Wearing the kilt in Scotland

[WillowEstate]

I like to wear a kilt when I visit Scotland, part-time or full-time, depending on my mood and other circumstances. If asked, I explain that I'm of Scots descent, I like wearing a kilt, and it seems appropriate when in Scotland, even though I know most Scots do not wear a kilt, or least very seldom. More often than not, I get a "broad smile" and complimented for wearing it well. A surprising reply I receive quite often from many Scots is that they wished more men would wear kilts, and they usually thank me for wearing mine!

On one occasion, in a pub in Inverness, a group of Scots bought me a wee dram and kept it filled throughout the evening because they liked seeing a kilt. Despite my best efforts, I could not buy them a round in return. On a more recent trip, I received several wee drams at various hotels because someone liked seeing a kilt on the premises.
(snip)

I think that what you have discovered, as did I in my early career, when I worked in Glasgow a couple of days a week, that treated respectfully, the Scots are one of the most welcoming and generous people on the planet, despite Music Hall jokes to the contrary! Though it must be said, I wasn't a kilt wearer in those days.

[Dale-of-Cedars]

<<Sigh>> You can't fix "stupid," even with duct tape.

But it does muffle the sound...

[OC Richard]

I haven't met any X-Markers outside the virtual realm.

I live in California too and I meet them fairly often. Yes they're real! I just met one at work last week, a guy wearing saffron kilt at Disneyland (my day job).

A couple weeks ago I met a few at the Costa Mesa (California) Games, the weekend before that I met a few at the Fair Hill (Maryland) Games, and I've met them at the Pleasanton (California) Games and the Bridgeport (West Virginia) Games. In a couple weeks I expect to meet some at the Vista (California) Games.

I meet them fairly regularly at Disneyland... they're easy to distinguish!

[OC Richard]

It is wise though, to be aware of them and the significance of the Clan tartans...

Yes indeed. It's why I like wearing Isle of Skye. And I've noticed that even native Scots with clear Clan connexions often prefer wearing these modern 'fashion' tartans.

Better yet, maybe, would be for an American to show up in Scotland wearing an American tartan, for an Australian an Australian tartan.

[cessna152towser]

Better yet, maybe, would be for an American to show up in Scotland wearing an American tartan, for an Australian an Australian tartan.

I wonder whether any of us Scots would recognise the American or Australian tartans.
I've worn the County Armagh tartan in County Armagh and when the locals have asked about the tartan, not one of them knew that their county had its own tartan.
Likewise when I've worn the Maple Leaf tartan in Canada most Canadians whom I discussed it with seemed surprised to learn that it was a Canadian tartan.

[Jock Scot]

---------

Better yet, maybe, would be for an American to show up in Scotland wearing an American tartan, for an Australian an Australian tartan.

Well there you go. There is good old Sir William leading the charge------those Marines often do you know---------with the American tartan invasion of Scotland, wearing his kilt of Leatherneck tartan!

[tpa]

On one occasion, in a pub in Inverness, a group of Scots bought me a wee dram and kept it filled throughout the evening because they liked seeing a kilt. Despite my best efforts, I could not buy them a round in return. On a more recent trip, I received several wee drams at various hotels because someone liked seeing a kilt on the premises.

You do not have to be wearing a kilt in Scotland to be offered multiple drams, but if it works for Americans - go for it. It has not worked for me when kilted, but once in the Western isles, visiting a friend in his local, I refused every dram offered, but still had to drink 12 which just arrived. After that I lost count.

[Màrtainn]

During my first visit to Scotland, to Edinburgh, in 2012, I only wore my kilt on the day I went kilt jacket shopping and the evening I went to a ceilidh. All subsequent trips I changed into my kilt as soon as I checked into my hostel, only to change back into trousers again an hour or so before I had to catch my bus back home again.

Although I'm usually one of the very few persons out and about wearing a kilt — not counting busking pipers and some kilt or tourist tat shop keepers — I really like wearing a kilt in Scotland, because locals don't seem to notice it as much as they do in Brussels, and when the kilt does get mentioned, the ensuing conversation usually much more interesting. A few times it was about their own kilt, and how they would actually like to wear it more often…

Here are a few photos from my latest trip, last month, with some fellow history students:

[KentuckyCeltophile]

Will you see kilts worn by Scots in Scotland? Yes. In kilt stores. In tourist-traps. Among pipers busking for a quick quid. At weddings (often hires). At special events. Anywhere that tourists are welcomed.

On the street, on the heath, or in offices? No.

I found this to be absolutely true when I travelled there. If you check out my album "Great kilts", this was the extent of the kilts I saw in Scotland. As we were part of a bus tour, naturally we stayed in tourist locations. The maitre'd at the Radisson Blu in Glasgow wore a black kilt, but nowhere else. Even the shepherd in the Highlands whose farm we visited wore p**ts.

When I bought my kilt, I made our bus 10 minutes late as a result. My punishment, handed down by our guide, was that I had to wear the kilt to dinner on the last night of our trip. All 42 people on our bus cheered. Well, after a few days our guide forgot and my wife packed it away in our suitcase. However, I was caught before we left for dinner and as I was boarding the bus, our driver looked me over and simply said, "Chicken." All in good fun, many folk in our group expressed their disappointment.

Cheers,
KC

[kilttrip]

OK, another one. How about the Black Watch? At one games here in the U.S. someone called me a murderer - does this bring up bad images of post Culloden and/or the Clearances?