Kilts Attract Attention

If all men around you are wearing long pants, you and your kilt are going to attract plenty of attention. No bagpipe will be necessary. People will naturally check you out and probably ask you questions about your kilt. You can then tell them about the history of the kilt and the wonderful legacy of the Scottish people.

Kilts Show Off The Shape Of Your Legs

You never know, some women love great legs on men. If you have a nice pair of legs, you might attract quite a bit of positive female attention. Something about the back pleat of a kilt makes women curious too. They will want to know what you wear under your kilt.

Wear Your Kilt in Unusual Places

If you really want to improve your social life and meet new people, wear your kilt to places people don’t expect to see a man wearing one. Try a Pub for your first kilt debut. Attention will come and your social life will improve in no time at all.

[photo: James Morrison]

In the beginning of the 20th century the topic of ecology almost didn’t exist worldwide. Industrialization took its toll on all heavily industrialized areas but not all of them were able to fight with it later. Scotland was able to partially resist this growth of various heavy industries.

Scots feel a strong bond with their land and they are working hard on restoring what was damaged. Not only do they protect the wildlife, but also during the last years, the natural lifestyle has been actively reintroduced.

In the big picture, the government and various organisations are constantly introducing and developing ecology-awareness programmes in many areas. Scotland is the leading country in the Eco-Schools programme that is supposed to help raise a new generation of eco-friendly young people.

Also, this year a new project has come to life, called Zero Waste Plan. It will integrate the activities of: Waste Aware Scotland, WRAP Scotland, Keep Scotland Tidy, Remade Scotland, Envirowise in Scotland, NISP in Scotland and some programmes delivered by the Community Recycling Network for Scotland.

Scots, what is well known, take much pride in their livestock – the Scottish sheep are one of the most famous topics for postcards. What is more important – the beautiful pasturages are the best way of raising livestock, natural feeding and breeding make the animals healthier, their wool better quality and their meat tastier.

Recently there has been a huge growth in eco-food sale, the Scots are buying more and more healthy food from natural sources. Overall, the ecological quality of Scotland’s life is constantly growing and, hopefully, we will be able to enjoy the area’s beauty in all its aspects.

[photo: Ben]

St Andrew’s Day is one of the most meaningful days for Scots. Since 2007 it is a bank holiday and is widely celebrated, not only in Scotland but throughout the world, especially by Scottish emigrants.

St Andrew’s Day, November the 30th, is celebrating the patron of Scotland, who was one of the Twelve Apostoles. He was a Galilean fisherman, who had been crucified on a diagonally transversed cross, that is now the flag of Scotland, also known as Saltire. He was said to help Agnus II and his army to win against the Angles. Ever since his relics were brought to Scotland from Caledonia in the 10th century, St Andrew had become the patron of this beautiful country.

It used to be the tradition for Scottish farmers that their workers go out St Andra’ing where they would catch rabbits and hares and have a feast on a singed sheep’s head, though they would have called it a heid. There would have been much drinking to celebrate the day.  Now there are many concerts, festivals and dance shows called ceilidh. Since the 30th is the opening day of Christmas Markets, it is a joyful time full of bagpipe music, traditional cuisine and beverages. Scots, being very proud of their tradition, make it a point to show the best of it during this time.

St Andrew’s Day is connected to many customs, many of them carried out until this day. It is said that the day before, around midnight a young maiden should pray to Saint Andrew for a husband and look for a sign that they had been heard. Another is for her to throw a shoe at the door – if the toe is directed towards the exit when it falls, it means that the girl will get married in the coming year. There is also the peeling of an apple – the girl has to peel an apple so as not to break the peel itself and throw it over her shoulder. The scrap should form the first letter of her future groom’s name.

These are only couple of traditions. When it comes to food, it is nice to try some cock-a-leekie soup as a started and a main course of haggis. Many enjoy fish dishes on St Andrew’s Day, as the saint was said to be a fisherman. Another way to celebrate is to make use of the free admission to Scottish Castles. These include free entry to Edinburgh Castle, St Andrews Castle and St Andrews Cathedral.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

So you want to look manly in traditional Scottish garb? Well, now that you’ve found that perfect kilt or tartan, you should learn how to wear it properly. Here are some tips:

• The pleated section of your kilt belongs in the rear, as it is primarily used to provide a nice bit of cushion for sitting on, and a kilt with pleats in the front is a telltale sign of someone who failed to put it on correctly.

• After laying the pleats in the back, pull the under apron from right to left, passing its strap through the hole, and buckle it. The top apron should be loose now, ready for you to wrap it over your right hip from left to right, buckle and line up the top edges together.

• Kilts are worn just under the rib cage and they are designed to hang to the top or middle of the knees, depending on where you want them. The straps allow for easy side-to-side adjustments, and again, remember that the double apron section should always be in front.

• Kilt accessories include the kilt pin, a weighted ornament fastened to a spot about 3″ from the bottom and 2″ to the left of your kilt’s right corner. The sporran, a traditional pouch intended to carry soldier’s rations, should hang about 6″ from the top of the kilt, right below the jacket edge, attached by chain straps through the rear belt loops. Kilt belts and buckles, not required with coats, fit through the rear belt loop as well.

Scotsmen are miserly and reserved because of the hardship their nation went through

Nothing less true. What many consider avarice  is actually being practical. Even though it is often said that expenses are being cut in various fields, in all actuality the nation is developing at least as well as the rest of Great Britain, in some areas even better. Aside from that, on a more personal level, Scotsmen are very open and don’t hesitate to help others in need. Many immigrants praise the way they were welcomed by the natives when they arrived to Scotland.

[credit: amandabhslater]

Scottish dishes are inedible

This is probably a myth that origins from the famous haggis, which, for many can be a bit overwhelming. But many well known, delicious dishes come from Scotland. Tattie scones, Dundee cake – which is known for its rich flavour – they all come from Scottish cuisine.

[credit: sicamp]

Scottish economy stands on… sheep

Yes, Scotland is known for its sheep. But in recent years sheep breeding business is shrinking rapidly – it is seven hundred thousand pieces smaller than it was seven years ago. Aside from that Scotland has a good coal mining base, oil extraction on the North Sea shelf, well developed metallurgical, mechanical, chemical and electrical industries.

[credit: foxypar4]

Men that wear kilts are always cold

It is actually really difficult to feel cold in a kilt. For one, it is almost 23 feet of thick wool covering the area from waist to knees – that in itself is plenty to keep one warm. Aside from that, there are the woollen socks covering the lower legs – if anything, it can only be too warm. And that actually ties with another stereotype – that Scottish men don’t wear anything under their kilts. It probably depends on a person but sometimes, adding another layer could really be a bit much.

[credit: rfduck]