American tourists in Scotland

[Lachlan09]

When I was a boy, we used to call flat bunnets "coo's caps", after their similarity to organically-produced extruded items typically found on a cow pasture.

Sorry to reminisce, but my Dad had a brown corduroy one which he donated to me when I was a boy, so I could pretend to be a Scottish league goalie. Goalies like Billy Ritchie of the ‘Gers wore one. I later got an ex-US forces olive-green baseball cap, so I could imitate Jim Cruickshank, the goalie of my favourite team, Heart of Midlothian FC (aka Hearts, Jam Tarts, Jambos, The Maroons, The Maroon Machine).

In fact, in the early 1960’s, years before accurate replica team kit was available on the market, you could only get a variety of v-necks. So for kids, imitation shirts were:- Aberdeen was a red/white v-neck, Rangers was a mid blue and white v-neck (with wrong white sleeve edging), Celtic was all green with white v-neck (no hoops), Hibs was same as Celtic (not even all-white sleeves). Hearts was maroon/white v-neck. All pathetic !! I I got my mum to convert my not-so convincing maroon/white Hearts V-neck, short sleeved strip into a passable imitation of their unique collar/infill front team shirt, by sewing on one of my dad’s old white detachable collars (complete with stud-hole) and a triangle of white elastic material over the v-front. My mum also sewed a white number on the back. I was so proud to be a “proper” Jam Tart. I was still a bit miffed about the socks through. Hearts often wore white socks with 3 maroon bands on the tops whilst you could only buy ones with 2 maroon stripes for kids. At least I eventually got the maroon socks with all-white tops, Hearts usual design. Hearts also wore all maroon socks with one white band around the tops.

Nowadays, it’s so easy (and expensive !). I don’t know if old Brits will recall that in the 1960’s etc, these “imitation” strips could not be sold with team badges. As a result, I had a Scotland kit, of dark blue and white v-neck, white shorts and red/black socks. But no Scotland badge ! It was not allowed as it broke a copyright or such-like. So I had to buy a blazer badge that looked as much like a Scotland badge as I could get ! We were so imaginative in those days before spoon-fed commercialism.

BTW I did have a magic complete Wolves kit though – gold/black v-neck, black shorts, black socks with 2 gold bands, just like the real thing !
Lastly, I did have two real Scottish league shirts, which ex-footballer Jackie Neilson gave to my dad for me – East Fife (1950’s striped black/gold shirt with collar and big heavy badge) and Dundee United (his brother Tommy Neilson’s shirt “No 8” – white with black v and short sleeves, two black hoops, DUFC badge and red “8” high on back. I loved that shirt ! It’s still in my Dad’s house today.

Sorry to get nostalgic ! Please add your own memories . I’ll start a new thread !

[guitarmatt]

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

Here are a few thoughts of mine as an American who's lived in Edinburgh for 4 years now. Not all are specifically about kilt wearing, many are just about being an American here in Scotland.

1. People tend to speak more quietly over here than in the States. Pay attention to this and follow the volume of the conversation. It's no point trying not to be a tourist, but it's nice to not be an obnoxious tourist. By the way, this isn't just for Americans, I went up the Wallace monument right in the midst of a group of French high school students, and they were probably the loudest group of people I've ever encountered.

2. Don't worry about being an American, and don't try to hide it. No fake accents. Certainly don't pretend to be Canadian if you're not, as I've heard some people advise. Interestingly, you'll probably find that people ask you if you are Canadian, especially if you followed my first bit of advice. Most Scots seem to know it's better to assume an American's a Canadian than the other way around.

3. Don't be turned off if people seem reserved to the point of being rude, especially in Edinburgh. They're not being rude, they just operate in a different social context than you're used to from the states.

4. Following number 3, don't expect to get any extra attention for wearing your kilt. First off, folk here are less likely to make comments to strangers than in the states. Secondly, Glasgow and Edinburgh, where you'll likely spend a bit of time, are very cosmopolitan cities and you really see all manner of dress. Outfits that seem outlandish in the states often won't stand out at all here.

5. Following from that, people are generally better dressed here than in the states, even young people. Bring along nicer clothes than you'd normally wear for on vacation in America, it'll make your trip a bit classier as well. Don't go all out, but loose jeans+baggy sweater almost always equals American tourist. Don't fall into that trap, unless you really don't mind slumming it.

6. Finally, particularly for kilt wearing, the wind has a mind of its own, especially around corners and intersections. It's not unusual to walk down the street in totally calm air, fight your way through gale force winds at the corner then step back in to perfect calm.

7. Ah, one last one. When you're in Edinburgh take the time to peek into every close and wynd off the Royal Mile. You won't offend anyone and will find some truly remarkable little gems that don't show up in any of the guide books.

