American tourists in Scotland

[ForresterModern]

I kind of wish that I had never posted. I got a few civil answers, then the thread got hijacked to Texas. Things were said that should not have been. We are supposed to be gentlemen and ladies on this site. I guess that is why I don't post much any more. Whatever happened to civility?The reason I posted in the first place is because I read a thread that the poster said he had a dislike for "foreigners coming into the country. I was planning a trip to Scotland in late summer. I have to wonder if I should go where I'm not wanted. Maybe we will go back to Germany. Now there is a country that welcomes foreigners.
Frank

Frank,

Ignore the hijacks and focus on those who have responded to your original post. If you wear a proper traditional tartan kilt to which you can at least explain a love if not an actual family connection, with proper accoutrements (decent shoes, hose, flashes, sporran, and attractive upper body wear) and wear the kilt with dignity and pride, you should have no issues or concerns travelling around virtually all of Scotland. Obviously there may be some areas of the big cities to avoid, but then you would probably avoid them in streetclothes as well for the same reason, not just the kilt. Most scots will either ignore you and your kilt, notice you and maybe smile, or may come up and question you about with genuine interest---what tartan, what is the occasion if any, are you a piper, etc... You will be a tourist no matter what you wear, and as soon as you open your mouth, possibly before then depending on your dress, folks will know that and treat you as a tourist. Some folks like tourists (shops, etc...), some folks don't like tourists, and some folks couldn't give a rap about tourists, so you will likely get a mixture of comments just based on being a tourist. Being a kilted tourist, if done appropriately, will bring a few more looks and a few more questions, will probably entail some other tourists asking you for directions or to have a picture taken with you, might even get you a free drink at a bar or restaurant. But mostly you will be treated as a tourist anyway, and in my experience (9 consecutive kilted days in Scotland, Edinburgh and the Grampian Highlands) generally treated well. A lot of folks will actually appreciate your kilt wearing, if done properly and with dignity, style, and general adherence to Scots highland "code". But if you wear it poorly or disrespectfully be prepared to get some variably minor to serious insult comments. Either way you will stick out as a tourist, but if properly kilted and in kit you will be fine and have a grand time.

If you post here in advance where you expect to vist, and when you expect to be there, as Chris said, you will likely get some invites from members of this forum in those areas to meet for a wee drink or six. Relax, enjoy the trip, you will have fun and love the scenery, except for the tat shops.

jeff

[GG]

Thank you for answering me, Scotsman.

Of course I have an understanding for the "Scottish" situation and the history, leading to it.
I should, as a tourist, a foreigner, never want to disgrace the kilt or other, to the Scots, national symbols.

And I always, as a natural thing, try to make a good appearance. That said, again as a tourist, as a man being free of duties, I prefer to dress rather relaxed, which in no way implies what I myself should call badly or shoddy dressed.

By all means it should be way better than the – often drunken - Scottish kilted hooligans to be seen in Europe and with absolutely no sense for colour matching or those Scottish types appalling especially the Poles when visiting their country by lifting their kilts and flashing their parts.

But I do keep things simple. My “Scottish” items during a holiday should be the kilt, day sporran, belt & buckle and kilt hose. That combined with nice, branded polo shirts - in colours harmonizing with those of the kilt and hose - and shoes. Very seldom flashes and kilt pin. Never bonnet and sgian dubh etc. I find it dishonest should I try to look like a Scotsman, just for wearing the kilt.
My avatar (from Lugano, Switzerland, by the way) indicates my way of holiday dressing.

And when not in a kilt I will very often wear shorts in the day time.

My places to go are where I can do so without lifted eye browns and back talking.

Greg

[wildrover]

GG, what I see going on, here on the forum, is the Scots responding to people saying wear the kilt any way you want. That probably causes an image, in the minds of the Scots, of the very worst examples; the kilt being worn backwards with a T shirt and Prince Charlie, for example.

Sometimes this can come across as, "I own your kilt because I'm a Scot." I'm only saying it can come across that way.

This causes the "wear it any way you want" folk to respond with their own backlash. And it goes on, and on, and on.

