I wrote a Not Your Father’s Gaelic blog post a few weeks ago wherein I expressed how nice it would be to have neighbors who are aware of and interested in their Scottish Gaelic heritage. Perhaps even neighbors with whom I could joke around in Gaelic! As it is, even my own (Italian American) mother’s eyes glaze over when I begin to get Gaelic-y.

Of course there are loads of people with Scottish Gaelic heritage just about everywhere in America. The problem is, they have no clue of the incredible heritage that they – and their children and grandchildren – are missing. Lets face the facts: precious few Scottish Americans are actually aware that they enjoy Scottish heritage and somewhat less than a micron of that number understand their Scottish Gaelic roots. Suffice it to say that one would not likely hike through the hyper-cultural polyglot of New York City and expect to happen upon a “little Gaidhealtachd” or a corner vendor selling haggis on a stick. Not gonna happen.

Why not? Gaelic immigration to America has been significant relative to other immigrant cultures. And this is important: people came here as Gaels – these were not people who considered themselves Scottish with a side dish of Gaelic ancestry. They spoke Gaelic – many spoke it exclusively – and they engaged in Gaelic tradition and lifeways in America. It is not a difficult task to unmask at least one or three folk of Gaelic heritage in almost any office or workplace in America today. What happened to Gaelic culture in America?

I have explored a little of the “why” side of America’s Gaelic loss in prior NYFG posts and that story can be fairly depressing. You can read some of those posts here.

This particular post is not nearly as depressing and with hope it will provide a few moments of light-hearted enlightenment about what a Gael has been and is today. After all, the first job of a Gaelic activist in America is to introduce other people of Gaelic ancestry to an awesome lost heritage and in doing so, further enrich American lives.

So, in the spirit of our Ulster Scot brothers and sisters who dot the hills and hollows of Appalachia, please enjoy the inaugural edition of–

“You might be a Gael …” 

You might be a Gael if you think you’re a “highlander”. Evidence of the presence and influence of Scottish Gaelic culture and language can be found throughout Scotland in clues such as Gaelic local place names. However, the Scottish highlands and islands have for centuries been the Gaelic heartland of Scotland. Gaels would not originally have referred to themselves as “highlanders” but might have used the Scottish Gaelic term “Gaidheal” or “braigheach”. Such a mountaineer would be living not in “the highlands” but in “a’ Ghaidhealtachd”. Generally accepted scholarship indicates that the modern Scottish split personality between “highland” and “lowland” – Gaelic and non-Gaelic – was not firmly in place until the 14^th century. From there it only deepened and widened.

You might be a Gael if you like Outlander. Author Diana Gabaldon is one of the first popular fiction authors to take Gaelic culture seriously – the other being author of the outstanding ”Bone Rattler” series, Eliot Pattison. Happily, Gabaldon’s pro-Gaelic approach has been taken up by the creators and crew of the StarzTV Outlander television series.

Not only is Scottish Gaelic correctly and appropriately spoken in the series but the actors and crew themselves have become outstanding ambassadors on behalf of the Scottish Gaelic culture. The three gods of Outlander Gaelic, Gillebride MacMillan, Adhamh O Broin and Gary Lewis are pictured above as part of Gary’s launch of a great online Gaelic learning site. Read about the real life Colum Mackenzie’s favorite online Scottish Gaelic language learning website LearnGaelic.scot.

You might be a Gael if you have never really got used to using the letters J, K, Q, V, X, Y and Z. That’s because the Scottish Gaelic alphabet does not use those letters. What does that sound like you ask? Try this: The website An Sgeulachd Ghoirid (the short story) is a wonderful site where you can hear Scottish short stories spoken by real people. It is a great site if you speak Gaelic but if you don’t it is absolutely fascinating. Check out the site and listen to a few stories to get an idea of what your ancestral language actually sounds like. And its nothing like English!

You might be a Gael if every time the massed regimental pipe bands begin to march at your local highland games you drop your scotch eggs and run for the hills. Don’t feel bad, it’s a Gaelic thing. That is exactly what your Gaelic ancestors might have felt like every time one of the Royal Independent Highland Companies darkened the door of a wee Gaelic cottage. More often than not the visit was not in a friendly spirit as these precursors to the famous Black Watch regiment were hired by the Crown to keep the peace and enforce the King’s law in the Gaelic highlands. 

Worse, although plenty of Gaels filled out the ranks of many brave and glorious Scottish regiments, Gaelic military service on behalf of the British crown was not always voluntary.

Indeed, it was a known practice for 18^th and 19^th century clan chiefs to require the military service of their clansfolk’s Gaelic sons in British foreign wars in order for clan families to be allowed to remain on clan land and continue to live and farm in the manner that their ancestors had done for hundreds of years. It was an ugly trade in sons for land. Introduction of Anglo-Norman feudal land tenure transformed clan lands into the exclusive property of the clan chief through royal grant. By adopting a feudal title, the chief became a landlord and ceased to be a clan leader. Of course the clan chief pocketed the enlistment bounties paid by the British government and thereby added another personal income stream that could help to subsidize an increasingly expensive “chiefly” lifestyle.

