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Highlandwear

How to wear a kilt

Kilts for Hire stock a large and comprehensive range of kilts for you to hire. But as well as hiring out kilts, we would love to show those of you who are new to this type of Scottish attire, the answer to a question we get asked all the time – “can you show me how to wear a kilt properly?”

Putting on your socks , flashes & Sgian Dubh:

Firstly, when putting on your socks, ensure the ribs of the socks are straight , check the socks are sitting at the same height. Socks should be sitting just below the knee , about 3-4 inches below the kilt. The flashes go under the fold of your socks , sitting on the side of outer calf muscle. Having the sock fold just over the elastic of the flashes.

The Sgian Dubh goes inside your sock and is placed on the outer calf of your leg , this is commonly worn on the right leg but if you’re naturally left handed it would go on the left leg. The Sgian Dubh should be tucked in the sock about half way.

Lacing your Ghillie Brogues:

The best way to tie the laces is to cross the laces over and twist round 3 times. Hold the laces firmly at the ankle & wrap the laces round the back and round to the front tying in a bow to finish. If your laces are slipping you can try tying them slightly lower to prevent laces from falling.

Putting on your shirt:

Moving onto the shirt , ensure your shirt is ironed to prevent any creasing and also put your cufflinks on when putting the shirt on.

How to wear a kilt pin:

So how do you wear a kilt pin? The kilt pin goes on the front apron of the kilt, just in the bottom left hand corner about 2 inches in from the fringe and sitting 2 inches above the bottom of the kilt. The kilt pin only goes through the front apron. The kilt pin should not pin both the aprons together; this will result in the kilt not sitting properly. The purpose of a kilt pin is to weigh down the front apron of your kilt to prevent it from being blown up in the wind. Kilt pins are made from metal for this reason.

Putting a kilt on properly:

To put the kilt on , locate your inside apron (apron without the fringe), holding the inner apron against your natural waist, wrap the kilt round the back of waist and buckle the inside buckle. Continue to wrap the front apron of the kilt round the front of your waist and buckle your kilt closed. The kilt should sit high and snug on your natural waist , you can use your belly button as a guide on roughly on where the kilt should sit , the kilt rests gently on your hip bone. check the kilt is centred and use the centre line (if there is one) to guide you , pleats should sit at the back of the kilt with the buckles on your sides. When looking in the mirror the kilt should be straight and balanced holding an A shape, with the kilt bottom edge sitting in the middle of the knee.

Putting on your sporran and chain straps:

Starting off , you should clip the chain straps to the back of the sporran . Gently hold the sporran below the kilt waist and loop the chain straps through the belt loops and fasten in the back. This may be easier with a helping hand to hold the sporran while fastening. The sporran should be centred with the kilt and resting about 4/5 inches below the top of the kilt.

Putting on your belt and buckle:

The belt and buckle sit on top of the change straps at the back of the kilt, ensuring the belt buckle is fastened to the centre and sits 1/2 inches above the sporran.

Putting on your waistcoat and jacket:

Start by putting on the waistcoat and buttoning it , you can adjust the waist coat at the back. Followed up by putting on your jacket this is commonly left unbuttoned, ensuring the jacket is sitting straight and comfortably with everything including the buttons , tie , sporran , belt buckle & kilt and are sitting in a straight line. If you’re wearing a shoulder plaid you will want to fasten it with a plaid brooch only to the left jacket lapel. Complete the outfit with your bow , ruche or standard tie.

And there you go , you’ve successfully put on your kilt outfit like a professional. Well done!

We still recommend you do a trial run the night before or a few days before the event for some practice getting everything on.

How to wear your kilt casually:

When we look at how to wear a kilt casually, you may have seen people wearing kilts in an informal manner , Kilts can be seen in public settings , such as football games. When worn casually, kilts typically shouldn’t be worn with all the accessories for more leisure wear. It’s important to know how to wear a kilt in certain scenarios. Kilts can be styled with chunky boots or trainers and worn with jumpers , t-shirts , football shirts, Jacobite shirts & more.

