MR. H.F. MCCLINTOCK! PLEASE DON’T BURST MY BUBBLE!
What is a Highland Game? I am often asked this question. I quickly say: “You know, men in kilts throwing heavy objects.” That usually answers the question. EVERYBODY knows what a kilt is.
I’ve seen the movie, Braveheart. I know about the TV series, Outlander. So I have that same vision in my mind of men in kilts. My husband owns 3 kilts that were made specifically for him. Both my children, as well as my son-in-law (a McCoy), own kilts.
I thought I would do a short blog about the great kilt. I started with Wiki, but I usually like to head to the references to make sure some 6-year-old is not making additions to the wiki. In the discussion about the great kilt, I was taken to the Scottish Tartan Museum. http://scottishtartansmuseum.org But the article about the History of the Kilt was not as much fun as I thought it would be. So of course, I need to share!
Pictured Above: The MacFarlanes Company (note the variety in kilts)
http://www.macfarlanescompany.org/Where/NTS/Pages/3.html
First, it appears that the Irish claim the kilt as their own. They also claim whisky, tartan and anything else you would imagine to be of Scottish origin. Well, I’m ok with that. I have some Irish Bailey's in my family tree.
But you quickly start to learn that the origin of the kilt is not really blended into the “made for TV” version of the history of everything Scottish. That’s a bit of a blow, isn’t it? Per Matthew Newsome, in his 2003 article:
(https://www.scottishtartansmuseum.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=170857&module_id=284053). The kilt is not really a medieval garment.
First: The issue of the Irish.
Nope. What is referenced to be the introduction of the kilt in Ireland, is interpreted to be the leine (that white/off-white underdress). Short or long, it is not a kilt. (So sayeth the author.)
Second: The issue of Pre-Medieval Kilt in Scotland
Nope. Prior to the 16th century, what might have been deemed a kilt, was actually, again, the leine, or tunic.
BUT… starting in the 16th century you hear mention of the feilidh-mòr or great wrap, and the abreacan-feile or tartan wrap/belted plaid. A plaid is defined by the author as a “heavy woolen fabric worn over the body like a mantle or a shawl.” And no… "plaid" is an Americanized word synonymous with tartan. The belted plaid is a very long plaid gathered and belted at the waist. The modern reenactors call it the “Great kilt.” Well, that’s what I’ve always called it too.
Not until 1578 is there a true reference to the belted plaid from Bishop Lesley, of Rome. “Their clothing was made for use (being chiefly suited for war) and not for ornament. All, both nobles and common people, wore mantles of one sort (except that the nobles preferred those of several colours). These were long and flowing, but capable of being neatly gathered up at pleasure into folds.”
George Buchanan writes in 1581: “Their ancestors wore plaids of many colours, and numbers still retain this custom but the majority now in their dress prefer a dark brown, imitating nearly the leaves of the heather, that when lying upon the heath in the day, they may not be discovered by the appearance of their clothes; in these wrapped rather than covered, they brave the severest storms in the open air, and sometimes lay themselves down to sleep even in the midst of snow.”
But, the author tells us that the first real definitive description comes out of Ireland. (Here we go again…). Fortunately, Life of Red Hugh O’Donnell written by Lughaidh O’Clery, discusses a group of hired mercenaries from Scottish Hebrides who were employed by O’Donnell in 1594. Aha! So it IS Scottish!
The issue of “The Whole Nine Yards.”
I’ve heard that saying too. “The whole nine yards.” I had a merchant at one of the Games we attend tell me that this is in reference to the kilt. When my son-in-law was measured for a kilt, the merchant said that because his is such a big guy, (Dude played football and can lift an entire couch by himself) he would take the whole nine yards. And then he launched into his historical rendition of the saying. Actually, this is what those of us in the historical/archival business call “Shanghai History.” For it is a fact that has now been morphed into something it really isn’t. The fact has been shanghaied for the purpose of a wonderful story. You know… “It took the whole 9 yards.”
So, how many yards? Length at 4 or 5 yards. Plaids had to be about 9 yards, but often 10 to 16 yards in length. The width of the cloth was only 25” wide. That would require more length to the cloth to meet the goal. And the author tells us that often two strips of 25” cloth (the actual width – much smaller in width than today’s cloth) would be sewn together in order to cover the subject. 9 yards of fabric would actually make 4 or 5 yards in total.
The issue of How to wear the kilt
Well, as I usually say, we don’t care what you wear, just show up! It appears there are no real records to prove how the kilt was worn. There are pictures, but usually the young man grew up learning how to wear the kilt, just like his father learned, and his grandfather did. Like tying your shoes. There are actually a couple of different ways to tie your shoes, but how do YOU tie your shoes?