You might be a Gael if you get a strange, exhilarating, warm and fuzzy feeling when you glimpse viking longships on the horizon. Yes, there was tension, battle and blood between Gaels and Vikings. Beginning in the late 8^th century and continuing for six hundred years hence, the Gaelic western coast and northern islands were heavily influenced by Norsemen. But there was also trade, intermarriage, children and a blending of the Norse and the Gaelic cultures that is part of what made a Scottish Gael a unique and wonderful animal. Are you an e-book reader? If so, get a screamin’ good deal on George Henderson’s pre-1910 book The Norse Influence on Celtic Scotland. Download the Kindle edition now on Amazon for $1.59. True story. What do you have to lose?

You might be a Gael if you secretly think that the kind of kilt that guys wear today is just wrong. It is. Well, sort of. At least from the traditional Scottish Gaelic perspective. The original Gaelic form of the kilt was developed in the 16^th century and is called the “feileadh mhor” or great kilt. It is a single large wrap that is gathered around the body and fixed at the waist with a belt while the lower half of the garment is draped around the upper part of the legs to the knee.  The upper part of the great kilt can be worn as a cloak over the shoulder or even over the head in bad weather. The great kilt fit the work and lifestyle of the Gael very well for centuries. Watch Outlander’s Jamie Fraser show you how to put such a thing on. If you don’t know who Jamie Fraser is, watch the clip. Then watch the Starz production of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander. 

The garment that has become so ubiquitous at Scottish highland games and other celebrations is a highly stylized version of an 18^th century modification of the traditional Gaelic great kilt. It was likely developed to accommodate different sorts of work and industry and a different lifestyle that was being introduced to the highlands in the wake of the first Jacobite rising in 1715 in order to civilize Gaelic society and make it more productive for the larger United Kingdom.

By the time the small kilt or “feileadh beag” became popular among the Scottish diaspora in the late 19^th and 20^th centuries, it had undergone further modifications to suit kilted British military regiments. Fashion overtook function though, on the hips of romantic Victorian gentlemen who got a kick out of dressing up as a stylized version of the very same Gaels that had only recently been utterly defeated and subjugated and who would soon be physically removed from much of their Gaelic homeland altogether.

Not that there is anything wrong with your military style Victorian gentlemen’s “small kilt” – plenty a Gael wore something like it just prior to the 1746 ”Dress Act” prohibiting the wearing of any type of highland dress except in service of the Crown in Scottish military regiments. And plenty of Gaels wore the small kilt into battle as part of a kilted British regiment. But for those of Gaelic ancestry today, there is an option that is more respectful of Gaelic heritage and, frankly guys, looks a great deal better on the bod!  Next time you empty your sporran and trade a son to buy a new kilt – make it a great kilt and …

Get Your Gaelic On!

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Cabin crew sport tartan scarves in front of easyJet’s new tartan-clad plane

A distinctive orange and black tartan-clad aircraft has been unveiled to mark a new early morning flight from Inverness to London Gatwick. Budget airline EasyJet launched the tartan today entitled “Highland aircraft” on its Airbus A319 aircraft, alongside a kilt and scarf sported by cabin crew on its inaugural 6:40am service.

However the kilt is not set to become part of regular cabin crew uniforms, and will only be used for special occasions. The design is the first tartan to be officially registered by the Scottish Register of Tartans since records began six years ago.

Reaction to the tartan has been mixed, with some design experts calling the launch an appropriate way for the airline to mark its commitment to Scotland. Design expert Susanna Freedman, head of brand at design firm Emperor said: “Tartan is such an iconic textile, and employed with consideration – as part of an overall design scheme – can add real impact and authenticity.

“I hope we see a ‘less is more’ approach – or innovative execution in its use – that fits with easyJet’s brand positioning, rather than it appearing as a superficial ‘bolt on’ to current easyJet apparel.”

Richard Havers, a former British Caledonian general manager for Europe, admires easyJet’s idea but not its design. Tartan-clad cabin crew is most famously associated with now-defunct British Caledonian and its predecessor Caledonia Airways. Staff wore a range of tartans from the 1960s until its takeover by British Airways in 1988.

He said: “It’s quite a clever idea, but a bit of a dubious tartan. Making up a tartan is a cheap trick. Sir Adam Thomson [British Caledonian’s founder and chairman] would be turning in his grave.

“British Caledonian used about 30 tartans, but none were designed for the airline, that would have been against its ethos. It would have felt it was not the right thing to do.”

Mr Havers said both cabin crew and check-in staff had chosen which tartan to wear.

He added: “Most based their choice on their hair colour, with blondes picking green tartans and those with dark hair going for red ones.”

The former airline executive said tartan had been part of British Caledonian’s brand image, which was the “total antithesis” to easyJet’s. He said: “It was an era when flying was more glamorous – passengers wore jackets and ties.”