For any additional information or guidance on how to wear a kilt or even how to wear a kilt casually, or for information on tartans , brochures or our buy collections please visit : www.kiltmakers.com or to view our hire range visit: www.kiltsforhire.com, You can also contact us via phone at 0141 889 4879 or email us at [email protected].

Categories
Highlandwear

Tartan Hero of the Month – November

Clanadonia

You may have had the privilege of watching these musicians perform live from the likes of Buchanan Street, but did you know members were originally part of the stunt crew for Braveheart, teaching the auld scots way of combat?

In 1997 member Tu-Bardh Wilson joined the Wallace Clan Stunt Crew and their display fight team, attending corporate events and demonstrating how Highlanders would fight in battle. That same year, they were involved in the Shahallion, the first ever event to be held in the new Clyde Auditorium, also known as the Armadillo. After participating in that gig, the members became interested in doing music, which eventually became tribal pipes and tribal drums. And so the Wallace Clan band was formed, also known as the Braveheart Crew and they were the originals who started this type of tribal Scottish music.

In 2000, Tu-Bardh moved on from the Wallace Clan with another drummer, and they co founded the original Clann An Drumma band. Their first gig was in Dornoch, where Madonna and Guy Ritchie were married. Tu-bardh states the band was asked to play, and when they came out of the cathedral after Madonna and Ritchie’s son Rocco was christened, an audience of 26 million seen them perform and then they went on to tour America. This moment propelled their career and they have also performed in Seoul, South Korea, Russia, Red Square in Moscow and also St Petersburg. They have also appeared all over Europe and in 2002 they recorded a song which was used in the Mel Gibson and Randall Wallace’s film We Were Soldiers. The band toured America until 2005, then the band broke up and Tu-Bardh went on a sabbatical until 2007, which was the year he formed Clanadonia. 

In regards to highland wear, 65 year old Tu-Bardh has been wearing tartans for 25 years. The band wear their own Clanadonia tartan they have had woven and this is what you see when they are wearing a Feileadh Mòr. Tu-bardh loves that the colours make it so it would be well suited for camouflage, which was the original intent with tartans as they were made from the materials from the surrounding area, which is also why many tartans have similar colours. Outside their own tartan, Tu-Bardh also is fond of the Wallace Clan tartan.

For Tu-Bardh, dressing in a Feileadh Mòr is about accurate representation of how Highland warriors would have dressed. It is no easy feat dressing in a great kilt, as it is all once piece of cloth approx. 4-5 metres that you hand-make pleats out of and wrap together. Tu-Bardh is of the belief that kilts and tartan becoming more common in fashion is good not only for all kinds of tartan sales, but it can certainly boost tourism for Scotland.

Tu-Bardh has been a part of the industry for over two decades, and in many ways has become a legend especially within the tribal band industry. Himself and the band have toured all across the globe and yet they are still very rooted in their Scottish Heritage. This link to home is seen again in their love of Scottish History and representing it accurately through their way of dressing, and also seen in the fact that many of the members are family men such as Tu-Bardh himself, who on top of enjoying spending time with his family enjoys listening to his favourite Scottish artist, The Silencers.

Categories
Highlandwear

Tartan Hero of The Month – October

Houston Kiltmakers had the pleasure of interviewing Kimberly Neil from Margaret Morrison Ltd, traditional sporran makers based in Perth, Scotland. Kimberly says she has been making sporrans since around 7 years old, after her step-father Greg Whyte began the business.

Greg is originally from South Africa, and Kimberly’s mum’s family are from Oban. Greg also holds a New Zealand passport, and Kimberly’s great-grandfather and Greg’s grand-father is buried there. Greg’s grandfather was a Morrison, and the business being named Margaret Morrison is a combination of both his mother and his father’s middle names.