Eventually, this backlashing can make one turn away from the kilt, at least talking about it, because it is just too much trouble. I understand.

To be quite honest, it is the fringe of the "any way you want" contingent that is most likely to spoil my desire to wear the kilt. I can completely understand the attitude of a guy from Scotland who is cautioning against willy-nilly kilt-wearing, and I often wonder if everyone who says "any way you like" is cognizant of the offense they cause when their idea of wearing the kilt is inappropriate to the setting.

I live in Colorado also and those big belt buckles, cowboy boots and Stetsons can be pretty common on the West Slope. The shiny big belt buckle is usually an award from a rodeo event like steer wrestling or bull riding - When it's not an award and just for dress up it's called a "tombstone for dead meat"

just sayin

"Tombstone"...that is awesome. I've seen those trophies, and I wouldn't wear that style any more than I'd wear a tie associated with a military regiment (seeing as how I'm not in the military). When I think of a big belt buckle, I'm thinking of something about 2.5" x 4", and to me that's BIG. The trophy buckles, and the mural buckles I've seen (some would make a good kilt buckle)...those things are HUGE.

Actually, I did look because I was trying to see how many were wearing boots. Sadly, I saw mostly regular ol' shoes. I did see a few men wearing boots but they were few and far between. Kind of reminded me of trying to find kilted men in Inverness.

Come to think of it, in Dallas, the mall was a place for kicks and jeans. The nice boots and slacks (or jeans) came out in the evening. Either that, or I just have a family disposed to wearing cowboy boots, which is entirely possible.

I kind of wish that I had never posted. I got a few civil answers, then the thread got hijacked to Texas. Things were said that should not have been. We are supposed to be gentlemen and ladies on this site. I guess that is why I don't post much any more. Whatever happened to civility?The reason I posted in the first place is because I read a thread that the poster said he had a dislike for "foreigners coming into the country. I was planning a trip to Scotland in late summer. I have to wonder if I should go where I'm not wanted. Maybe we will go back to Germany. Now there is a country that welcomes foreigners.
Frank

It wasn't hijacked to Texas, that's just an example, and no group of gentlemen I've ever been around was stuffy enough not to yank a few chains now and then .

Whatever you're doing...in this case, adopting another culture's classic, historic, ingrained, respected garb...do it with respect, that was the point and why the Texas examples were brought up.

A similar situation and example would be a college freshman from the heart of white suburbia taking his blond dreadlocks down to Kingston to chant down Babylon with the rastas. Can dreads be shaped in to "tombstones for dead meat"? Look up SNL's "Ras Trent" sketch, for a funny example:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x78...-ras-trent_fun

...There's a good point made, right about 1:41 . Western Slope has tombstones for dead meat, Boulder has Trustifarians ...and I'm sure there's an equivalent descriptor for non-Scots wholesaling the look while missing the point. If you've ever read the "Tintin" graphic novels, the Thompson twins usually provided a good (bad? ) example of this sort of cultural adoption...Wikipedia to the rescue:

The detectives usually wear bowler hats and carry walking sticks, except when abroad: during those missions they insist on wearing the stereotypical costume of the country they are visiting so that they can blend into the local population, but in general they only manage to find some ridiculous folkloric attire that actually makes them more conspicuous and leads to trouble, such as in The Calculus Affair when they are arrested in traditional Swiss outfits. In Destination Moon, they even managed to be arrested in Syldavia while wearing Greek costumes, convinced they were wearing Syldavian ones, due to an error on the part of their tailor.

In The Blue Lotus, an unforgettable half-page drawing appears of Thomson and Thompson walking down a street in China "in disguise" (in fact wearing outfits for a Chinese opera), unaware that they are being followed by a large crowd of amused locals.

Maybe I can summarize? I will try...none of the guys in Scotland said "don't wear your kilt". All they said, any of them, was "wear it when appropriate, and with respect". Is it any more complicated than that?