Mr Havers said it was a “pity” easyJet appeared to be using the tartan as a publicity stunt.

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Numer 1: The Bono Heckler:

Sadistic Bastard!

To be fair this is actually quite a funny joke. It very cleverly pokes fun at U2 Lead singer Bono’s ‘saintly’ image. The joke being that at a recent U2 gig in Glasgow the singer asks for total silence and then slowly begins to clap his hands, then he says: “every time i clap my hands a child in Africa dies”. From the audience a man with a broad Scottish accent cries “Well stop doing it then ya evil bastard.”

We normally see this one maybe pop up a few times a year, not a proper regular but worth a mention.

Number 2: Thats Nae a Sword Laddie!

Away and get a real sword!

This one almost always starts a fight so don’t expect to see it that often on any group we admin as it has to be taken down almost right away. The joke of course seems to be that the two gentlemen have agreed to meet for a duel and the Scotsman has turned up with a very impressive claymore! Unfortunately as soon as this goes up then a fight kicks off about Scottish V English. As if the Scots need the English as an excuse for a fight, they are perfectly capable of doing that themselves; as someone once said to me “Put two Scotsmen in an empty room and they will start a fight with each other, put one Scotsman in an empty room and he will stab himself in the arm and call it a draw.

Number 3: Passport Control.

The Border Check

This cartoon has been doing the rounds for a while now but with some of the recent daft assertions from the people campaigning for a no vote in the referendum that there will be border controls at Gretna and Berwick it has been given a bit of a new twist.

Of course it would be churlish to point out that the whole concept of clan & family tartans was pretty much made up by Sir Walter Scott and his cronies for George IV’s visit to Scotland in 1822 wouldn’t it?

The first of many ‘kilt related’ humorous posts, more on this subject to come later, we promise.

Number 4: Tossing the… err …. Telegraph Pole? 

Scots: Tossers of World Fame.

Considering how this image really pokes fun at the US military I’m surprised firstly by how many Americans actually post this and secondly by the fact that its never started a Scots-American feud.

We are definitely in the big league of Scottish photo humour here though, hardly a week goes by without this little gem popping up on Facebook, to be followed by streams of ‘LOLs’ from people who presumably have been held captive in a cellar for the last 10 years and so have missed the previous 12,000 times its been posted.

Number 5: Tartan Sheep.

Who are Ewe Looking at?

Somewhere out there there is a Scottish Farmer with way too much time on his hands and access to hallucinogenic drugs (makes you wonder what they put in the sheep dip these days). Debate rages as to whether this image really is sheep that have been painted with coloured marking dyes to recreate tartan or if the image has been altered.

Sadly though if these are really Scottish sheep then the fancy wool fleeces they are sporting won’t be appearing on a scarf, tie or kilt any time soon, most Scottish wool (apart from for harris tweed) goes to make carpets etc. The wool that your tartan garments are made from mostly comes from New Zealand.

Number 6: The Kilt Statement

I’m Sure They Do…

Well I did say we would be coming back to the subject of kilts again and here we are. There are as many variations of the ‘kilt statement’ as there are tartans, Other popular versions include ‘its called a kilt because thats what happened to the last person who called it a skirt’ and the almost endless procession of ‘whats under the kilt’ jokes.

Honestly I have never seen the point of this macho assertion. I cant think of anyone I’ve ever met who looked more effeminate in a kilt than the did in trousers, I mean its not as if all those gathered up pleats give men curvy hips and an hourglass figure is it?

Number 7: Calm Doon!

What a Carry On!

If you ever happen to be browsing the bookshops in Alnwick and get chatting to the owners of a shop called Barter Books you are speaking to the people responsible for this global phenomena. Not that they have become overnight millionaires though so I suspect that no matter how annoyed you might be by the prolific variations on the theme that has given rise to ‘keep calm and drink tea’ keep calm and use the force’ keep calm and …. your hobby here’, they are probably quietly seething with rage.

This classic British wartime poster (‘Keep Calm and Carry on’ if you don’t already know) was mostly pulped in 1945 but the owner of this small bookshop found a pristine version at an auction, bought it and hung it in the shop, the rest is history.

Of course there have been a million versions of this relating to Scotland in some way but I feel the most appropriate nods to the Scottish psyche of thinly disguised rage. Anyone who ever tried to get served in a Glasgow pub on a saturday night with only two staff on will have witnessed this first hand.

Number  8: If its No Scottish…

Craaaaaaap Indeed

This Slogan came from Mike Myers’ wonderful shop owner character that appeared in a regular sketch on Saturday Night Live, this was the Slogan of his ‘All Thing’s Scottish’ import store. Myers love of the Scottish accent is clear as it has been revisited many times; as a character in his Movie “So I Married an Axe Murderer, as the gargantuan Scottish assassin  ’Fat Bastard’ in the Austin Powers movies and of course the voice of Shrek.

