A Modern Scottish View of Clans (and Gathering)

[cessna152towser]

The subject of the divergent views about clans and clan societies was touched on in this thread about Clan Adoption. Phil, from Edinburgh, came up with a populist Scottish view on the subject and riled a few people on the other side of the Atlantic.
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/c...ighlight=yanks
Not wishing to hijack the thread I will start a new one with my personal views of where the clans are perceived in today's Scotland. I would welcome input from other Scottish members as to how they see it, and also responses from our cousins in the new world.
There are a few clans who still have a recognised legal structure within Scotland. Those of us who wear kilts, attend Highland Games, etc. have a respect for their structure and will have a basic understanding of the accessories worn by senior clan officers. Sadly, most Scots see clan regalia as historical costume and if you walk along a city centre street wearing a feather in your hat you will be perceived by most onlookers as an American tourist.
Many Scots own just the one kilt which may be in their family tartan or a district tartan. As a kilt collector I have a choice of six family tartans which I wear, all family names from which I can claim lineage. However the only clan to which I belong is that for my own surname. Rather it is no longer a clan, as there is no chieftain, but is a clan society headed by a High Commissioner and which is based in the USA and has a worldwide membership of almost a thousand, including quite a few of us in Scotland. The society provides regular communiques and intermittently I have been involved in assisting in compiling their genealogy database. My clan will not be taking part in the Edinburgh gathering because a breakaway group which has only been formed since the start of the new millenium, also USA based, got in first with their application for a clan tent in our name, apparently they were only the third clan society to apply to take part when the gathering (or Gartering of the Clans as this group prefer to call it on their website) was first mooted. This is a small group of Americans who will be spending just one week in Scotland and running their own tent at the gathering in purported representation of the family name, rather than allowing us native Scots the opportunity to be good hosts. They may have their own good reasons for breaking away from the recognised clan society but I cannot feel any sense of kinship with them. So maybe you will understand why I regard the Edinburgh Gathering as very much a Brig o' Doon event and one which pays no respect to clan heritage, and this is why l will not be taking part in the clan parade and pageant despite the fact these are taking place just 55 miles from my home. No I will stay away from Edinburgh that day and leave it to the overseas visitors to enjoy dressing up in their clan costumes.
Despite my cynicism about the Edinburgh event, it is wonderful to hear of so many people of Scottish descent coming to Scotland throughout this Year of the Homecoming. I have already met some of you this year, starting with the Burns Light event in Dumfries in January and I do hope to meet up with many more. I hope to attend the Sunday games in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh to meet up with members of the xmarks "clan" who will be there, and yes I will wear a kilt but I will wear it with a Tee shirt. I also plan to attend a couple of public events which are being hosted by clans from the Scottish Borders where I now live.