The store began as Greg’s sister Valerie, who worked for Nicoll brothers suggested that they could have a go at replicating the process and making sporrans themselves (Kimberly explained the production process was much different to what it is today, it was in such a way as so no individual knew the whole process of making a sporran). After 6 prototypes they believed they had nailed the method, and had orders placed and made them in his fathers shed. In the early 2000s, Margaret Morrison purchased Nicoll Brothers, acquiring their machinery, metalwork and patterns that date back to 1834.

The family all enjoy wearing tartan and have done for years. Kimberly most recently got a pair of trews made in the Baird modern tartan and her mother opted for the classic Blackwatch. Greg owns a kilt in the Blackwatch tartan, and owns an argyle jacket to match. Kimberly’s brother owns a tweed kilt and her step-dad and brother own about 4-5 kilts. Greg has a selection of sporrans that hold sentimental value to him, such as an all leather hunting sporran with Nár lagaí na bithiúnaigh do lámh and his first swinging 6 pine marten he made.

Margaret Morrison are known across the globe, and perhaps the most famous demonstration of their work is the Sporran worn by Gigi Hadid on the Victoria Secret Catwalk. They are a supplier for USA Kilts and supply approx 200 sporrans in one month. They also have partners such as North Of Hadrian‘s kilts and Burnett’s & Struth Scottish Regalia. Their wide reach to North America and Europe is thanks in part due to Pipe band connections stretching world-wide.

Unsurprisingly, their favourite part of a kilt outfit is the sporran. Kimberly states that it is the focal point of a kilt so it can be very important to select the right one. The most popular customer tartans are red toned, and there are certain tartans such as the Macdonald that Kimberly says can be more difficult in terms of pairing with a sporran when considering the rest of the outfit. It is not simply dress vs non dress sporrans, there are horsehair ones which are traditional typically only seen in pipe bands and military.

Trends most definitely have affected sporrans, and people are looking to the past for inspiration for designs. They have developed a new leather – charger leather – specifically for an antique look. This new antique leather sporran was worn by Josh O’Connor who plays a young Prince Charles in Netflix’s The Crown.

This is not Margaret Morrison’s only brush with royalty, however, as Prince Charles visited the store after Greg wrote to the Scottish Tartans Authority arguing it was not fitting for the Scottish regiment to be wearing sporrans made in Pakistan. This petition gained traction and Prince Charles, being a fan of highlandwear, visited the store to show support in small businesses acquiring military contracts. They can neither confirm or deny whether they themselves supplied sporrans for the bonnie prince.

Both Kimberly and Greg enjoy classic Scottish artists such as Biffy Clyro and Deacon Blue, as well as band of brothers. If they both could choose 3 Scottish dinner party guests, Kimberly would choose James Macvoy, Gerard Butler and Ewen Bremner. Greg’s choices would be Sean Connery, Ewan Mcgregor and Rob Roy.

Categories
Highlandwear

September Round-UP

As September draws to a close we are sharing some of our Highlights from the busy summer we have had as well as a message from our very busy Social Media Manager.

Prepare to be Wowed 

We recently made a very unique kilt outfit for Kris who celebrated his marriage to Tertulien in LA…
Working closely with Tertulien he had a vision of how the outfit should look, traditional but with a very contemporary twist and I think you’ll agree the end result is spectacular.
Villa Bologna in Malta was the beautiful venue for Mr & Mrs MacDonald’s Wedding…the groom wore Ancient MacDonald with a Silver Tweed and antique accessories but I think we know who stole the show!
Now a Message from our Social Media Manager…
Toby’s Paws for Thought

“I have been working my paws to bone to over the last few months to keep our socials upto date of all the exciting things we have worked on and our beautiful customer photographs.”
 
“I wanna see more of these stunning outfits we have created with you, please send them to myself at [email protected], I can’t wait to see them.”

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Highlandwear Made In Scotland Special Weave Tartans Weaving

Kilt Buying Guide – 3 Simple Steps to Buying a Kilt

Buying a Kilt can seem like a complicated process, but it is really quite straight forward. This guide will take you through the process step-by-step.