Myers’s comedic observations of Scottish culture are at times disturbingly accurate. He is Canadian by birth with English born parents with Scottish ancestry.

Number 9: Shir Shawn the Shchotshman

Big Tam – the Fastest Milkman in Gorgie.

OK that was probably the worst attempt to type his accent ever but you get the idea. Sean Connery, the quintessential James Bond grew up in the Fountainbridge area of Edinburgh. In his early days before acting he was a life model at Edinburgh Art School and worked as a milkman. Pretty much every elderly resident of Gorgie claims that Sir Sean delivered their two bottles of Gold Top every day which means he had a milk round that Santa would have struggled to fill in for.

Many years ago we were contacted by Madam Tussauds who were planning a waxwork of the man himself in his New York Tartan kilt outfit. Tussauds are big on accuracy so every detail had to be exact down to the last button. We ended up having to have a jacket hand made for him as his jacket sleeves were an unheard of XXL length! the man quite literally has arms like a gorilla!

Number 10: The Scottish Bar Stool

All is Safely Gathered In

I have no idea where this one sprung up from and I would not be sad to see it go back there to be honest. Hardly a week goes by without someone discovering this for the first time. Somewhere out there this bar stool probably exists, a man, a chisel some sandpaper and a bit of boasting have conspired to somehow reduce Scottish Culture to 4 dents in a chair.

I guess the big flaw in the bar stool would be that you might be a little reluctant to use it after someone else had warmed it up first – I mean that cleft ridge look affy high to me!

Number 11: Penguin Piper

“Do you know its a long the way to the South Pole?” “You hum it laddie and i’ll play it”

There is a fascinating history behind this image which hardly ever gets a mention on its numerous shares. The image is of Gilbert Kerr he was a member of the Antarctic expedition on board the ‘Scotia’ in 1902-04. Kerr was the official piper on the expedition (how typical of the time that a ‘piper’ was somehow essential to the voyage).  The image appears to show an emperor penguin captivated by the sound of the pipes. The truth is somewhat less romantic as the poor thing was actually tethered to a large cooking pot which was filled with snow and buried underneath. The pipes in this image have an interesting story too. After the expedition they were given to the Edinburgh Battalion of the Royal Scots in 1914 and were played by Piper Anderson in the Battle of the Somme, sadly both piper Anderson and these famous pipes were lost in that terrible battle.

 Number 12: Phwoooarrrrrr!

One for the Ladies?

Moving from the bizarre to the quite frankly ridiculous… Whenever the discussion gets round to man in kilts the reality is all too soon replaced by the fantasy (for some). This is one of the more popular images in this never-ending theme. The fact that he appears to be wearing a printed tablecloth rather than a kilt makes no difference. Neither does it seem to bother the hormonal women who swoon over this that its a very clearly homo-erotic image. In other words i’m not entirely sure this really is ‘one for the ladies’.

I can never decide with this one whether he has just found something incredibly funny or a ferret has just run up his tablecloth and discovered a warm burrow.

Number 13: Sorry for the Shite.

What About the Lake District?

This post comes in many different guises, sometimes a road sign or in this case a stone marker. I recall an afternoon many moons ago in an Edinburgh pub watching Scotland V Wales in the Rugby. I found myself chatting to, or rather being chatted at by a very large welshmen resplendent in a rugby shirt made from a bell tent. “I love Scotland I do” he said, “The only thing wrong is you have to drive through bloody England to get here boyo”. I commiserated on his plight and I suggested he maybe thought about flying next time but I got the impression that he considered power flight as a relatively new and unproven concept.

Of course theres a lot of issues you can take with this statement; the Lake District for one, I mean surely all those daffodils would make a welsh hear flutter (not to mention the sheep)? Then of course there is the sudden change in the standard of the roads, as you leave Northumbria and Cumbria to discover pot holes you could shelter a decent size family in and still have a spare room.

Number 14: The Braveheart Kid

Fweeeeeedom!

Who knows where this image appeared from but its been doing the rounds regularly for the last year. Its a very odd image for a number of reasons; the Tartan is very strange one and not easily identified – a little bit like Erskine dress green or maybe Galloway but not quite. The sword looks like straight out of the Kurgan’s armoury in the Highlander movie or maybe an early Klingon hand weapon. I wouldn’t mess with this kid either way though as he seems to be able to hold this heavy sword with only a thumb and two fingers.

Grudgingly I have to concede it is a very cute image (well maybe the first thousand times it was)

Number 15: The Blue Clyde, err I Mean Tay, Err I mean…

Ahh the Bonny Purple Banks!

<pet hate alert> This is not so much just this image but more a general swipe at the ‘Fantasy Scotland’ images. Here’s the thing, Scotland actually IS an amazing country with some stunning landscapes, our ever changing weather makes it a photographer’s paradise as the light can change from moment to moment, the sun bursting out from behind leaden clouds to illuminate a dazzling patch of heather or the multi coloured patterns of Perthshire in autumn.

