Bagpipe ban for tat shops

[Mael Coluim]

As one who wore the kilt on his Scottish holiday in 2009, the experience was such that I am repeating it on my trip there next month. Again, there will be no p@nts in my grip just kilts. I wasn’t pretending to be a Scotsman; just opening my mouth would prove that! As my mother’s uncle said to me many years ago in his incomprehensible Scottish brogue, “boy, speak the King’s English!”

See my post #436 in my thread, 'Kilted fortnight holiday in scotland & france' for my comments are kilted travel.

But there will be Scottish custom I will observe. My Malcolm tank will be reserved for special occasions on the trip (wouldn’t want it to get soiled). My USAK semi-trads, Newsome box pleats, and Burnetts & Struth casuals will be daily wear traveling and sightseeing! And you know that pretty well sums up how they are worn at home!

[English Bloke]

... I'm close to Father Bill's mindset in his first post. ... the whole statement came down to this; "Only tourists wear kilts and the locals just look down on them". I decided at that point that I would only wear it over here ...

Another outwith Kilt wearer discouraged. Another Scottish Kilt not sold. It's only a matter of time.

[Phil]

It is intriguing how a post about “tartan tat” shops can develop into two such divergent themes with a soupcon of cultural hubris thrown in to add some spice to the mix.

First of all I seem to have missed the trigger which sparked off a heated discussion over non-Scots being allowed to wear the kilt. I know this has been a contentious subject in the past and that there are a couple of contributors who express the view that kilts should only be worn by a select band of individuals. To qualify you must have lived in a closely defined (their definition of course) area of Scotland since time immemorial. Not only this but heaven forbid that any individual not a member of this select and exclusive group should express any view, whatsoever, concerning the wearing of kilts. I would just say, however, that this is not and never has been my view and if anything that I wrote gave anyone cause to interpret my words as such then I must sincerely apologise.

The second theme that has reared its ugly head results from an innocent remark about the aboriginal inhabitants of America and which has elicited the response of wishing Scots people go and drown themselves. This is not a route that this discussion should take and if my clumsy attempts to explain myself have resulted in such opprobrium then I must, once again, apologise.

The actual point I was trying to get across is that Scots, and by this I include all individuals who live and work within the boundaries of the land known as Scotland, in general prefer not to be seen as some sort of anachronistic kilted society, mired in the beliefs and traditions of a bygone age. Here I can only speak as one of these resident Scots and I would not presume to speak for the Scottish diaspora elsewhere in the world.

[English Bloke]

Phil.
Quality post.

[Cowher]

(snip) which has elicited the response of wishing Scots people go and drown themselves. (snip)

I'm not actually wishing anyone to drown themselves. It's a figure of crude speach. Like "go screw" "sit on it" "go pound sand" and so forth.
I ment no I'll will to anyone. Im just trying to say I don't care if anyone likes that I wear a kilt or not. I like it. It means a great deal to me and I wear it with pride.

Cheers

[Mael Coluim]

The actual point I was trying to get across is that Scots, and by this I include all individuals who live and work within the boundaries of the land known as Scotland, in general prefer not to be seen as some sort of anachronistic kilted society, mired in the beliefs and traditions of a bygone age. Here I can only speak as one of these resident Scots and I would not presume to speak for the Scottish diaspora elsewhere in the world.

BOLD added.

Phil are you not a US citizen expatriated to Scotland? I doubt if a native Scot would agree with your definition of who is a Scot. The fours years I lived as a expat in Kuwait never once would I have thought myself a Kuwaiti.

[Mule]

Another outwith Kilt wearer discouraged. Another Scottish Kilt not sold. It's only a matter of time.

oooh no, not me. I'm waiting for a very nice "real" Scottish kilt to arrive. I feel it is very important to support traditional sources and small operations.

CMcG, I could try, however, it was when I first joined X and I was reading everything I could find... I should try and find it though.

[PEEDYC]

Many years ago I was told that the only place to see a "true" Scot is anywhere outside Scotland. It is amazing how Nationalistic and sentimental we become as soon as we leave our homeland. A lot of Scots who never wore the kilt at home all of a sudden become wearers. This is probably why so many people in the USA and Canada and elsewhere wear kilts and why not so many are seen in Scotland.

With me it was affordability that stopped me. I wore the kilt as a boy until it became too expensive to outfit me and my brother. Many years later, having survived a divorce and a couple of redundancies I found that I did have some spare cash and so became kilted once again. I cannot afford a proper 8 yard 16oz tank so I wear what I can afford as long as it looks the part.

I am going to Gambia once again in November and as I will be there for St Andrew's day, Christmas, My Birthday, New Year and Burn's night I will be wearing a kilt. This is when the cheaper "non tank" comes into it's own. I do not like the "modern" non tartan kilts but will take a cheaper version as the sand and dust will take its toll on any clothing. As it will be in the 30's the lighter the cloth the better. I will not stop wearing a kilt just because I cannot afford a tank. The more kilted people the better.

The "tat" has always been around. I remember many many years ago on one of my regular trips to Oban (The Highlands) I saw models of kilted pipers but when you turned them over it said "Made in France".

[cessna152towser]

I don't mind the bagpipe music but I'm not so happy about the Indian music which blasts out of some of these shops, there is one in Princes Street and one on Nicholson Street which always seem to be playing Indian music when I pass.

[Phil]

I don't mind the bagpipe music but I'm not so happy about the Indian music which blasts out of some of these shops, there is one in Princes Street and one on Nicholson Street which always seem to be playing Indian music when I pass.

I have to admit that I had not noticed the Indian (sub-continent) music but even the pipe music palls after a few times around. When they had a shop in Hanover St. I well remember hearing the noise when I was inside the Crabtree & Evelyn shop across a busy street from it. Plus the same tune seemed to come around and around. Pity help local residents and shopkeepers who have to thole( put up with) this day in, day out.