About our Kilts

All our Kilts are Made in Scotland. Our Kilts can be cut for growth so through time if you lose or gain weight your Kilt can be altered accordingly, ensuring your kilt lasts a lifetime.

All our Houston’s Own 16oz Heavyweight ranges K23b & K24 are Teflon Coated to Stain-Proof your Kilt from spillages, even Beer!

Time Scale and Price

Generally it takes 4 to 8 weeks to make kilt if the cloth is in stock, however we do offer an express service for delivery in 2 weeks at an additional cost of £50.

We recommend you start the process as soon as possible – if the cloth is out of stock at the mill it can take up to 4 to 6 months before it is rewoven.

The cost of a Kilt depends on your chosen Tartan, its rarity and your Kilt finish. Buying a full outfit as a Kilt Pack gives you an overall discount of 10%. Kilts start from £288 (£240 Tax-Free), and Kilt Packs from £620 (£517 Tax-Free).

Step 1 – Choosing Your Tartan

On our website, Kiltmakers.com you can browse through EVERY TARTAN, clan histories and clan crests using our Tartan Finder. Search through Sept names and Tartans anyone can wear!

The most common method of choosing a tartan is to pick one with links to your family name. For instance, if your surname is ‘MacDonald’, you could start by searching for all the ‘MacDonald’ tartans, and picking the design you like the most.

While you are searching you may notice that you find several variation of a tartan, such as Ancient, Modern, Hunting, Dress or Weathered. These colour variations are explained here.

In cases where a name does not have a direct match for a clan tartan, they might have a Sept match. Septs are surnames that, while not having their own clan, are associated with a clan. For example, instances of the name Reid can be associated with clan Robertson. Members of the Reid family should therefore wear Robertson tartan. Our Tartan Finder will bring up Sept matches to names, making it easy to find the tartan for you.

Along with clan tartans, there is a wide range of regional and district tartans. Example include tartans for each Irish County, American National Tartan, German Heritage, Irish National, Cornish National and so on. Even if your name doesn’t link with a tartan, a regional tartan could be a fine choice.

There is a wide range of ‘Fashion’ tartans, which can be worn by anyone. These are usually modern designs, though there are some blends of more traditional colour palettes. Houston’s exclusive Bute Heather range is an example of these tartans.

If you can’t find the perfect tartan from the selection available, why not have your own custom tartan specially woven? Houston’s owner Ken MacDonald is a renowned tartan designer and we can take you right though the process from designing the tartan to having it registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans and woven for you.

Step 2 – Choosing your Cloth Weight and Mille

Now that you have selected your tartan design, kilts come as standard in 8 yards (7.4m). Tartan fabric tends to come in 3 weights: Light (11oz), Medium (13oz) and Heavy (16/17oz). For a kilt we recommend a 16 oz Heavyweight cloth as the pleats sit and swings better, making you look a million dollars.

A Heavyweight cloth is NOT any warmer than a medium or light weight kilt – it is the weight of the jacket which builds up the heat.

You will notice the ‘Stain-Proofed’ tag on many of our tartans – these tartans have a special Teflon Coating which means you don’t have to worry about spills!

We are the only kilt shop to stock a 100% Fine Wool Super Lightweight. The custom cut of the jacket has been perfected over 20 years to give the best fit and each jacket has a stain proof coating.

Step 3 – Selecting your Kilt Finish

Kilt Finishes Explained - Explained

At Houston’s we offer a selection of different kilt finish across a range of prices. Our range of Kilt finishes are explained in more detail here: Kilt Finishes Explained

We recommend Kilt Finish No. 6 – Super Machine Understitched Kilt. It is made to the  same quality that we make Kilts for the MOD (Ministry of Defense) and all army kilts we make.

Additional Information

Upgrade to a full Kilt Packs, starting from £620 or £517 tax free. On all kilt packs over £600 you get a FREE shirt and tie value £60

Can’t make it to the shop? Our Self-Measurement guides and Videos on taking measurements will help you to get the perfect sizes.