Sadly for some photographers thats WAY too much effort when you have photoshop and some colour filters to use.  A cut and paste sky, a cut and paste moon, a cut and paste highland cow. lets throw it all in like some sort of photographic paella dish.

And then of course there are the photos of Scotland that,, well,, aren’t! Believe it or not there are other landscapes out there, Canada, New Zealand, The Himalayas, The Little Chef at Chippenham. So just because a scene has a mountain, some water and some vegetation its not necessarily Scotland!

Number 16: The Scottish Proverb

Words of Wisdom…

A wise man once said… something interesting so we though we would turn in into a graphic. The rise of motivational graphics is probably index linked to the number of people starting careers as life coaches. What else will you use to decorate the walls of you new office with after all?

Personally I’m a big fan of the de-motovational message such as ‘if at first you don’t succeed redefine the nature of success’ and my dad and teacher’s favourite ‘you won’t amount to much’. or if you are pushed for time ‘just give up its all pointless’.

Thank god I never saw a career in HR.

Number 17: The Saucy Postcard.

Ooo Err Missus…. Nuts!

The seaside postcard brings back many warm memories. Those holiday trips ‘doon the watter’ to Rothsay or Dunoon. building sand castles in sand with a slight tint from the nearby sewage outlet, sticks of rock made from a substance that could pierce the armour or a guest house ladies pinnie at 300 yds. And of course watching your elderly relatives snigger like school girls at the postcards on the prom that make heavy work from the double meaning of the phrase ‘ginger nuts’.

The saucy seaside postcard is one of those odd ‘British’ traditions that somehow still works north of Gretna, thanks to the never-ending innuendos that a scrawny man in a kilt can inspire.

Number 18: Great Balls of Fire!

Devils in Skirts

In The fantastic comedy film ‘Carry on Up the Khyber’ the Actor Charles Hawtrey plays Private Widdle of the Highland Regiment the 3rd Foot and Mouth. Poor Widdle is chastised for wearing long johns under his regimental kilt uniform (kilt spotters and movie nerds might like to know that the kilt uniforms used were actually from the wardrobe of the 1960 film ‘Tunes of Glory’ )

Going back to the days when wearing the kilt and tartan were prohibited by the Proscription Act the only people who could still wear a kilt were soldiers from highland regiments in the British Army. It was said that an officer from one English regiment complained that the Scots billeted south of the border were having an unfair advantage over his men when it came to success with the local ladies!

The last time the kilt was worn as standard in battle was during the first world war. There is evidence to suggest that in the awful conditions of the trenches in places like the Somme and Passchendale wearing the kilt had advantages. There were far fewer instances of trench foot among kilted regiments and this was put down to the highlanders only wearing ‘hose tops’ as opposed to multi layering socks and so avoiding circulation problems. Also Mustard gas had a terrible caustic effect on delicate parts of the skin. This was less of an issue with a highlander who’s delicate parts had been pretty toughened up!

Number 19: The Scottish Toilet

Shunkie Dilemma!

Here is a true story: On the way home from  school one afternoon my mate Jeff convinced one of our slower classmates that the sign on the public toilet in town said ‘Laddies” rather than “Ladies” and that it was a toilet especially for younger boys. He fell for this hook line and sinker and proceeded in. After a few moments of silence the poor lad came tearing out pursued by a large red faced woman, her tights still midway round her knees whirling a handbag like a medieval mace. I honestly thought I would choke from laughing.

As this blog has progressed you have seen a pattern running through that can be classified as kilt humour and we promise this is the last on the list. Incredibly this seemingly innocent post caused a complete uproar and led one woman to storm out of the group considering this to be the most offensive thing she had even seen.

I wonder if she ever used the public lavvy in Armadale?

Number 20: Let the Wind Blow High….

Trampoline!

The practice of naming hurricanes started in the Carribean when the locals named them after the saint of the day. In the late 1970′s this practice was picked up by US meteorologists giving each one a person’s name. This practice has now been standardised to be alphabetical lists so for example the first Atlantic storm of this year if its not already happened will be Hurricane Arthur.

In December 2011 a bad storm hit the coast of Scotland. The worst in 10 years, wind speeds of 165mph were recorded. The effects of the storm were shared over social media sites such as Twitter and some sharp witted individual had the idea to name it “Hurricane Bawbag” The name stuck so much that it was used by foreign news channels completely unaware that  it was a Scots slang for both the scrotum and a person of low worth.

This image appeared not long after and suggests that it was a genuine message put up on the information boards on either the Forth or Erskine bridge by a disgruntled employee on his last day.

-0-

So thats our 20,,, errr ‘favourite’ social media shared images. I guess for those who have just parachuted in from darkest Borneo these might still be the funniest things you have ever seen, for those who have been on social media a year or so might find them less so and for the poor unfortunate souls who moderate Scots social media sites they are about as funny as being stuck in a lift with Jimmy Hill.

