Americans Hiking in a Kilt in Scotland??? Great Experience or Dumb Tourist Fail? 

I have walked the West Highland Way many times in a kilt. It is in my humble opinion the best way to hike. As for Midgies, use smidge, it is the bomb! PS I am a Scot.

FWIW, I wore a kilt in Scotland pretty much all the time during the summer of 1978 when I worked at a hotel on Loch Lomondside. I was the hotel piper and also gardener and did not have a problem with bugs. I also bought a kilt in 1988 in Inverness at an Army surplus store and wore it when I hiked up Ben Nevis later on and wasn't the only kilted guy there that day. I saw locals in kilts in my visits. It's a shame if that's changed since those days. We need to bring back kilts for everyday wear and not something seen as fancy dress, formal dress, or purely a uniform/costume. Highland clothes are Highland clothes!

Hi guys, I ALWAYS hike in a kilt, and sometimes even hike in a Great Kilt. Hiking in a kilt is only a concern in midgie season, but I still wear the kilt. lol. I am a Scotsman, so don't have the Tourist issue to worry about. Kilts are more comfortable and easier to hike in than trousers. I've done the West Highland Way, The Great Glen Way, The Rob Roy Way, The Cullins, The Cape Wrath and many more over 30 plus years, and always in a kilt. Recently started videoing my walks and redone a couple of walks again in the kilt. I always have folk stop and chat with me because of the kilt.

Gentlemen I wore a Kilt for the first time in Inverness last New Year and New Years Day in the pub I’m quite old and had young ladies come up to me and say how great I looked. I am going with the same Scottish friends to Inverness this Hogmanay and wearing my Kilt. Bite the bullet and put one on. Scottish People really love to see it being worn.

Utility kilt or full great kilt for hiking depending on how you hike would be my suggestion. And speaking from experience if you dry your kilt over fire the smoke smell helps with the midges a bit.

I know this video is a few months old now but also what you can take into consideration is, there is a dedicated tartan, named, West Highland Way. Made for the walk itself.

I have visited Scotland on several occasions, wearing my Clan Lamont tartan kilt (my mother's side of our family is Clan Lamont). On my first visit I got some nice friendly comments, especially after I mentioned that I was there in part to visit distant relatives in Dunoon who up until then I had only communicated via letters and emails. Since that first visit, I have made other visits and have never gotten any negative reactions or remarks about my kilt. I get more negativity about my kilt near where I live on Massachusetts' Cape Cod than I have ever gotten wearing a kilt in Scotland (I wear a kilt almost every day Spring, Summer and early Fall).

hello there...i have worn a kilt on many of my hill walking days....doing Munroes and the long pass walks. Glen Tilt, Lairag Ghru, the Corrieyairack. Why have i worn a kilt....comfort, authenticity and tradition. Highland soldiers and cattle drovers all wore kilts in these mountains. Mostly the great kilt but also the little kilt as we wear today. my advice is....wear the kilt...but be prepared for thigh rub and the wee many million biting midges that get and bite eveywhere and they do get everywhere....... ensure your kilt is the correct length...do not wear it low...kilts are above the knee....refer to the song Twa Recruiting Sergents....reason in long grass or heather a low slung kilt gets in the way of walking...... ensure your kilt is of good quality...mine is 18oz military ....the wet highland way....did it many years ago long before it became a popular trail...it will rain.....remember this is the west coast of scotland...it rains....frequently........ footwear....strong walking shoes or boots...remember socks..woollen...green..best wear two pairs...one long and one short rolled back down over your boot tops....the wet highland way as with much of outdoors is wet muddy and peaty....you will get wet feet.... pipes....put them in a poly bag inside your rucksack or strapped to the top....if you are a reasonable player....take them a long.....if you are a competant player...you will make many friends and a few free beers along the way.....also take a few spare chanter reeds ....scotland is a cool wet country...if you are used to playing in a sunny warm climate....your pipes will need to be reset for our tropical climate in september about 12 deg C ambient and 99% moisture! get some plastic drone reeds......they will work ....cane drone reeds in scotland are a dead loss......does anybody still use cane drone reeds? remember you are walking in the foot steps of the army who fought with Montrose (look up the march of Montrose to the Battle of InverLochy 1645) cattle drover Rob Roy and the army of the 45 Rising...they all wore kilts.......best of luck....you'l have a great time...... other wise

Another great discussion guys. Definitely on my bucket list.

