Why the rise in kilt popularity?

[MartinGrenoble]

"I think that many would secretly like to wear it more often ..."

I am sure that is true.
The difficult part is finding an excuse to wear one.
Thus they take up the bagpipes or country dancing etc.
I have always been surprised, for example, to see how the men all get kilts when they take up country dancing, even "foreigners" with no connexion with Scotland, and even if they would not dare wear it for any other activity.
There is a gent here who, I'm sure, took up dancing just to have an excuse to buy a kilt; once he had it, he gave up dancing!

Martin

[muirkirkca]

This is for Phil ( Kilted Warrior ). I understand that huge tracts of land devoted to salmon fishing, elk and deer are owned by owners in London, Western Europe - Switzerland, Germany etc., the middle east and specially incorporated land companies. There are some Scottish owners but these tend to be relatively few in number and with smaller holdings. In my short visit to Scotland the highlands looked depopulated even of sheep. Haven't seen Harry or Wills in a kilt much less even a picture of them at Balmoral.

Are there any efforts at land use taxation to get the free loaders to break up there estates and sell to those who would actively farm them?

[macwilkin]

This is for Phil ( Kilted Warrior ). I understand that huge tracts of land devoted to salmon fishing, elk and deer are owned by owners in London, Western Europe - Switzerland, Germany etc., the middle east and specially incorporated land companies. There are some Scottish owners but these tend to be relatively few in number and with smaller holdings. In my short visit to Scotland the highlands looked depopulated even of sheep. Haven't seen Harry or Wills in a kilt much less even a picture of them at Balmoral.

Are there any efforts at land use taxation to get the free loaders to break up there estates and sell to those who would actively farm them?

Let's skip the discussion of land use taxation and keep to kilts, please.

Thanks!

Todd

[Jock Scot]

This is for Phil ( Kilted Warrior ). I understand that huge tracts of land devoted to salmon fishing, elk and deer are owned by owners in London, Western Europe - Switzerland, Germany etc., the middle east and specially incorporated land companies. There are some Scottish owners but these tend to be relatively few in number and with smaller holdings. In my short visit to Scotland the highlands looked depopulated even of sheep. Haven't seen Harry or Wills in a kilt much less even a picture of them at Balmoral.

Are there any efforts at land use taxation to get the free loaders to break up there estates and sell to those who would actively farm them?

What you say has an element of truth in it and thats a fact. However, might I suggest that you leave the organisation of Scots farming,tax,land ownership to the locals ie the Scots. Had you had an opportunity to spend more time in our country I think you would have a very different point of view.

[vmac3205]

I my husband's case, It's because of the support from his dear wife. I love seeing him in a kilt, and he likes wearing it, and appreciates the support he gets from me. Since I am able to make him the rest of the outfit, he can be properly kitted with little financial outlay.
I do have to agree with the Auld Argonian, though. Duncan, from Monarch of the Glen. put the kilt right out there. Geez, I miss that show.

[kiltimabar]

In my own case I am one of those who bought a Scottish-made, hand-sewn, clan tartan tank first, out of an interest in my family heritage and a long-held curiosity about wearing a kilt. Next step was joining in organizations like the St. Andrews Society and Scottish American Military Society so as to have more opportunities to wear it. This showed the need to get another wool kilt in my clan hunting tartan (now my favorite) and also lighter weight options for the warmer weather we get over here in California.

But I didn't really get into the casual kilt, non-Scottish wear of the kilt until I became involved with this forum and seeing how many others were wearing it on a frequent or even daily basis. Then I saw the possibilities to take advantage of the comfort factor of the kilt.

So it is in large part due to this forum that I have been out there more frequently, and of course every time we are seen to "show the kilt" we make it more likely that others will get the same idea.

[McClef]

Haven't seen Harry or Wills in a kilt much less even a picture of them at Balmoral.

They wore them as wee bairns but don't seem to have followed their father alas as adults.

I do have to agree with the Auld Argonian, though. Duncan, from Monarch of the Glen. put the kilt right out there. Geez, I miss that show.

He was the "token kiltie" - which maybe isn't too realistic to begin with and was he too often a figure of fun and amusement - the "serious" characters either didn't wear a kilt at all or only on "special occasions" and even them sometimes it was trews!

Many of the original characters had left and there was little more the story writers could have done without turning it into a soap.

It's all available on BBC DVD for the addicted!