Yellow tourie preferred?

[Harold Cannon]

After reading The Kilt and How To Wear It, and then reading a post by Bugbear, I noticed that in both texts they talked about using a gold/yellow tourie on top of the bonnet. I found this to be interesting and have included the information below.

The first from Bugbear's post.

"He (Mr. Malcolm Macleod, the boat pilot) was now sixty-two years of age, hale, and well proportioned,--with a manly countenance, tanned by the weather, yet having a ruddiness in his cheeks, over a great part of which his rough beard extended.--His eye was quick and lively, yet his look was not fierce, but he appeared at once firm and good-humoured. He wore a pair of brogues,--Tartan hose which came up only near to his knees, and left them bare,--a purple camblet kilt,--a black waistcoat,-- a short green cloth coat bound with gold cord,--a yellowish bushy wig,--a large blue bonnet with a gold thread button. I never saw a figure that gave a more perfect representation of a Highland gentleman. I wished much to have a picture of him just as he was. I found him frank and polite,in the true sense of the word. (229-30)"

The from The Kilt and How To Wear It. Here he is refering to the idea that the red tourie is a symbol of loyalty to England. He also states the same with red waistcoats, that it might be better to use a yellow one.

"In any case, it might be well to avoid the mental friction arising from the possibility of countenancing or seeming to countenance notions of "English supremacy" by making ones "tourie" yellow instead of red wool, the former as everyone knows, the favourite colour of the Gael."

Just some food for thought.

[Peter Crowe]

After reading The Kilt and How To Wear It, and then reading a post by Bugbear, I noticed that in both texts they talked about using a gold/yellow tourie on top of the bonnet. I found this to be interesting and have included the information below.

The first from Bugbear's post.

"He (Mr. Malcolm Macleod, the boat pilot) was now sixty-two years of age, hale, and well proportioned,--with a manly countenance, tanned by the weather, yet having a ruddiness in his cheeks, over a great part of which his rough beard extended.--His eye was quick and lively, yet his look was not fierce, but he appeared at once firm and good-humoured. He wore a pair of brogues,--Tartan hose which came up only near to his knees, and left them bare,--a purple camblet kilt,--a black waistcoat,-- a short green cloth coat bound with gold cord,--a yellowish bushy wig,--a large blue bonnet with a gold thread button. I never saw a figure that gave a more perfect representation of a Highland gentleman. I wished much to have a picture of him just as he was. I found him frank and polite,in the true sense of the word. (229-30)"

The from The Kilt and How To Wear It. Here he is refering to the idea that the red tourie is a symbol of loyalty to England. He also states the same with red waistcoats, that it might be better to use a yellow one.

"In any case, it might be well to avoid the mental friction arising from the possibility of countenancing or seeming to countenance notions of "English supremacy" by making ones "tourie" yellow instead of red wool, the former as everyone knows, the favourite colour of the Gael."

Just some food for thought.

A red tourie symbolic of "loyalty to England"? Surely you mean loyalty to the House of Hanover, or loyalty to the Kingdom of Great Britain (currently the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) which was not and is not the same thing as loyalty to England. I always thought a black cockade implied loyalty to Hanover and/or the Kingdom of Great Britain.

[Jock Scot]

I am not at all sure if the colour of your toorie means loyalty to anyone. I do know that one Scottish Duke has a Pink(ish) toorie on his bonnet and I suspect it is either because he likes it, or, more likely, he is easier to pick out in a crowd. If you want a yellow toorie then go ahead, I doubt that more than a few will even notice!

[Harold Cannon]

Peter you may be quite correct I was just going by the quote from The Kilt and How To Wear It.

A pink tourie? Now there is a fashion statment Jock!

[Peter Crowe]

Peter you may be quite correct I was just going by the quote from The Kilt and How To Wear It.

No worries Harold , and as to the yellow colour you like, I agree with Jock, wear what you personally prefer. I just get a little irked by the suggestion that Scotland (a country never successfully invaded and held in it's history) is subjugated by England.

[Zardoz]

For what it's worth, I don't think I have every seen (or noticed anyway) a yellow toorie before.
Much like the dicing and ribbon tying things, I think the toorie color question is more about invented "traditions" (myth) than real facts. I'd say wear whatever color you like, whether it's based on your interpretation of myth or just personal choice.

[Harold Cannon]

I have seen a yellow tourie twice but thats it.

Maybe this is a winter project to sell at next years games. I could make some different color cockades and touries!

A SIDE NOTE: I am also currently working on a red balmoral that he suggests was in fashion at one time.

[macwilkin]

The Lake Superior Scottish, Toronto Scottish and London Scottish all wear glengarries with light blue touries, the latter matching their blue-khaki-white dicing.

T.

[Jock Scot]

No worries Harold , and as to the yellow colour you like, I agree with Jock, wear what you personally prefer. I just get a little irked by the suggestion that Scotland (a country never successfully invaded and held in it's history) is subjugated by England.

I too get irked by that . To put the record straight, it was a Scots King that united the English and Scots Crowns and the Scots parliament(100 years later) that voted to join with the English one. I think it is rather overstating the facts to say that Scotland was subjugated by England.

[creagdhubh]

No worries Harold , and as to the yellow colour you like, I agree with Jock, wear what you personally prefer. I just get a little irked by the suggestion that Scotland (a country never successfully invaded and held in it's history) is subjugated by England.

I agree. Harold, wear a yellow tourie if you like, the choice is yours my good man. There is also a certain Scottish Duke who wears a Balmoral bonnet of lovat green (diced) with a reddish tourie - quite smashing I must say (he also wears fabulous, dusty pink kilt hose...hint, hint!) I am sure many of the rabble know who I am speaking of, and will upload various photos no doubt.

Cheers,