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Castle staff uniforms given kilted makeover



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Published Date: 28 March 2008
By BRIAN FERGUSON
IT IS Scotland's most iconic tourist attraction, drawing in more than 1.2 million visitors every year.
But now staff working at Edinburgh Castle have been given a makeover by Scotland's "kiltmaker to the stars" to help give it a more modern image.

Historic Scotland wants the guides to be as eye-catching as the Tower of London's famous Beefeaters and become attractions in their own right.

The uniform features a black, gold and red tartan.

One guide sporting the new look yesterday, 25-year-old Laura Groves, said: "We had to wear A-line tartan skirts before and I much prefer the kilt. It's a much more modern look and is a lot more comfortable."

The new tartan, designed by Howie Nicholsby, has already been officially registered, but is unlikely to be sold in the castle shops, in a bid to keep the look as exclusive as possible.

He said: "It was a major honour to be asked to design the castle's first ever tartan. It's a massive icon for Scotland and it's about time it had its own one."





The full article contains 187 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 27 March 2008 10:12 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Edinburgh Castle
 
1

Ard Righ,

The Rock Of Edinburgh 28/03/2008 00:56:41
It looks like goth cross dressing !

Women wear the druggit skirt and men wear the kilt and sporran.

Obviously more feminising of our tough traditions and dress.

If traditional is to be worn, it has to be.......traditional.

Fashion and tradition don't mix, when they do it's called fashion.
2

eric,

Lothian 28/03/2008 06:57:45
What if you dont want to wear tartan etc.Can any of the staff speak Gaelic.
3

donald,

glasgow 28/03/2008 09:45:08
Most gudes I encountered in the National Trust sites spoke with English accents and gave a very sanitised version of our history.The North Briton cringers were usually the worst.
4

pwd,

Hawick 28/03/2008 09:55:43
When will the haggis, kilt & wee bit hill & glen nonsense stop? The kilt, Gaelic and the culture it came from played a very minor role in the development of the Scottish genius that was recognised around the world, especially in lowland Edinburgh where the culture was overwhelmingly a British/Norman/Anglo Saxon mix.
5

Curious Yellow,

Edinburgh 28/03/2008 11:03:59
#2 - Gaelic was never the language of the majority of Scots, especially those frae Embra.
6

Upbeat,

28/03/2008 12:16:18
#2 To whom would they speak ...if they did ? Each other ??

How many people visit the castle each year who speak Spanish, Dutch German, French, Japanese Chinese ...does anyone from Historic Scotland or the Castle itself know....or even care ?

How many of the castle staff can make themselves understood in any language other than English ? This is surely more relevant. .
7

Ard Righ,

The Rock Of Edinburgh 28/03/2008 13:11:58
4,5,6

Scottish (Gaelic) was spoken for well over a thousand years all the way from the Orkney isles down to Newcastle and Cumbria.

The plethora of place names attest this, which are predominantly of the Pict the Gael. What most people mistake for Anglo-Saxon names are true Briton names which are cymraic (Welsh) and nothing to do with incoming Anglo-Saxons.

4, you are either particularly a craven Scot or an english fool. Where exactly do you get British and Norman ? Ignoramous, If you had said Pictish and Gaeltacht you would be approaching correct, the very name Edinburgh drives from the Scottish (Gaelic) for 'face'- 'Etin' the 'burgh' part a much later addition.

6, do you expect to be addressed in your native language when you travel abroad? how arrogant.

8

Bob10,

28/03/2008 13:57:34
O.K. They have invented another tartan! Who is bringing the shortbread and the tattie scones?

I suppose negotiations with the Disney Company will be underway shortly!
9

Upbeat,

28/03/2008 15:42:44
7 Ard Righ

"do you expect to be addressed in your native language when you travel abroad? how arrogant."

I am quite willing to confess that I do not speak the language of all of the 34 countries that I have either worked in or travelled through around the world.

Neither should we expect that all the people who might wish to bring their travel spending money to Scotland, will understand every nuance of the language we use here.

In order to attract visitors from abroad, to even begin to address the aspirations dreamt up by Visit Scotland for growth projections in the international tourism sector to Scotland , we have to be more like the " opposition".

If you personally were not spoken to in English in Spain, English in Germany, Holland, France and Switzerland. English in Thailand, or English in South America...how would you [ personally speaking ...0f course :-) ] get on ?

Point made ?
10

pwd,

Hawick 28/03/2008 17:44:46
* 7

"you are either particularly a craven Scot or an english fool. Where exactly do you get British and Norman ? Ignoramous, If you had said Pictish and Gaeltacht you would be approaching correct, the very name Edinburgh drives from the Scottish (Gaelic) for 'face'- 'Etin' the 'burgh' part a much later addition."

Try not to be rude and to help you on your way here are some polite answers:
British - try the Votadini from here in the Borders
Norman - try Robert the Bruce and a very large chunk of Scottish (including Highland) aristocracy
Anglo Saxon - throughout the Lowlands.

I can recommend some good history sources if you wish.
11

Wee Jimmie,

Lothian 28/03/2008 20:13:53
#10 I am afraid Ard Righ,The Rock Of Edinburgh is always on about this spead of the Gaelic. He has been corrected by an expert in Scottish linguistic history before but takes no heed.

I agree it is difficult to admit that the Scottish race is a mix of many and recent additions will dilute what ever there was before.

I take it as progress.

 

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