Rodger Moffet – ScotClans

copyright ScotClans 2014

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The Pyramid of Khafre, Giza Necropolis, Cairo

It seems wherever you travel around the globe, you can’t miss signs of Scottish influence. From bagpipes being played in far off antipodean lands to Ceilidhs taking place in South America, the Scots have sure spread themselves far and wide. I recently traveled through Egypt, eyes peeled for any evidence of these great wanderers.

Today Egypt is sadly far down the list of travel destinations for holiday makers. The most recent revolution earlier this year (or coup, depending on who you’re speaking with), follows three years of life-changing political change that has turned the majority of travelers off the region, as the country remains stuck in a kind of political purgatory. I was a little nervous about visiting Egypt, but after conducting a large amount of research online, we discovered the situation on the ground was a lot calmer than what is shown on the evening news.

Revolution Graffiti, Luxor

The signs of revolution in Egypt are evident – curfews are still in place, political graffiti adorns city walls, and tanks and soldiers patrol the streets (mainly to keep the few visitors that are still visiting safe). But I have never been more blissfully overwhelmed in my life than when I first set eyes on the grandeur that is the Great Pyramids of Giza. I’ll also never forget my afternoon spent floating on a Felucca down the incredibly tranquil and soothing Nile. And just as in Scotland, every corner you turn you’ll find another historical gem sitting as it has for thousands of years, patiently awaiting you – from Mosques, Coptic Churches and the odd Synagogue, to the thousands of temples and monuments from ancient times.

So what are the ties between Egypt and Scotland? Well, it turns out they both wear.. kilts! Look at any statue of the great Pharaohs that adorn temples, and you’ll notice these titans of ancient times are wearing what my fantastic guide Mustafa refereed to as the ‘Royal Kilt’. My ears pricked up when he said this – as I had been searching far and wide for some way to tie the two countries together. Known also as the Shendyt, this kilt (generally made of linen) was the basic form of dress for Egyptian men of all social classes for thousands of years. And just like Scottish kilts, the Egyptian version is also pleated in the back.

Ramses II wearing the Royal Kilt, Ancient City of Memphis

The Shendyt is probably an adaptation of early hunting skirts which allowed freedom of movement for the wearer. Members of the military wore a version of the Shendyt, as they too would need freedom of movement for battle. A man’s status was also confirmed by how elaborate his kilt was, and how fine the linen used to make it. The kilts of the rich nobles and Pharaohs were often very intricately pleated, and must have been difficult to care for. By the Middle Kingdom, mens kilts had become longer and more complex and ornamental pendants were often attached to elaborate belts.

Upon further research I also discovered that another quintessential Scottish item can possibly trace its ancestry to the ancient Egyptians. The bagpipes roots lie in ancient Egypt and Babylonia, where early double-piped instruments probably sounded the melody and the bag as air supply played the accompaniment. Some sources say the pipes made their way to Scotland via Rome – Emperor Nero (37-68 A.C.) was apparently a keen player. During the Roman expansion into Europe and Britain, the bagpipes were used by soldiers during religious observances, and could have been appropriated then by the locals. Other sources say the bagpipes reached Scotland with immigrants from the Mediterranean by the way of the west coast between 2000 and 3000 B.C., or via Ireland with its close ties to Spain. Or of course it could be that the Highlanders invented their pipes completely independently in pre-Roman times.

If you’ve been thinking of going, Egypt needs you now more than ever as so much of the country relies on tourism. It broke my heart that the major sightseeing destinations had been reduced to ghost-towns. When I visited the Valley of the Kings with my dad, we were the only people there, and felt as if we were modern day explorers discovering the tombs for the first time.

I feel incredibly fortunate that I was able to spend time in Egypt, especially during such a pivotal moment in the country’s immense history. The Egyptians are a wonderfully friendly bunch who will go to all lengths to make you feel welcome in their country. If you’re considering making the trip – go! It’s definitely not your average holiday, but completely worth it for the sights, the people, the food, and even the heat.

I was looked after in Cairo and Luxor by the incredibly wonderful Memphis Tours – Cheers guys!

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The manufacturers of highlandwear have realised that there is a demand for a look that ‘breaks the mould’. A few years ago the ‘black on black’ style of tartan became the vogue, closely followed by tweed kilts and even more outlandish colours (a look that has been given a shot in the arm by the rise in civil ceremonies or same sex marriages in the UK). Celtic designs that look more at home on a tattoo than on a sporran are becoming popular and with the demise of traditional sealskin alternative furs have led to an explosion of colours.

All of this looks very exciting and every time a new design comes out we are always keen to let our customers know about it. But what is funny is how our customers outside the UK react to them and in particular those in the USA and Canada. What we have come to realise is that while we are desperately trying to break traditions our friends over the ‘pond’ are just as desperate the recreate them. Tastes can sometimes seem to be stuck in some sort of Jacobite time warp, as if fashion stopped moving forward some time just after 1745 (about quarter to six in the evening). Where traditions don’t exist they are invented; the rise of ‘kirking of the tartan’ and hand fastening ceremonies are testament to this. And so there it is. It seems pretty clear cut, over here in Scotland we are doing all manner of whacky and unusual takes on the kilt and over in America the look is as traditional as tartan apple pie, right?

