Was pretty thrilled to hear they were Scottish ;)

British surnames are indeed a tricky lot. In my case I'll never know for sure unless or until I do the geneology, or pay to have it done. The ambiguity of the name Dyer doesn't help--it can be English (a dyer of cloth, hides, etc.), or, like Dwyer, an English version of the Scots-Irish Duibhir--or it could also very well be Welsh or Cornish. The Isles are such a melting pot, with all the migrations, inter-marrying, external invasions, etc. I went to the GBNames website, and did an 1880s search for my various lineal family surnames, and the geographical concentration for my maternal grandmother's maiden name was highest in....NORTHERN SCOTLAND!!!! RectaPete, You've Made My Day!

...All of which, returning to the subject of the thread, makes me also point out that one of the good things about inexpensive, ready-made "beginner" kilts is that they all feature unrestricted tartans and therefore can be appropriately, as well affordably, worn by absolutely anyone, regardless of nationality, ancestry, ethnicity, etc., which is good because if you're like us, you may very well find yourself hooked on them and with a rather large collection before you know it...

[freep]

I was adopted. Through Family Tree DNA and Ancestry.com I've found my bio-families both paternal and maternal (the second just recently after a lifetime of searching).

I've been able to trace lines all the way back as far as circa 1000 CE. I've found connections to 27 clans that I can trace back to Scottish soil.

Family Tree can get spendy but the first nibble isn't bad. Ancestry isn't too pricey either. If you're curious, give 'em a shot.

[Wareyin]

I was adopted. Through Family Tree DNA and Ancestry.com I've found my bio-families both paternal and maternal (the second just recently after a lifetime of searching).

I've been able to trace lines all the way back as far as circa 1000 CE. I've found connections to 27 clans that I can trace back to Scottish soil.

Family Tree can get spendy but the first nibble isn't bad. Ancestry isn't too pricey either. If you're curious, give 'em a shot.

1000? That is impressive! The farthest back I've found is the 1600s. Ancestry gives a free 2 week or month trial. I found using them in combination with others like Familysearch.org (a mormon site) to be the most effective.

[RectaPete]

1000? That is impressive! The farthest back I've found is the 1600s. Ancestry gives a free 2 week or month trial. I found using them in combination with others like Familysearch.org (a mormon site) to be the most effective.

My grandad only got to the 1600s too. I know I'm descended from Brian Boru and likely Kenneth McAlpine, but censuses weren't kept until the Domesday Book and they were introduced even later in Scotland and Ireland so it would be impossible for me to make a family tree stretching all the way from those two great kings.