25th Annual Texas Scottish Festival

**Morris at Heathfield** · 8th June 11, 10:28 PM

I didn't stick around the Highland dance tent for long, as I wanted to see the North Texas Caledonian Pipes & Drums perform. They had two performances of the day, one at 10:30 AM and one at 3:00 PM, but I had something else I planned to do at 3:00. So I went over to the "Glengarry Tent". On my way I spotted this fellow in a Kilmarnock bonnet, kilt in a lovely green, blue, and light gray tartan, and red-and-white checked cadadh. I later found out that he was Torf the Kiltmaker, and his kilt is in fact a WWI-vintage military box-pleated Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders kilt. He said that the warp and the weft threads were dyed in two different shades of gray, so I guess their lightness is not due to fading. It produces a very different effect than the standard Black Watch tartan one sees. Unfortunately, this is the best picture I have of the tartan.

**Morris at Heathfield** · 8th June 11, 10:39 PM

I arrived at the Glengarry Tent during the first number. I didn't catch the title of the first number, but I wrote down the titles of the other eleven number on a piece of paper. Unfortunately I later misplaced the paper.

The North Texas Caledonian Pipes & Drums

A close-up of the drummers. I always try to catch the tenor drummers in mid-flourish.

They tune because they care. My band tunes as well, but normally only before performances, as I recall, and they don't use this fancy electronic equipment to do it.

Guest vocalist Lindy (I think her name was) singing "Flower of Scotland", accompanied by pipe major Don Shannon.

"When the Pipers Play", with the addition of Seamus Stout.

The NTCP&D and Seamus Stout perform the Chieftains' "An Dro".

**Morris at Heathfield** · 8th June 11, 10:54 PM

This year I tried to capture a few of the things that give the Texas Scottish Festival its character. I've seen these wooden cutouts before but never bothered to photograph them. For some reason they caught my attention this year. Then again, for all I know they're used to decorate every Highland games in the South-Midwest. I know I've seen the same clan tartan flags used at Salado and the Cowtown Celtic Festival. Beyond the fence is the food court, which I haven't really subjected to my camera yet. Maybe next year.

**Morris at Heathfield** · 8th June 11, 11:15 PM

The NTCP&D's performance over, I made my way back to the "Heritage Dance Tent" to continue watching the Highland dancing.

The only two adults I saw dancing, and one of them is male. Hmm...slightly tempting, but I don't know that I could withstand the rigors of Highland dance.

Blue and violet.

I believe I recognize the lassie in the Ross Hunting tartan from the 2008 games, but she seemed a lot smaller then.

I know I've seen the lassie in red at various Highland games before as well.

This pair of dancers gave me some nice pleat shots.

Wow. Highland dancing and kilt physics. I wonder if anyone's written a treatise on the subject.

This wee laddie got the loudest applause of all the dancers. What particularly impressed me is that he was wearing an Argyll jacket on such a day.

**Morris at Heathfield** · 8th June 11, 11:26 PM

Before noon I made my way to the Lamont tent, where we had agreed to take the group photo. Some of the XMarkers I recognized from previous Highland games: kscaddo, medic78, ShaunMaxwell, and McMathTX. (Or am I only imagining that I've met McMathTX?) But more than half of the group I had never met in real life. I know that more than two cameras were used to take photos of the group while still posed, but mine wasn't among them. At some point Amy asked if anyone had a camera they wanted her to take a picture with, but I reacted too slowly. I compensated by taking this informal group photo.

**Morris at Heathfield** · 8th June 11, 11:44 PM

After the group photo I hurried off to the classroom where Torf the Kiltmaker was holding a lecture on the history & wearing of the kilt. It started at noon, so I missed the first part. By the time I arrived he was talking about the invention of the philabeg.

Not wearing his Kilmarnock bonnet, but it's clearly the same guy. Here he's talking about the number of registered tartans exploding in the early 19th century. Despite talking about registered tartans, he didn't seem to be aware of the online databases such as the STA's or the Scottish Register of Tartans.

A brief timeline of the kilt. I thought the knife pleats came a bit earlier, but I don't know when they became widespread. Not a bad general history of the kilt, and he did dismiss a number of pernicious myths, but I had a few quibbles with some of the information he gave, although I don't really remember what they were now. I couldn't help wondering what Matt Newsome would have said if he had been in the peanut gallery. I didn't really say anything, except for informing a few people of the Scottish Register of Tartans website.

**Morris at Heathfield** · 8th June 11, 11:57 PM

After Torf's class was over I went up onto the upper mezzanine to take a look at the vendors and their wares.

I think I've seen this fellow at the Texas Scottish Festival before. I rather like the green shirt/saffron kilt combination.

Scotland Forever. And is that Merlin I spy on the right?

"Follow Me"

I decided to take a picture of the instructions on these hose because they're the same kind as what I wear, and I tossed the instructions when I received them. I've machine-washed and machine-dried my hose though, with no ill effects. In fact, they seem to fit better after several washes.

I was tempted to buy some navy blue hose, but needed to save my money for food.

**Zardoz** · 9th June 11, 07:43 AM

Originally Posted by Morris at Heathfield

A brief timeline of the kilt. I thought the knife pleats came a bit earlier, but I don't know when they became widespread. Not a bad general history of the kilt, and he did dismiss a number of pernicious myths, but I had a few quibbles with some of the information he gave, although I don't really remember what they were now. I couldn't help wondering what Matt Newsome would have said if he had been in the peanut gallery. I didn't really say anything, except for informing a few people of the Scottish Register of Tartans website.

Always fun to see Austin's 'Torf the kiltmaker', he's quite the character. You should see the presentation he does about Scottish castles with paper and cardboard models and photos cut out of magazines

Really I feel like he perpetuates as many 'pernicious myths' about kilts and tartan as he dismisses. As far as not being aware of online databases, I'm not sure he's really aware of the interweb in general.

Anyway, great photo essay! I wish I could have been there! Great to see two Houston pipe bands win in the comps.

**McMathTX** · 9th June 11, 06:31 AM

Originally Posted by Morris at Heathfield

Some of the XMarkers I recognized from previous Highland games: kscaddo, medic78, ShaunMaxwell, and McMathTX. (Or am I only imagining that I've met McMathTX?) But more than half of the group I had never met in real life.

Great pics Morris! You look familiar to me also, but I can't be sure because I'm doubly cursed - I'm terrible at remembering both names and faces!
Dean