But if You Really Need an Instruction Here you Go (Straight from the Author)
“Begin by laying your material out on the ground. To start, you may find it easier to lay it all out neatly, but once you get used to doing this, you will not need as much room-you will only need to spread out the section you are currently pleating. Gather the center part of the plaid into folds or pleats. This does not need to be neat, precise pleating as in a modern tailored kilt. Think of it more as being roughly gathered and you will have more authentic looking kilt. The end goal is to reduce the 4 or 5 yards of material to a length about 1.5 times your waist measurement. You should aim to have a section of gathers or folds approximately the length of half your waist size in the center, with unfolded sections of equal length on either end. Since these folds are not sewn in, they can always be readjusted later. Precision is not something needed when folding your plaid."
"Lie down on your plaid. I will frequently have people tell me at this point that it just seems silly to suggest that the Highlanders would have lain down to get dressed. But keep in mind that these plaids were also used as sleeping blankets and the wearer would have more than likely been laying in his plaid already. You will need to lay down on your plaid, body parallel to the pleats, so that the lower edge hangs about your knees. Whether it is above, below, or on your knees is personal choice. There does not appear to have been a standard length as this woodcut of Scottish soldiers from 1641 clearly shows.”
“Wrap the two unpleated ends around you. It is suggested that you overlap them left over right. There is no historical basis for this but it is the way modern kilts have always overlapped. You will need to take a sturdy leather belt and run it around your waist at this point and fasten it well. If you have anything hanging from your belt such as a dirk (knife) or sporran (pouch), make sure it is on your belt before you do this. Every description I have read of how to put on the belted plaid starts off with having the wearer lay out his belt first upon the ground and then pleating his material out on top of the belt. I do not know why people suggest this. It is more difficult this way and is pure foolishness.Once you have the belt fastened, stand up. You are now wearing the belted plaid. You will notice a large amount of material overlapping your belt and hanging down around your legs. This material can be arranged around your upper body in any number of ways, depending on the climate and activity level of the wearer. The illustration above shows some good examples. It is suggested that the front two corners be pulled around behind your back and tucked in to the belt at the base of the spine. This will create pockets and allow easy access to your sporran. The remainder behind you can be pulled up over your head or shoulders in the cold or rain, or left trailing behind in heat. It can be pulled up and tucked into your belt, forming a large bag for carrying. Most often part of it is drawn from the back onto the left shoulder and part drawn up under the left arm across the front and pinned together. This will create a large bag under the left arm, and is quite striking in appearance. The functions of this garment are many and varied! But remember when wearing it that the primary concerns are that you are comfortable and covered. Other than that, feel free to experiment with different ways of arranging it and find one that works well with you.”
Or... You can watch this YouTube video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rd1EcKmbYs
So, no; my bubble is not burst. But at least now I know that the kilt is not as old as I thought it was. As for the actual tartan…. The earliest tartan, the Falkirk Tartan, is estimated to be from 325 AD.
Can I Buy a Home in Scotland?
Yup!
But buying a home in Scotland is NOT like buying one in the U.S. I’ll have to do some research on other countries too, but because I sold real estate in a former life and do have a fairly good understanding of property law here, I think it fair to just speak to purchasing in Scotland.
Several years ago, Randy and Cheryl Mcfarland and Steve and I stayed in Bridge of Allan in a lovely B&B. The owners told us all about their adventure in purchasing their stately home. It did not sound anything like a real estate deal in the U.S.
In the U.S., usually, a seller posts their home for sale with a price listed. The seller can sell the home themselves or go through a realtor. In either case, the seller considers “offers” from buyers. As soon as the seller finds an offer that is acceptable (even after some good old-fashioned negotiating), the buyer formally accepts the offer, and that deal is binding unless something happens preventing THAT deal from completion. Watch the movie “My Cousin Vinnie” if you would like to hear a very down-to-earth explanation of “offer and acceptance.” There might be contingencies such as passing a home inspection, but even if something fails during the inspections, the parties do what they can to get the deal to work and get to closing so that everyone is satisfied. That is a rather simplistic description of purchasing property in the U.S., but it will work for the moment.
However, we learned that in Scotland, that is not the case. Found a great article that goes through all the steps. Wait until you get to step 8: At any time, either party can pull out of the deal. https://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/buying-a-house-in-scotland-67964
And…. There is a Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (aka Scottish Stamp Duty).