I bought my first kilt on our sixt or seventh Scotland vacation and it was a decision long thought about. I bought it from a kilt maker as an ex-hire kilt in Inverness. It´s an ancient McKenzie and it is a dicision I never regretted. I mostly wear the kilt when I and my wife are going for a walk while on vacation and I only got nice comments. For example one from an older scotish couple which we met in Dover castle who asked me if it´s a "genuine one" and we started a nice chat and another one which is the most funny one from a german couple in Scotland passing us by and the woman said in german (because she thought i was scotish and didn´t recognise that I´m german too). She said " Mein Gott, die haben aber auch immer weiße Beine!" which means "Oh god, they always have so white legs". It was one of the funnist moments I expierienced while wearin a kilt. 🙂 I hope my english is understandable for you. Kind regards as always from Germany. 🙂 Are you guys on Instagram? I could share photos while wearing a kilt on our upcoming vacation.

In my 2018 Scotland trip, I took both my kilt and pipes. I only wore the kilt in the highlands like Fort William. I never fired up the pipes. Common sense told me it would have been inappropriate and/or I wasn’t a very good player at the time. Although, now is a more accomplished and competitive player, I plan to take my pipes on my upcoming trip once again. My goal is to play them, in the hills of the Isle of Skye hike. I wore my kilt at the culloden battlefield museum. That was cool.

You are going to stand out as a tourist regardless of what you wear. We Americans don't dress the same as they do in Europe or have quite the same body language. Natives will be able to pick you out regardless. Wear what you want and have fun.

I'm Swedish... and think it's OK/great as long you respect the Kilt and feel good in it! ☕️😉👍

This helped me.. Planning a trip soon.

I have wondered this very thing, thank you for bringing this up! I appreciate your insights and candor.

Speaking as a Scot we don’t mind foreigners wearing kilts so long as they are worn properly and respectfully. Oh and don’t even think about wearing a utilikilt or similar. We’re a teletext nation but those things take the piss! Enjoy the hike !

We were hiking here in the Colorado Rockies a few years ago and there was a guy in a parking lot at 12,000 feet wearing a kilt and playing a bagpipe. The kilt was great. The pipes were interesting, but I was of two minds as we were starting our hike. It was less intrusive than a boombox, but people go to the mountains to enjoy the silence. I only smiled and waved at him: I didn't want to interfere with his fun, and we go to the mountains all the time. But it did give me pause.

Living in the Highlands, I'd say wear it! Whilst kilts worn in the street is not a general sight anymore it's always a delight when one does, wouldn't necessarily mark you out as a tourist either.

Scotland is my dream visit, and wearing a kilt in the feel right place does gives me when and where, however it is the scottish thing to do, so do what's right to you.

Heading back to Scotland in a couple of weeks for about 6 months, and I'm taking at least one with me. I do have a duck it attitude, blame it on my Scottish heritage. No qualms here telling any one of them "get it up youse!" I did also just wear a kilt last night to see KISS in concert with nothing but compliments. Thankfully I was wearing my Alestorm kilt, which has pockets, because I wasn't allowed my belt bag. Awesome experience all around!

I work at a local farmers market and my booth has a scottish theme. I was scared that first time thinking I would get lots of teasing. The opposite occurred. I was told that I had the most interesting booth there. Never get a negative response. In fact, ladies are the most interested and complimentary. Never looked back after that.

Midgies are wee fuckers, if you’ve ever accidentally walked into a swarm of them you’ll understand 😫 They’re around between late April and whenever the proper frosts start again, which can be November! The solution is Avon skin so soft dry oil spray. This stuff was never intended to be a bug spray, but it works way better than jungle formula or any of that other stuff 👍🏼

Does it not get a bit chilly around The Trossachs?

Would you be more concerned if wearing MacDonald, Campbell, or Cameron tartans in this shared territory?

