Census poll: What is your cultural / historical connection to the kilt?

[ctbuchanan]

My mother was born in Scotland - the family lastly from Glasgow and Lanark - but originally from Lennox. The name Watt makes us Clan Buchanan (because my mum said so) but we also have Grants and Gordons in the family.
My dad was a Yorkshireman so he didn't speak English originally either (a family joke). Although his family originally came from Ireland to England during the famine and worked on the RR's there up to my Grandfather. Dad was a career British Army officer.
My parents came to the U.S. after WWII and here we are.They left 8 sons and daughters, 20 grandkids, 34 great grandchildren and 5 gggchildren.
So we are now a veritable clan unto ourselves.

Enjoy very much reading all the great family stories in this thread.

[Woot22]

My mother was born in Scotland - the family lastly from Glasgow and Lanark - but originally from Lennox. The name Watt makes us Clan Buchanan (because my mum said so) but we also have Grants and Gordons in the family.

A fellow Watt myself, awesome to know there is one of my kinsman on the forum. My fathers side of the family originated near Aberdeen however on the other side of Scotland from Glasgow.

[chrisupyonder]

I voted 2 but could also be 5. My fathers line could have come from Scotland then over to Ulster, Northern Ireland (a lot of my surnames there) then to East Manchester with the influx of Irish and Ulster Scots. My Grandfather and Great Grandfather lived in East Manchester and the school I went to had Irish connections and a pipe band, The Kerry Pipers. One of my best mates at school joined the Kerry Pipers at age 14 and wore full highland dress with as far as I can remember, plain green kilts.
My surname is one of the principle names of the MacLaren clan and a few went over to the Ulster plantations.

Chris.

[Mike M.]

My surname is a common MacDonald variant...but goes back to around 1695 in what's now the United States.

[Dram]

As an American, I too have various cultural backgrounds including Scottish ancestry. I'd say however, that my strongest cultural "bonds" are to Wales as far as ancestry is concerned as of course: culturally, I am American.

My direct paternal line goes back to the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, as a matter of fact our ancestral home still stands on Anglesey, being buit in 1829. I also still have cousins in Gwynedd co. Wales. In additon to Wales, my paternal ancestors came to the U.S. in the late 1800's from Ireland, Sweden and Norway. I am quite pleased with and appreciate both my Irish and Scandinavian ancestry as well.

My maternal side has existed along the eastern U.S. sea-board in some cases since the 1600's, living primarily in Virginia. My maternal ancestors were English, Scottish, Scotch-Irish, French, and Danish/German. Overall, I am predominently of British Isles descent. Funny, at one time I was sure I was of more Scottish descent until I began really doing my genealogical research. Nevertheless, I am quite happy with my varied ancestry.

My primary interest in Scotland came from early trips to Nova Scotia, where as a boy I became fascinated by the bagpipes. Low and behold I started taking piping lessons in my early/middle teens. My instructor who became a mentor and ultimately a father-figure was from Aberdeen...a Henderson, I now wear his tartan which amongst other things he left to me upon his passing. As a child I also had a step-grandparent from Scotalnd, and one from Wales. The only tartan I wear is the one I was most influenced by: Henderson; despite having my own familial clan affiliation I have the closest and most personal bond to Henderson. I am required to wear "proper Highland attire" for competition, and it was in this I became more interested in Highland attire.

[Barb T]

The ancestors of my paternal grandmother (who was a Ferguson) came to the Mohawk Valley of New York State with the British Highland Regiments in the 1750s. During the American Revolution, they fought with the Tories and weren't especially welcome after the Revolution, so they took the British Land Grant to Upper Canada after the Revolution. My dad grew up in Southern Ontario and emigrated to the US after World War II.

Both Carolyn and I have played pipes with the Mohawk Valley Frasers Pipes and Drums. The band was originally called the 78th Frasers Highland Regiment of Foot, after the Highland Regiment that build Ft. Stanwix in the Mohawk Valley at Rome, NY in the 1750s. It's a little "woo woo" that we both wound up playing in a band named for a regiment that some of our ancestors very likely were part of!

[MadMouser]

There don't appear to be any Scots in my ancestry. It's 50/50 French Canadian and English (which helps explain why my parents are no longer together). There are some Roberts on my paternal grandmother's side, but they're all Norman French from way back.

[Laochri MacTalabh]

I have found some suspected ties to Scotland. My 3X Great grandma's Madden name was Campbell, and her husband was a Murray. My grandpa has ties to MacLennan. I describe my self as a Scottish/American. American born and bread, Scottish in heart and head.

[BoldHighlander]

It's a little "woo woo" that we both wound up playing in a band named for a regiment that some of our ancestors very likely were part of!

Very cool Barb .... much like my (Ame.) Civil War reenacting days. I was in a cavalry regiment that I later learned 9 of my ancestors served in during the late War Between the States!

Made the hair stand up on the back of my neck ... (they were all Scot's descendants too!)

[Barb T]

Very cool Barb .... much like my (Ame.) Civil War reenacting days. I was in a cavalry regiment that I later learned 9 of my ancestors served in during the late War Between the States!

Made the hair stand up on the back of my neck ... (they were all Scot's descendants too!)

Wow - too cool! I know what you mean about the hair standing up on the back of your neck!