Why Do Some Take Such Offense...

[Mike_Oettle]

Fingertrouble, perhaps your partner should take another look at how the kilt was invented.
Legend has it that an Englishman was involved, although the experts on this forum discount his contribution anyway.
He was an engineer and (if memory serves) his name was Rawlinson. He was a mine manager, and is associated with two different places in the Highlands – it seems likely that he moved from one mine to another. He was married to a Scotswoman.
The story as commonly told is that he habitually wore Highland dress in the form of the breacan feile, and had the idea of getting a tailor to cut it in half and make the lower half up as a permanently pleated garment (the feile beg or little kilt).
It appears to be true, except for the fact that other men (Highlanders) had had the same idea at about the same time. At any rate, people who know their kilts and tartans dismiss the idea that he actually invented the kilt.
That detail aside, the little kilt was certainly invented in the Highlands.
Incidentally, I have the permission of the Chief of Clan Lindsay to wear his tartan (in honour of my ancestors).
Regards,
Mike

[Bugbear]

Here is Matt Newsome's article on the myth of the kilt being invented by the English:

http://www.albanach.org/kilt_english.html


I'm still going through the writings, but David Livingstone did use the word "kilt" to refer to all kinds of South African skirts worn both by men and women. In other words he called skirts "kilts," instead of calling kilts "skirts."