We ship in the UK using Interlink Express and Worldwide using DHL. All orders are fully insured and tracked. Orders out with the EU receive TAX-FREE prices!

 
Hire & Buy Option

Why not take advantage of our Hire & Buy scheme, where you can buy a Kilt in ANY TARTAN and receive a loan of all the accessories for one week absolutely free!

Ideal if you have an upcoming event and would like to build up your Kilt outfit through time! (UK Only)

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We can post out FREE Tartan Swatches/Samples in the UK. Samples overseas require £5 p/p charge, which is refundable upon completing your order.

If you need any help with selecting your tartan, wish to make an order or anything other queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Categories
Highlandwear

Tartan Hero of the Month – April

Clann An Drumma

Clann An Drumma is a Scottish tribal band with a diverse age range amongst their members. Each member has their unique skillset that allows them to add to the quality of the band. They are for the most part Scottish born, with exceptions such as their member Dougie who was born in Singapore. In general, most of the band have been wearing some form of tartan and/or kilt from a young age, as they were in pipping bands in their younger years.

The band have commissioned their own tartan, The Clann An Drumma tartan. This is by far their favourite across the band. Individually, member Dougie also owns a Blackwatch kilt and a ward of the isles kilt, and Jamie owns a Clann An Drumma as well as a weathered Gun and a Culloden. Their ‘least favourite’ tartan would probably be the Anderson tartan. This is less of an aesthetic issue and more historical accuracy, as tartans initially were made with local resources, of which there would often be an overlap between regions, and thus a lot of tartans are similar at least in colours used. They would also blend in with the scenery, and the Anderson would be a poor choice of camouflage.

Band members Jamie and Dougie in our store.

Upon meeting the band, it is clear how knowledgeable about Highland culture and history they are. They use this knowledge to inform not only their music, but how they perform at gigs and other events. Their way of dressing is not just a performative feature, they are historically accurate and provide talking and learning points. When you see them dressed for events, you may stop to wonder why their sporrans are off to the side as opposed to centred like you may have seen in wedding photos etc. The correct placement is actually to the side, as when performing a Highland charge it would be impractical for it to be in the middle of ones legs.

For the band, dressing in a Feileadh Mòr evokes a sense of pride. They don’t have a favourite element of kilt outfits or a favourite way to wear it, and prefer to dress historically to represent the culture where highland wear has evolved from. Considering that when dressing in a Feileadh Mòr they have to place and pin the pleats each time, they say it is a relief taking it off at the end of an event.

The band are of the belief that whilst at times problematic, the romanticising of Highland life is a vehicle for people to learn about the topic. TV shows such as Outlander are bringing the concept of Highland culture to the masses, and one can only hope they take a genuine enough interest to do further research.

The band enjoys music from artists such as Maggie Bell, Frankie Miller, Battlefiend band and wolfstone. Each member would choose slightly different dinner guests if given the option of 3 Scottish dinner guests, past or present. For band member Jamie, he would choose William Wallace, Alasdair Mac Colla and Rob Roy. Member Dougie would choose Robert the Bruce, Sir James Douglas and of course, William Wallace.

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Burn's Night Highlandwear Kilt Hire Made In Scotland

Kilt Hire Guide – Find your Perfect Outfit

Houstons offer the largest and best range of kilt outfits for hire in the Scotland, with over 110 tartans, 20 styles of super lightweight jackets, three different button options and over 100 ruched tie colours 

Hires start from £75 and range to £145 depending on the rarity of the tartan selected, your jacket style and the finish of your accessories.

We have our luxury purple and grey tartan range with 22 grey designs and 15 purple designs. These tartans include our EXCLUSIVE Bute Heather range tartans.

Best to download our comprehensive 84 page Hire Brochure to view our exclusive range.

You can see our new range of tartans and price ranges in our latest Hire Leaflet.

Our Hire site can be found at KiltsForHire.com where you can see all Hire tartans, information and videos.

Special Offers – 6 Hires for the Price of 5!

