Ask almost anyone to think of 5 things that definitely Scottish and they will almost always include the tartan kilt. After a rebellion against the English Government then ruling our country the English Parliament outlawed Scots from wearing national costume including tartan and the kilt. Yet today any person living in anywhere in the world can set up a factory and make something that looks like a Scottish Kilt and describe it on the label as a Scottish kilt.
Yet you try that with a bottle of sparkling wine and call it champagne and unless it was made using the traditional method anywhere outside a relatively small area of France and you will have the whole European legal system come down on you like a ton of bricks. The same rules apply to a number of other products such as Parmesan which has by law to be made only in the Parmesan area of Italy.
The Scottish Kilt could well be granted the same protection in law in the relatively near future. An application has been made to the European parliament to have the Scottish Kilt granted this same designated area protection. This would mean only kilts that have been sewn by hand in Scotland and made from pure wool could be described as Scottish Kilts.
Over the last few years we have seen huge increases in the number of kilts coming into the country from the far east which are then being described as Scottish Kilts. At a time when Scotland is experiencing it largest ever tourist boom people are buying these imported “Scottish Kilts” and seeing them come apart after only being worn maybe once or twice are assuming that these “Scottish products” are inferior quality so damaging our national reputation.
A professional kilt maker in Scotland will use around 8 metres of a heavy pure wool when making a average size kilt. His length is necessary to give the Scottish Kilt the weight to hang properly when worn by a man. Customers wearing the low quality lightweight kilts are then put off wearing the kilt as they look at the way it hangs on them and believe that the kilt is not designed for their figure. Whereas if they had hired a kilt professionally made in Scotland they would soon realise the kilt can look good and just as important feel right for them.
It is proposed that kilts which do not meet all three quality criteria to earn the new standard can still be imported and sold as Kilts but cannot claim to be called “Scottish Kilts”.
By comparison only whisky that has been both distilled and kept in sealed barrels in Scotland for a minimum of three years may be called Scotch Whisky. Greece have already been able to obtain similar protection for their Feta Cheese which cannot be made outside of Greece whilst Edam cheese can only be produced in The Netherlands.
By the way we are aware that in Scotland by tradition the plural of kilt is “kilt” not “kilts” but it was easier to use the form that most people would understand rather the correct format.
Are you interested in learning how you can follow the exact same method used by Scottish Clan chiefs who were to become a Laird or Lady in future articles.