Err Wrong!

As if to through a big kilted spanner in the works along comes ‘dressed to kilt’

One of the signature events of New York’s Tartan Week this fashion show attracts some of the top celebrities from both sides of the Atlantic and also encourages some of the best fashion designers in the world to showcase just how far you can ‘push the envelope’. In recent years we have seen (or rather not seen) the see through kilt and a whole spectrum of other variations on a tartan theme that show just how limitless the imagination of top designers can be. And what is great is that many of these designers are from America and Canada, designers, for example like Veronica MacIssac who’s tartan dresses are breathtaking.

On the whole though the grass roots expat Scot wants to get that look exactly off the box lid. The look that demands that the sporran is EXACTLY 5 inches from the top of the kilt and the Belt is NEVER worn with the Prince Charlie jacket and that the shoes are tied in the proper way and so on and so on. There is no shame in this at all, get it right and its a stunning look. make a few subtle changes and it’s a show stopper look, just be sure you are stopping the show for all the right reasons though!

So come on lets celebrate our common differences! Lets take our hats off to our American, Canadian and Australian cousins for their faithful representation of Scottish tradition and lets encourage those who want to break the mould and innovate, after all if it hadn’t been for a little innovation the kilt we all wear today would not exist!

Just click on the following images to see larger versions.  At www.scotclans.com we are in the process of putting these all on our site.  If you are interested in any please just contact sales@scotclans.com or phone  (UK) 0131 208 1746  (USA) (707) 832 4082  or (WORLDWIDE) +44 131 208 1746 for prices

The post Traditional Versus Modern! appeared first on ScotClans | Scottish Clans.

All over Scotland and Ireland in ancient times people relied on a simple shirt over which they would wear a blanket for outdoor activities in cold weather. The shirt was a ‘Léine’ in Gaelic, or ‘Sark’ in Lallans. The blanket (or ‘Brat’) could be used also as a cover against the elements if sleeping outdoors, or while taking shelter from a storm. The weather-keeping qualities of wool are still known in modern Scottish knitwear.

The Leine worn by warriors is shown to be shorter than the ankle length tunic worn normally. A belt was used to make the tunic shorter giving the soldier the ability to move quickly and easily.

One of the first references to a ‘Great Kilt’ worn as a military garment was in 1594.

in ‘The Life of Red Hugh O’Donnell’ in a description of a corps of Hebrideans who had come to The O’Donnell’s assistance:

“They were recognised among the Irish soldiers by the distinction of their arms and clothing, their habits and language, for their exterior dress was mottled cloaks of many colours with a fringe to their shins and calves, their belts were over their loins outside their cloaks.”

In the 1700′s there were two distinct societies in Scotland regarding what their soldiers wore. The Lowlanders wore uniform of English line infantry, while the Highlanders wore kilts. The only exceptions were: 71st, 72nd, 73rd, 74th, and 75th regiments, they didn’t were kilts. The 42nd is the oldest and the most famous of units of Scotland. The regimental motto is ‘Nemo me inpune lacessit’ (No one attacks me with impunity). The first companies of the Black Watch were raised as a militia in 1725 . The regiment’s name, Black watch, comes from the very dark tartan (a cloth having a crisscross design, tartan that they wear). ‘Black Watch’ was originally just a nickname for the 42nd (Royal Highland) but was used more and more so that in 1881 when the 42nd amalgamated with the 73rd the new regiment was named ‘The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). During the First World War the kilted Highlanders were known as ‘The Ladies from Hell’.

The Kilt as we see today worn as the wrap around pleated garment was known as the ‘Small kilt’ or ‘Philabeg’. This evolved from the ‘Great Kilt’ , the need for a lighter version of the kilt was required, the Great Kilt was no longer practical, especially as a military uniform.

Scottish soldiers charging in their kilts during the First World War

The question of how the great kilt evolved into the or small kilt is a matter of some controversy (there are some that say it was even invented by an English man!) The other school of thought is that the small kilt had already been invented, there is evidence that highlanders attached to the Scottish Army had separated the kilt and the plaid worn over the shoulder wearing them as two separate articles making them easier to wear.

The “little” kilt was adopted for use by the military as soon as the expense and cumbersomeness of the “great” kilt was seen (i.e. by 1800). When the army dispensed with the great kilt and opted for the small kilt box-pleating was introduced to economise on the amount of material being used. When the pattern was matched, the style was to centre the same line on every pleat (“pleating to the line”).

Glengarry caps are a military invention of about the 1820′s, not adopted for regulation use until the 1850′s. Sgian Dubhs (or some such knife) were normally carried under the jacket until officers of the Black Watch started sticking them in their kilt hose in the 1840′s, then it caught on with everyone else.

