Bagpipe ban for tat shops

[Bugbear]

Again, so it is very clear, I was only talking about an emotional reaction that wells up when I read some statements and discussions. I was not trying to say that is what Phil and others are saying. I don't seem to have control over those gut emotions and feelings coming up, only how I react to them, or try to quell them

[billsides]

I'll am re-visiting Edinburgh's Royal Mile next week and I'll bet more even tat is there since my last visits in 2007 and 2009, simply because the country's economy is worse. Tat provides employment and they sell what most people will buy, few want expensive kilts as they cannot justify it. The horrid music did not bother me, I simply bypassed these shops to spent my money in more pleasant ones. The stock along the footpaths was invariably poor quality and kilts were often weather affected but they, along with the abundant flower pots, added badly needed colour to lighten up the otherwise sombre sandstone buildings! Most of the shops with stuff littering the footpaths had decent kilts and ladies skirts and jewellery hidden right at the back of the store.

A bigger issue was the severe lack of toilets for the evening festival crowds. Decent toilets were near the castle but were barracaded off during the tattoo. Those under the tattoo stands were too few in number. In 2009 my wife spent 40 minutes standing in line there for about half a dozen portable toilets for the women! The men's was quicker but sheer numbers meant the door was open constantly and, with no screens inside, passers by saw all! Seating may be improved for the tattoo this year but the toilets appear untouched. I saw many very distressed people along the street refused restaurant toilets after they could not find public ones. Restaurants invariably only let people having a usually poor quality over priced meal use theirs. There were public toilets in Bridge St and in Waverley station but they are well down the street and not obvious. I suggest Edinburgh council has bigger problems than tat and the low quality kilts lining the Royal Mile, it seems they intend to preserve its ancient name of "Old Reeky" as visitors do relieve themselves in the many alleyways when they cannot find a loo!

I am going back again because I love it. It is unique and some tat is vital to ensure it survives. There are many stores selling decent locally made hand made kilts and variations of them plus quality Scottish produce and pricing can be very attractive. Most quality stores will still have a bit of tat scattered around but without the blaring music so it can be more pleasantly sorted through and their prices should be no different. The Royal Mile of course is but a tiny part of Scotland, a country which has much to crow about. Of course I am travelling way beyond Edinburgh, but it is a hell of a good place to start any visit!

Bill Sides Melbourne

[Phil]

A bigger issue was the severe lack of toilets for the evening festival crowds.

You have touched on a major issue, not just here in Edinburgh, but in most of our towns and cities. Young people, in particular, after they leave a pub on their way home after a night out have virtually nowhere to answer the inevitable call of nature. I take it that things are much better organised in your home city with a plentiful supply of toilets but here it seems the Council have no interest in providing such facilities. Why this should be I have no idea, although unsupervised toilets do tend to get used for all sorts of purposes, mostly illegal, beyond their actual function so perhaps cost is the issue here. Nevertheless, for a city that leads the way in tourism this is a shocking lack.

[billsides]

Hey, you don't have to be young and drinking too much, it gets worse as you age. I nearly got in trouble many times before I discovered where some were hidden. In Oz we have little blue signs on lamp posts all over the place pointing to toilets which is vital for visitors. Very few toilets are manned in Oz and we don't have turnstyles requiring up to 50p for a pee either! I got adept at vaulting these turnstyles when I did not have the right money! In my last visit we stood in line for over an hour and right after our evening meal before the long parade up the Royal Mile during The Gathering. No loos were available for the 1000's who marched then the lousy few at the tattoo ground which took 40 minutes for my wife to access! I warned as many as I could of the situation prior. I spotted a portable toilet with door wedged hard against a tree near the start which was obviously not meant to be used, but, with a few others helping, I manhandled it and got it functional which pleased a great many people judging by the long queue which formed! Education on basic tourist needs is badly needed there. I suspect some spend almost as much time looking for toilets in Edinburgh as they do shopping for a kilt!

Bill

[CMcG]

<snip>Education on basic tourist needs is badly needed there. I suspect some spend almost as much time looking for toilets in Edinburgh as they do shopping for a kilt!

By the sounds of it, tourists probably spend MORE time queuing for the toilet than they do kilt shopping! This could perhaps be another solution for the proliferation of tartan tat shops: provide more public toilets. That way people will be more likely to make it to the back of the store where the good stuff is, or to do a bit of comparison shopping and realize the different levels of quality. Time is of the essence when nature calls

[billsides]

Hi Phil and Jock,
Yes I agree, they have a bad problem maybe turn a tat shop or two into a loo, I am, sure it would meet with tourist favour as would adding some of those little blue signs to posts.
I am going no further north than the Highland Games at Perth this trip, my next trip however will be north including the Shetlands. My mothers parents came from there, my grandfather was an Anderson and a fiddle maker/herring fisherman and always joked that he was a blown away Norwegian. My grandmother was a Sinclair and claimed allegance to Caithness both however were very devout Scots and installed much of their pride in my parents and me. I have toured the highlands twice in style on the Royal Scotsman train and been as far north as Wick on it. They take kilts seriously on it and suggest one be worn to their formal dinners on board. It was a bit bizarre rocketting along at 65 mph in the highlands in a kilt doing the Gay Gordons down the carriage isle. I will be revisiting those areas but by car next time, maybe next year. It is a beautiful part of the world and that train is very special and rightly expensive.

Bill

[Jock Scot]

Sorry Phil an off topic matter.

Bill, are you heading as far north as Inverness-shire on your travels?

[Father Bill]

It occurs to me to wonder if a "stamp of approval" for stores which meet certain criteria might help? In fact, these might come from the STA, the Register, and perhaps even the City of Edinburgh itself, or at least the equivalent of an Edinburgh "Chamber of Commerce" or such.

If these became recognized and were stringent, visible, and widely advertised by tourism groups and tourism advertisers, the Tat shops might strive energetically to adjust their wares in order to earn one or more such crests for their front windows lest serious customers go elsewhere.

[artificer]

It occurs to me to wonder if a "stamp of approval" for stores which meet certain criteria might help? In fact, these might come from the STA, the Register, and perhaps even the City of Edinburgh itself, or at least the equivalent of an Edinburgh "Chamber of Commerce" or such.

If these became recognized and were stringent, visible, and widely advertised by tourism groups and tourism advertisers, the Tat shops might strive energetically to adjust their wares in order to earn one or more such crests for their front windows lest serious customers go elsewhere.

The problem with such is the bureaucracy and enforcement needed to make such a stamp actually mean something. Otherwise the tat merchants will simply have the stamp copied and applied to their foreign made goods.

Recent lawsuits have shown that they have no issue with slapping a "Made in Scotland" tag on something produced in China or a "100% wool" tag on something made of ????- And these violate national/UK laws.

ith:

[Father Bill]

The problem with such is the bureaucracy and enforcement needed to make such a stamp actually mean something. Otherwise the tat merchants will simply have the stamp copied and applied to their foreign made goods.

Recent lawsuits have shown that they have no issue with slapping a "Made in Scotland" tag on something produced in China or a "100% wool" tag on something made of ????- And these violate national/UK laws.

ith:

Ah - respectfully, no problem at all! Register the sticker design as a trademark and sue vigorously the first couple of stores who attempt to infringe. The rest will quickly fall in line. If in fact it were issued by the city, cheaters might lose their business license. Quick and easy!