Book 5 Hires and the 6th for groom goes FREE on 20 of our top tartans, 20 Styles of Jackets, 140 colours of Ruche Cravats and our Exceptional high quality service! Learn more HERE!

Wedding Extras

To make your wedding day extra special we take care of every little detail. We offer tartan ring cushions, hand ties, ladies garters, ribbon, ties, trim for dresses, handbags and button holes designed to match with your kilt design. Find our range of extras HERE, these can be made in ANY tartan on request.

We work closely with Joyce Young Collections who co-ordinate brides, mothers, bridesmaids’ and guest’s dresses with our tartans. She also has a factory outlet store open Saturdays in Glasgow, with up to 75% off.

Hire & Buy Offer

If you would like to buy a kilt in ANY TARTAN (over 14,000!) you can receive a loan of all the accessories for one week absolutely free!

Ideal if you have an upcoming event and would like to build up your kilt outfit through time! (UK Only) More details on Hire & Buy HERE.

Measurement and Shipping Information

Best to pop in to our store if you can to get measured. Your whole party does not need to get measured at the same time, they can come when available, they just need to mention the party name or groom’s name. If you can’t make it into the shop then you can use our easy to use Self-Measurement guide for HIRING a Kilt Outfit.

We ship in the UK using Interlink Express and Worldwide using DHL.

Categories
Highlandwear

Tartan Hero Of The Month – March

Brian Wilton (MBE) is sometimes referred to as the “King of Tartan” due to his many years of service in the industry. When he was director of the Scottish Tartan Authority, he discovered he had a knack for tartan design and when STA’s registration processes were transferred to the Scottish Government’s official Scottish Register of Tartans, he pursued that and made it his main focus.

Mr Wilton comparing notes with Beefeaters at Buckingham Palace

Wilton was born in Bannockburn, near Stirling castle. During his career, out of the approximately 12,000 tartans that have been registered, Brian has designed about 250 of them. Surprisingly though, tartan was not a staple in his wardrobe before the 1980s. Since then, he has embraced tartan not only as an expression of culture, but as a tool that can connect modern day life to history.

Brian proud of the North Artic Convoy Tartan

In true tartan hero style, Brian owns nine kilts, three of which are Fraser tartans from his grandmothers side. He is no stranger to experimental textiles and techniques, and has items in his collection such as a fashion kilt in Harris Tweed, and a brown kilt made from fabric from an upholstery collection. He too is a fan of Houston’s quality Highland wear and in addition to kilts has pairs of tartan trews and trousers. His favourite tartan however, at least amongst the clan tartans, is the 1819 Old Stewart. The rarest piece of tartan he owns is clan tartans hand-woven by the late Jamie Scarlett MBE.

In addition to education, Brian is also passionate about breaking the traditional image of Highland dress. Whilst the origins of Highland dress is linked to Highland regiments and it being part of military uniform, Brian is keen for this not to be the only picture we conjure when we think of Highland dress. He believes such a rigid idea of what a kilt outfit is meant to look like limits people in not only their individual expression but stunts the growth of the trend – for Highland dress to remain part of our culture, there must be room for it to morph and change into a new version.

Brian with tartans he designed for the Royal College of Midwives and the Gleneagles G8

This desire to dismantle the stereotypical idea of what Highland dress is is fuelled in part by modern fashion. Brian states one of his most enthusiastic campaigns personally and professionally is encouraging major companies and brands to acquire their own tartans and incorporate them into their branding. Many of his design commissions have resulted in just that: Edinburgh Fringe, Nandos, B&Q and O2 are just a few examples.

Brian, as well as being a pillar of the tartan industry, is a forward thinker. He understands the significance of tartan in history as well as the role is can play in modern society. He is not all tartan all the time, however, and enjoys listening to Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Julie Fowlis and Duncan Chisholm. When asked which past or present Scottish dinner guest he would choose, he answered William Wilson of Bannockburn, Donald Dewar and Flora Macdonald.

