Quote Originally Posted by Jock Scot View Post
In Victorian times and most certainly before then the TARTAN kilt was the preserve of those with money and far from the reach of the common man.There was precious little "ploughing and sewing" going on by the side of Loch Laggan,or anywhere else in the HIGHLANDS most of it is rock, water or bog. The people living in these areas in that time were at the very bottom of the pay scale, such as it was, and just surviving to the next day was a major achievement. If by some miracle a tartan kilt fell into the hands of the common man, I know for damn sure it would not used for working with the sheep! No more so than the 8 yard knife pleated kilt kilt of today would be, and surprise surprise they are not.
It was very common in the west Highlands and the Isles for men to strip naked when engaged in their labours, to preserve their clothing and increase its longevity. This fact has been referenced in many original sources, including kirk session reports, diaries of travellers, etc. Jo Currie's excellent history, Mull, the Island and Its People, certainly discusses how the abject poverty of the region ( in pre-Victorian times ) influenced the day-to-day dress of the Muileach.