Ticks are bad in Scotland, definitely spray and removal tools are required but don't let that put you off

My cousin, an enthusiastic Scout, did lots of hiking in the Highlands, wearing his Scout kilt - that was over 50 years ago, though. Lots of people do charity ‘kilt walks’, too. You may not stand out quite as much as, perhaps, you fear.

"Starnger in a Strange Land" by Robert A. Heinlein

@fandabi dozi RU-vidr is Scottish and his whole channel is about wearing and using great kilts and traditional highland equipment while hiking and camping across Scotland.

I'm wondering what your opinion is on buying ex-hire kilts

I've a small Celtic store in Las Vegas... kilt it everyday. 95% + comments. 5% am I regimental. 😂

Great advice! As an English traveller in Scotland I'd say wear a kilt, if you can stomach putting pipes on a plane and through customs then do. I've had instruments on trains in Scotland, every single time I've had to get them out to play them! Definitely take an instrument. Just don't walk down Princess street and tell the locals how quaint it is that they put the castle near the shops. By the way, there are ticks as well as midges and horse flies.

If you're hiking between March and October be aware of ticks as well as midges. Some carry Lyme disease and it can be quite debilitating.

Who cares to be honest be yourself and wear what you want....and be mindful of your surrounding on hikes "dam blood thirty beasts" x)

So much of this channel is these two explaining basic social skills aha. I swear people think they change their garment and all of a sudden the universe is different or something.

For the hiking question, look into Fandabi Dozi on RU-vid and his kilted hiking.

Some of the ticks in the west of Scotland have limes disease but I have fished, shot and worked outside here all my life and have never noticed a bite. Always wear the kilt any chance you get, I took mine from Scotland to ware in Florida, had some crazy looks but a good laugh

I have 9 kilts and only 3 pairs of pants. Just about the only time I'm not kilted is when I go to pick up my 10-year-old daughter at school because she begs me not to embarrass her. Do you. Let others work it out for themselves.

People will not blink an eye if you wear the kilt. Seriously, you can actually walk about in the kilt and people will look at you and look at you in no different way to wearing walking trousers or shorts. You would probably get more of a second glance doing the West Highland Way in a pair of chinos than you would the kilt. Most people you meet on the West Highland Way are doing it themselves and will probably talk to you about the weather more than your kilt. They may praise you and give you a wee nod but it’s not really a big thing, in fact you would probably have people thinking why didn’t I think of doing it in the kilt. It’s generally a great camaraderie on the WHW anyway and most conversations are just people talking about we’re they have stopped off, where you’re travelling to next.

Lingo= clan Graham, we came from Fife... And we are descended from Robert the Bruce. People who deny it... Don't know history!

I lived in Aberdeen for 3 years as a Yank. Did not have a fly problem. The Scots seem to only wear Kilts on special occasions. Like the US, it only gets really cold toward October. I ran all over the countryside. I still have a little residual accent from living over there as a kid as to give UK people a curious look. Too bad my Family Tartan is Irish and very expensive to acquire (it could even be a made up Tartan). Yes. Can trace back to Edinburgh to the Sharp-Coleman Family to the 1650's via Ancestry.com.

I hiked through Scotland all the way from Newcastle, England to Fort William ( with some hitch hiking and bus rides ). I had already decided to wear the kilt daily. The midges by Loch Loman…well, you can guess. 🦟 As i needed pounds at one point i went into a hotel in the highlands ( around Glenfinnan )and the lady asked me: ”Do you like wearing that?” I said: ”I love it!” She replied: ”That’s all i wanted to hear.” And handed me the cash. This was in the early 90’s and i am Swedish ( Clan Currie on my mothers side, but i didn’t know that back then ). Will you be seen as a tourist by the locals? Yes, probably, or they might assume you are heading for some function. On the other hand you might be seen as ”the real MacKay”. ( see what i did there? 😂. ) by other tourists as i found out when a passing Asian bus tour all photographed me like so many paparazzi. Go to Scotland. If you want to wear the kilt, do so. Be respectful of the culture but not so overly worried that it ruins your experience. The people are generally very nice and there is a lot to see…and taste.