That aside, I did find a website, similar to Zillow, Realtor.com, or Trulia, for properties in Scotland, if you want to take a look. https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property/Scotland.html
By the way, I found many of the properties listed would state “offers over.” At first, I thought this would mean that offers were no longer being accepted. It actually means the seller or realtor are hoping to receive offers over the listed price. Don’t you just love language?
Other websites to consider:
https://www.remax-scotland.net/properties-for-sale
https://www.onthemarket.com/property/scotland/
https://search.savills.com/list/property-for-sale/scotland
https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/property/scotland/
https://www.realtor.com/international/gb/scotland/
Love this website because it lists properties in both U.S. dollars and Pounds.
https://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/scotlandproperty
So dream on and have fun looking. I actually found a pub with a 2 bedroom upstairs apartment available in my price range. Wondering how I would feel about running a Pub. Now THAT’s an interesting idea! Cheers!
Scotland and the Space Race
Dad worked for NASA in the 60’s. He moved us from Waldwick, New Jersey to Merritt Island, Florida when he took a position, with countless other engineers, at the Kennedy Space Center.
Some of my best memories from my childhood are from the years we lived in Florida. We lived in what I considered a mansion, but in reality, was a 4-bedroom ranch home that backed up to the Indian River citrus orchard, and was close enough to the Banana River, I could picnic on a dock and reel in blow fish any time I wanted to. I try to push back the memories of the nasty mosquitos, palmetto bugs, hurricanes and snakes. I remember long bike rides down island and exploring new construction homes and pick-up games of baseball with other kids in the neighborhood. Those were great memories from an important time in our lives.
So many of the kids in my then 5thand 6thgrade classes had parents who also worked for NASA. Our teachers made a point of ensuring we were outside on the playground whenever there was a rocket launch. The playground would fill with children looking towards the sky waiting to see the tell-tale sign of the trail of smoke from each launch. We vied to be the first to spot the rocket. As the earth rumbled, we all knew our parents were part of something really important. We had no idea just how important.
50 years later, I have a much better sense of just how important the space race was and continues to be. As Steve and I cleared out the last few boxes from the garage that once held all my Dad’s “stuff” we found one box that had been squished among other prized possessions (blow-up rafts, duct tape, various nuts and bolts, and golf shoes). I glanced through the box and decided it alone would be the one box I would take to our new home on wheels to see what was inside. I’m glad I did. Inside was a small posted envelope from the 16thof July 1969 (50 years ago) with the Apollo 11 emblem, postmarked from Kennedy Space Center, to my Dad. We had moved back to New Jersey in 1968, and a fellow engineer had posted it the day Apollo 11 launched. A small note inside told my Dad “… hang onto this it might be worth something someday.” I gave the envelope to my younger child, who in turn just donated it to the NASA International Space Museum in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The museum was very pleased to receive it. Due to the timely receipt of their new acquisition, it will be on display with other Apollo 11 items this weekend to commemorate the launch 50 years ago. I’m so glad my Dad kept it.
No doubt some of us are old enough to relive the moment we watched American astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin step onto the moon. Do you remember where you were when you watched that moment? I do. Music Camp, University of Kansas (French horn).
But what does all this walk down memory lane have to do with Scotland? Well… it turns out that Scotland has recently taken a very active part in the Space race. A quick search for Scotland and the Space Race reveals that Glasgow is a leader in Europe. Cally Russel has written a nice article in Forbes that you can read in detail here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/callyrussell/2019/03/06/glasgow-from-ships-to-the-space-race/#562f0854b598
Companies such as Clyde Space, Alba Orbital have been taking the lead. Producing as many as 6 small satellites a month, Scotland has certainly taken their seat at the table of countries that will be at the forefront of space exploration.
Glasgow has produced more satellites in the last 2 years than any other city in Europe, and Scotland will also be home to the UK’s first Spaceport. Located in Sutherland (A'Mhòine peninsula), it will be optimal for satellite shots for polar orbits and more. Wiki has good information here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutherland_spaceport
With the uptick in the number of satellites produced in Glasgow, there is also the need to analyze the data that is gleaned by the satellites. So this is the other large role Scotland is participating in. Bird.i, a start-up, is providing new data that will update some of the now outdated Google Maps imagery. (8 years old data, in some cases.)
Universities in Glasgow are also taking a lead in the exploration of space. Strathclyde and Glasgow Universities have world-class facilities focusing on space. They’ve opened up to companies to provide commercial opportunities in Scotland.
So, although I always think of Florida when I think of the space program, it is wonderful to realize that Scotland has stepped up to take a lead a short 50 years after that moment in time we all remember.
Thank you Neil and Buzz and Michael Collins.