AN COIGREACH ALBANNACH - You raise some excellent points of view. I read not to long ago about a couple of Scots who went to Estonia, opened a pub where they wear their kilt. The local Estonians have taken to this and many are sporting kilts and I believe there is now an Estonian tartan, and there's a tartan of Galacia, Germany, Holland, all the Canadian provinces, several American states, etc. Hey, the ball is rolling, the dominoes are falling, many are wearing the kilt. Now is it for some romantic reason, only the individual knows. But I'm sure this is the reason for many. And true, many cultures don't have a nice national dress/outfit/garment. I think in truth a small few will wear the kilt of the Gaelic/Celtic diaspora. My father isn't one. I also know a few Americans of Scot descent who feel the same way. One of my sons wanted to do his wedding in a kilt. The bride's family said, "HELL NO!" And they are of MacIntosh, in North Carolina!

I will concur that the kilt has a magnetic draw for many. I for one, will always remember from whence the kilt's origin is and it's history. I can understand the view that it should belong to the Scots, but I'm also saying that some of the Gaels/Celts feel that it represents to the world that they are a branch of this ethnic group too. I am of the bent that this evolving is a good thing, and that the tartan sett designed for the various branches is also good. I don't want to see each clan/family surname develop their own tartan (although this is slowly happening) but designs that truly identify the Irish, Cornish, Welsh, Manx, etc., or my that's enough!