8. Or maybe one more. Stop in St Giles Cafe across the street from St Giles for a good lunch in a classy environment. Get your whisky at Royal Mile Whiskies, also across from St Giles. The best coffee is at Artisan Roast on Broughton Street, about a 5 minute walk from Waverly station. And Starbucks is better here than in the states, in my opinion, with a good light menu and free wifi if you get a Starbucks card, and some of the best views of the castle on Princess Street.

[TheSp8]

I showed up in Scotland in my OD Utilikilt on our second trip. We stopped in a little tea shop and the two ladies that ran it commented favorably on it and wished that more men would wear a kilt regularly. When out and about in a tartan kilt it was either a none issue or I received good comments. One inebriated gentleman did mention that he was a McDonald while I was wearing Campbell kilt. He followed up with the fact that the troubles between the clans was ancient history and didn't apply to us. I usually wore my hiking boots with the socks scrunched down. I think it'll be fine for your friend to wear a kilt. Generally people got more friendly when they heard my accent. Once they found out I was from Tennessee they got all excited because they all know about Jack Daniels. Surprisingly, many I talked to had visited TN on holiday and enjoyed their time there.

YMOS,
Tony

[BBoykin]

I'll chime in since I was just in Scotland in June. I bought my 3 year-old son a Black Watch Sport Kilt and one for myself in MacDonald. My first kilt experience. We opted for SK's after learning just how much a traditional costs.

It didn't take me long to notice that nobody seemed to be wearing them on the streets of Edinburgh or anywhere else that we visited aside from buskers and one sword-swallowing fellow on High Street (who happened to be shirtless in a Utilikilt, and I thought he looked pretty cool).

Nonetheless, we went kilted in Edinburgh, Gairloch, Skye, and Oban. We dressed our SK's up as smartly as we knew how (though still not traditional - photo in the gallery) and had a great time. I got a few nice comments, a lot of looks, and not a single insult. I'm sure somebody somewhere must have thought me the idiot but they never said so.

Go kilted and be proud.

[Lachlan09]

Funny you should mention that.

About 20 odd years ago, my good friend, Neil Shaw, son of Rt Rev Duncan Shaw (past Moderator of the Gen. Assbly of the C of S), visited the States, including the South West (may have been Texas). When he first arrived in NYC from the UK, he was in his kilt etc and also had a brief-case and much to his surprise, no-one really batted an eyelid. When he returned to NYC from the south West, he was wearing a rather fine Stetson, fine boots and a business suit, together with that brief-case. This time, plenty people turned their heads !

[auld argonian]

While I can't speak from firsthand experience, I would point out that people tend to "roll their eyes" at anyone who is dressed even slightly off the norm wherever you go. This exceptions to this might be those tight-@$$ places where they freak out and arrest you if you appear in public in shorts and a t-shirt (think certain places in the Middle East and possibly Singapore where it's apparently illegal to chew gum in public).

I live in Chicago - the South Side, specifically - and I get a lot of comments about wearing the kilt. But it's not just the kilt...for example, I knew and art director who went out to someplace in Colorado and went "cowboy" and came back wearing one of those huge cowboy hats that only tourists buy...I can't tell you how many smart-*** comments I heard people make behind his back. Wasn't like he was dressing like Bronco Billy...he just found a hat that he liked and enjoyed wearing it. Having red hair and blue eyes, I have to cover up and stay out of the sun...thus I have taken to wearing fedoras and panama hats a whole lot...you would think that these wouldn't draw too much attention but they're not the norm so I get a lot of second looks just when wearing those. There was a time when everybody wore hats like these; now they wear baseball caps so the fedoras are unusual.

Speaks a lot to the homogenization of culture (and you though that it was only milk!). A commentator that I heard a couple of years ago said that wherever you go, when you walk out of the hotel all you see is the same restaurants...all are franchises...and you can't tell where you are because everyplace looks the same. Same with clothing. Has a lot to do with the increasingly creeping trend toward everything being casual...all over the world people are wearing what used to be their workout clothes and beachwear wherever they go. It's frickin' MARCH in CHICAGO...it's maybe forty degrees fahrenheit out there and already these mokes are running around in their shorts and flip-flops. I guarantee you that there are people running around in St. Petersburg, Russia dressed the SAME WAY right now. It's GLOBAL.

All of this by way of saying that we have established, thanks to our kind forum members who live in Scotland, that Scots usually reserve their kilt wearing to special occasions and, thus, casual kilting is now not the norm so the average citizen is going to stop and ask "who is this guy and why is he dressed up?". Given the tendency that we Americans seem to have to over do it and scrupulously match our kilt hose with our shirts, no surprise that it might be apparent that we "aren't from around here" and thus elicit the odd "eye roll" from the locals. I have to think that the reason why the Colonials are grilling the native Scots so intensely over in the "Traditional Highland Dress" threads is because they want to adjust their wardrobes so that they don't stick out in a Highland crowd.