The reputation of the Highland regiments, especially during the Napoleonic Wars, lent a new prestige and glamour to the wearing of tartan. These battalions had been specifically exempted from the ban on Highland dress in the Disarming Act Of 1746 and thereafter the kilt came to be forever associated with the heroic deeds of the Scottish soldier. By the end of 1803, more than 52,000 Scots were serving in local and militia forces, in addition to the greater numbers enlisted in the regular army. The military tradition had long been an important part of the Scottish identity; now that was being decked out in Highland colours and the kilted battalions of MacKenzies under the Earl of Seaforth, Camerons under their Chieftains, Locheil and Erracht, were depicted as the direct descendants of the clans. Crucially, however, they now represented the martial spirit of the Scottish nation as a whole rather than a formerly despised part of it. And they fought for a Britain dominated by English needs as they forged an Empire worldwide.

The Scottish infantry during the Great War were, arguably, the most distinctive of the British Expeditionary Force.

Scottish regimental uniform details can also be split into ‘highland’ and ‘lowland’ styles. The highland regiments were, perhaps, the most distinctive and instantly recognisable as they wore the kilt, for the most part, on active service. This was frequently worn with a protective khaki kilt apron, which had a pocket on the front to replace the sporran. Sometimes, as an alternative, the gas helmet haversack was worn at the front of the kilt instead. Despite its greatest drawback (namely extreme vulnerability to gas attacks), some suggest that in the damp conditions of trench warfare, the kilt became a useful piece of clothing. It saw widespread use and, although highland service dress was modified due to the practicalities of war, by and large, the kilt was worn in all weathers and campaigns. For example, the London Scottish served in their grey hodder kilts in Salonika, whilst the 1st Seaforths fought in theirs throughout Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq).

Some lowland Territorial units adopted the kilt too, notably the 6th (City of Glasgow), the 9th (Glasgow Highland) H.L.I. and the ‘Dandy 9th’ or 9th (Highlanders) Royal Scots, who were raised in Edinburgh from highlanders who lived there. They wore Hunting Stewart kilts and were famed for their bravery at High Wood at Beaumont-Hamel during the Somme in 1916. However, the majority of lowland units wore standard British issue khaki uniform with the adoption of Scottish regimental headgear. Types of headgear were dependent on the regiment in question and changed between the Glengarry and Balmoral, or Tam O’Shanter, bonnet. In late 1915, the Glengarry was officially replaced by the less conspicuous khaki ‘Balmoral’, although it was still being worn long after this date. There seems to have also been an understandable practice in the trenches among troops to wear whatever type was available. During the winter of 1914-15, the 2nd Scots Fusiliers, at La Boutillerie, are shown wearing an assortment of both types. There is also much photographic evidence to suggest the wearing of woolly ‘cap-comforter’/balaclava types amongst both highland and lowland troops in the early winters of the war.

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Construction men in high visibility kilts

Now here’s a kilt that stands out – even at night!

A Sweedish company Luckily Blaklader has offered up another choice option for those working construction jobs at night.

High Visability Kilt

So maybe don’t look up if there are contruction workers overhead – you might get quite a suprise!

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A fox sporran by Kate Macpherson

A Beauly taxidermist is facing criticism from animal rights campaigners for creating sporrans from local road kill.

Kate Macpherson, a trained taxidermist for over 20 years, collects badgers, foxes, deers, and stoats from country roads near where she lives, and has licences to handle protected animals.

However, this hasn’t stopped a number of complaints from animal welfare groups.

The head of the Scottish Animal Rights Alliance, Lynda Korimboccus, claims that what Ms. Macpherson is doing is wrong, saying “using a dead animal for clothing perpetuates the idea that’s what animals are for. That will lead to the deaths of other animals which will be killed to satisfy the market for fur.”

In response to Kate Macpherson’s claim on her website, that the “sporrans are ethically sourced”, Lynda Korimboccus rejected this, stating, “to say these animals are ethically sourced is wrong – dead and ethical are not words that go together.”

Yet the sporran maker defends her work, saying, “If I didn’t pick up these animals they would be rotting in a ditch. I’m creating something useful from them rather than allowing their beauty to be wasted.

“But they’re not for everybody I admit. People seem to either love them or hate them.”

Duncan Chisholm, chairman of the Kilt Makers Association of Scotland, has also defended Kate Macpherson’s work, claiming that she is reviving a traditional form.

“Sporrans used to be made from a variety of small animals – pine martens, otters or wild cats – though a lot of them are protected nowadays,” he said.

“The key thing is that it has to be practical in both size and wearability, as it’s got to be worn on a frequent basis.”

Mr. Chisholm also suggests that it is better to use real skins, rather than ones made from synthetic animal hides which in his opinion do not look as good when accompanied by the natural fibres used to make the kilt.

Each sporran Kate Macpherson creates is unique, and takes around two weeks to complete. She produces 100 sporrans a year.

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