What's Under Your Kilt? 2 Scots Reply
It's interesting, the American fascination about a man in choosing to wear a kilt. One of the first topics I got asked about when I returned home from a trip to Scotland was kilts. And in particular, what do they wear under them? Here to satisfy your curiosity are two very different replies from two authentic Scotsmen.
Reply #1: Sean Sean is a friend of my husband, he is a Scotsman who married an American woman and now lives in the United States. He and my husband worked together in the fire rescue industry and have been known to occasionally go to a pub for drinks. On one such occasion where a group of guys were enjoying beers and stories, eventually the kilt question came up. Sean’s reply earned a laugh from the guys while at the same time insinuated, “Mind your business.” His reply to a guy in a bar who asked what he wears under his kilt?
“Yer wife’s lipstick.”
Reply #2: James
While in Scotland, I was fortunate to spend three days with a Highlander who grew up wearing the kilt as a normal part of life on the Outer Hebrides islands. Today, James still wears the kilt on occasions. It took me until the second day of the tour to ask James about the kilt he was wearing and the history of the kilt.
After sharing about the Scottish kilt history, there was about a minute or two of silence before someone asked what is worn under a kilt, is it underwear? James’ reply was a kinder and more politically correct way of reminding the foreign tourists to mind their business. Click below to hear the reply in is words... it's so much better hearing the explanation through his awesome Scottish accent.
“The original Scots didn't choose to wear or not wear underwear. It hadn't been invented. And trust me, if it had been invented, they would have chose to wore it. This kilt is made from Harris tweeds...it’s very, very aggressive on your skin. So trust me, if given the option, you would wear underwear.
It's kind of funny that mystery, that mystique. And yet many people around the world will wear pants or trousers without underwear, nobody asks them, 'What have you got under your pants?' ..."
So, there you have it... 2 variations on what a Scotsman would choose to wear under his kilt. You've got the "mind your business buddy" pub version and a more realistic viewpoint. If you’re interested in hearing more of what James has to say about the kilt in his own Scottish way, please read and listen to more from this "Men in Kilts" series.
Part 3: What's Under Your Kilt? 2 Scots Reply Part 4: The History of the Kilt in Scotland
CONSIDERING A TRIP TO SCOTLAND? RESOURCES FOR YOU:
Heart of Scotland Tours website: Highly recommend! Lots of info here, but you can also find and book them through TripAdvisor. You can find full details on the tours I took below:
1 Day Tour: The Viking Coast & Alnwick Castle TripAdvisor: This is a good single resource for you to find and compare many Scotland tour options, including Heart of Scotland. TripAdvisor also has robust flight search and different option for lodging ranging from hotels to vacation rentals (similar to Airbnb).