Brian wearing the Khalsa Sikh Tartan of which he helped come to fruition.
Categories
Highlandwear

World Poetry Day 21/03/22

Known as the weavers poet, Robert Tannahill was not as fortunate in his career as our beloved national bard, Robert Burns. The tragic ending to his life is what propelled him into the fame he so desired, and he became a pillar in a town full of innovation and culture.

Born in Castle street in Paisley, Tannahill was born with a slight deformity in his right leg, leading to a limp and contributing to his slight frame. Tannahill came from a family of nine, as noted in a letter he wrote to a friend. When he was of school leaving age (around 12 for most working class/labouring families) he was an apprentice under his father, who was a silk gauze weaver.

Upon completion of his apprenticeship, Tannahill left Paisley to work in Bolton, Lancashire, where he stayed until 1801. He returned to Paisley to take care of his family, with his father passing not long after his return. It is during this time that Tannahill writes the letter to his friend discussing how him and his brother are the sole carers for their mother, and how not many years ago the family used to share happy times over the dinner table.

Tannahill’s works date to his return to Paisley, and one of his earliest poems is “The Fillial Blow” where he discusses the raw emotions of caring for an elderly parent from the perspective of both parties ; “but mostly this o’erclouds her every joy, She grieves to think she may be burthensome, now feeble, old, and tott’ring to the tomb” and Roberts experience of care-taking is heart-wrenching and universally relatable “Tis mine, to hand her down life’s rugged steep: With all her little weaknesses to bear,
Attentive, kind, to sooth her every care. ‘Tis nature bids, and truest pleasure flows, from lessening an aged parent’s woes”.

Despite the lack of fame and admiration whilst he was alive, after his suicide his significance in our culture grew; from annual concerts at the Gleniffer braes to raise money for his statue in Paisley centre, to being included in the Wallace monument’s Hall of Heroes. The quality of his work transcends centuries, and the experiences he speaks to are universal to many.

Categories
Highlandwear

Tartan Hero of Month

February

An interview with Mr Robert Keys

Mr Robert Keys, born in Uddingston, is a volunteer guide for Glasgow Cathedral which he does through The Society of Friends of Glasgow Cathedral. He heard of this unique volunteering opportunity by chance through an article in a paper.

Robert began this volunteer work in his retirement, before this he was in food and wine & spirit sales, and also briefly selling men’s clothes. His formative experience of kilts and highland wear was as a young teen in a pipe band. As he entered the working world he would attend licenced functions with his co-workers and dawned a kilt for these occasions.

Since his piping days, Robert has grown fond of highland dress and now owns 6 kilts! And he even has customisations for his outfits, such as a kilt made with only one buckle on either side for when he wears his Prince Charles jacket.

Robert Keys Outside Houston Kiltmakers with Ken Macdonald

Mr Keys views kilts as an investment and spoke proudly of how his wife chose the tartan for the kilt he came in to our store wearing, the Isle of Skye tartan. His favourite tartan is the Davidson Tartan, which is the catchment tartan for his surname.

Robert presents himself well wherever he may be going, and thus generally prefers to wear highland dress formally. His exception is adding a Jacobite shirt to make things a bit more casual.

Robert has also played a small part at tartan design, being involved in the process with Uddingston rugby club when they commissioned a cloth for their centenary dinner.

Mr Keys being shown points of pride in store at Houston Kiltmakers By Ken Macdonald

Throughout his life, Mr Keys has taken his kilts with him on his travels. He brings his kilts to rugby games or pipe band gigs, as well as corporate events. His kilts have seen places such as Canada, Italy, Greece and France.

Robert is not always all kilts and tartan. He enjoys Scottish music artists such as Barbara Dixon, Field Marshall Montgomery, Annie Lennox and Annie Ross. His favourite piping band are the Inveraray & District Pipe Band, who he has followed since their days as a juvenile band.

Roberts choice of 3 Scottish dinner guests, past or present, would be Robert Burns, Ricky Fulton and William Barkley. Some dinner party!