I would hope, though, that whoever goes anywhere and dresses "not the norm" is greeted with warmth and their good intentions are recognized. I don't think that anybody ever really does a thing like that intending to ridicule a culture...they may be a bit overzealous in their desire to fit in but I'm sure that the locals (of whatever locality) will be sympathetic.

So if any of you Scots are coming over here to Chicago and want to fit in, leave the kilts at home and pack your t-shirts, camp shorts and flip-flops...

Best

AA

[thescot]

Generally they are seen as foreigners, even those who happen to be of Scots descent. An American who wears the kilt in Scotland is usually looked at in the same manner that a Scotsman might be viewed from an American standpoint were he to travel to Texas dressed up in a 10 gallon hat, Western style shirt, dinner-plate size belt-buckle, chaps, cowboy boots and spurs.

My, my. I guess that when I visited Scotland, I really was a foreigner. Afterall, I was not from Scotland. You do make a cogent point.

However, I was treated much more pleasantly than your words would suggest. My acquaintances there always treated me well. I shall be sure not to seek you out on my next visit so that my experiences continue to be pleasant. Assuming, that is, that you actually live in Scotland.

Wearing a kilt is in no way akin to wearing a ten-gallon hat. People in Texas don't wear ten-gallon hats. Or chaps. Or dinner-plate sized belt-buckles. That is a ridiculous comparison that tends to remove any validity from your argument.

But then, I don't really believe that your argument was ever intended to be serious, just insulting.

Since, as pointed out in another post, you have chosen not to introduce yourself or post any relavant detail about yourself on your profile, you might like to do so now. Since your posts tend to be somewhat contentious, bordering on the rude, we would like to know a bit more about so that we can be sure that you are not simply a flamer spreading discontent. It is obvious that you will defend an indefensible position ad absurtum with no concern for facts, logic, or reason, so tell us about yourself. Inquiring minds want to know.

Are you really from Scotland? Where? At least tell us that so that I will personally know where to avoid on my next trip to collect that whisky from Jock Scot.

I will be the fellow in the Robertson tartan drinking Jock Scot's whisky and laughing at people who take themselves seriously.

[thescot]

My intention was not to be insulting, just factual. . . .

Then you missed out. Perhaps you might try again.

As for my identity, that is neither here nor there.

Au contraire, mon frer. It is both here and there. Who one is is everything. Especially if one is going to take others to task and express a level of expertise on any subject. I might offer you my opinions on your need for heart surgery, but, having no expertise or training, you would be well-advised to ignore my words.

And more especially when one enters another's "home" and begins commenting on the furnishings and its occupants, one might think about one's place in the sitting room. Some of us have been here quite some time, and we have come to know each other and understand each other and become something likes friends. And we disagree and argue and make wagers, but we know each other. And the makes it OK.

We are all aware that the kilt is not usually worn in Scotland, but it is worn, and--except for you--my Scot friends have all said that they appreciate an American wearing a kilt in their country. In fact, I have been assured by folks who are not hidden that one is well accepted in a kilt when visiting--with certain caveates.

I think you may be trolling here, so I shall depart form this fray.

[KiltedKnome]

When Steve and I visited Scotland last year from Canada, he wore the kilt 100%. He was definitely noticed (but then, isn't this the goal of all kilt wearers?), but was never treated as an odd ball. Quite a few older women came up to him and complimented him on how he looked, and remarked that they would like to see more men in kilts. Remarkably, most of the people who did approach him were surprised that he was not Scottish. Now, he wore only tartan kilts with knife pleats, so I am not sure what the reaction would have been if he wore a less traditional looking kilt. Also, we did not manage to get to the more northern regions of Scotland, so perhaps the reaction would have been different there.

[Jock Scot]

When Steve and I visited Scotland last year from Canada, he wore the kilt 100%. He was definitely noticed (but then, isn't this the goal of all kilt wearers?), but was never treated as an odd ball. Quite a few older women came up to him and complimented him on how he looked, and remarked that they would like to see more men in kilts. Remarkably, most of the people who did approach him were surprised that he was not Scottish. Now, he wore only tartan kilts with knife pleats, so I am not sure what the reaction would have been if he wore a less traditional looking kilt. Also, we did not manage to get to the more northern regions of Scotland, so perhaps the reaction would have been different there.

I think on the mainland of northern Scotland the reaction will be exactly the same, apart from the midgie season, where wearing the kilt outdoors would be regarded as decidedly foolhardy, nothing would be said as you would find out why, in a very short time! On the Western and Northern Isles the wind is often a problem for kilt wearers of any nation.