-Sean

[Jock Scot]

I kind of wish that I had never posted. I got a few civil answers, then the thread got hijacked to Texas. Things were said that should not have been. We are supposed to be gentlemen and ladies on this site. I guess that is why I don't post much any more. Whatever happened to civility?The reason I posted in the first place is because I read a thread that the poster said he had a dislike for "foreigners coming into the country. I was planning a trip to Scotland in late summer. I have to wonder if I should go where I'm not wanted. Maybe we will go back to Germany. Now there is a country that welcomes foreigners.
Frank

Frank you asked an honest question and you have been given honest answers by Scotsmen. I have seen all the posts in this thread and read and re-read them and I can honestly say that I cannot understand why you feel that the country is unfriendly to the traditional kilt.If anyone were to visit here expecting us all to know about a box pleated kilt an honest answer has been given, we know very little about them. If anyone were to wear a "modern" kilt an honest answer has also been given, we know even less about them and as we are rightly proud of our national dress there are distinct ideas of what a kilt is. An opinion was asked for and an opinion has been given not just by me, but by other Scots too and perhaps more importantly, by others that have happily visited here. I have read nothing here that a well behaved, mindful, conscientious, respectful, open minded, traditional kilt wearing visitor could take exception to.

Come on over, you will have a whale of a time! If you are up this way, why not join, me,Redshank, theScot, Zardoz, thistledown, Ali,Grant and anyone else that might, or, are thinking of coming over for a wee dram(actually most of them are not coming, but they have been invited and one day I would love to meet many Xmarkers, including you). Anyway its your choice, but I am quite sure that you will have as good a time here in Scotland as anywhere else in this world.

[GG]

GG, That probably causes an image, in the minds of the Scots, of the very worst examples; the kilt being worn backwards with a T shirt and Prince Charlie, for example.

... And it goes on, and on, and on.

Eventually, this backlashing can make one turn away from the kilt, at least talking about it, because it is just too much trouble. I understand.

Hi Ted,

I see your point. The problem is, when such an image of the opposite party has once been established it can be difficult to see a way out, because then foreigners, having no intention to harm national traditions and feelings are per definition met by suspicion etc. Or they just feel they are.

Quite a bad thing, really.

Greg

[Scotcop]

So far what I have gathered is this.......if I wear my kilt to Scotland, albeit some may think oddly of me, overall I will be treated fine if I wear it with the respect it deserves, and yet not make a big deal out of it..... yes? no?

[Jock Scot]

so far what i have gathered is this.......if i wear my kilt to scotland, albeit some may think oddly of me, overall i will be treated fine if i wear it with the respect it deserves, and yet not make a big deal out of it..... Yes? No?

yes!!!:d

[Redshank]

So far what I have gathered is this.......if I wear my kilt to Scotland, albeit some may think oddly of me, overall I will be treated fine if I wear it with the respect it deserves, and yet not make a big deal out of it..... yes? no?

For a cop your very astute perhaps you should be a detective

all joking apart, wear your kilt in Scotland, wear it proudly, wear it well, and Jock and I will allow you to buy us a wee dram or five

[skauwt]

This is a question posed to those members that live in Scotland.

How are American tourists seen by the people of the land? If american tourists are kilted, how are they treated? Generalities will be fine. I have a friend planning a trip to Scotland and he wants to know how americans are received. Thanks

they will be treated like any person or people from any other part of the world after all they are just another human .......with a accent
be nice to folk they'll be nice to you its the same anywhere id imagine

as for the kilt i cant see a issue at all if they want to wear one they go for it....... ive yet to see laws or rules in this country about what you can and cant wear clothing wise ,
so they'll be fine and whatever anyone here( as in scotland) thinks on the matter is irrelevant i reckon..... its what your friend wants to do is what's relevant
to buggery with everyone else and tell them to have a great time if they do come over

[Mael Coluim]

I was planning a trip to Scotland in late summer. I have to wonder if I should go where I'm not wanted.

Frank, having spent twelve days kilted in Scotland this last summer, I can attest the Scots welcome you warmly. When I return, I will again leave the pants at home. Hope you decide to go. You will not be disappointed.