Scottish Kilts

There aren't dozens of shops, but there are a few. Two are on the Royal Mile. The Tourist Information center above Waverly Station might be able to help you. They are expensive. Remember if a person wears underwear under one it called a skirt. No underwear its a kilt. The name John Pringle comes to mind as a shop that you might look into.

Yes a true woven Scottish kilt will cost over $600.00. Here's a noted kilt maker,
http://www.hector-russell.com/index.aspx. You can also wander the Royal Mile and buy a cheaper kilt at any of the tourist shops. Might enjoy this history of the kilt: http://www.scottish-history.com/kilt.shtml

If you find a kilt is too expensive, there are other things in your tartan or other clan emblams that you can get. Examples: Scarves, Ties, hats, clan badges or crests, mottos, crests, or pins, mugs, ink pens, ribbon, household furnishings, etc. Some of the shops in Edinburgh will help you research your tartan and there is at least one where you can watch them weave tartan. Here are just a few websites where you can do a bit of clan and tartan research ahead of time http://www.tartans.scotland.net/ http://www.scotclans.com/ www.tartanweb.org/ www.scottishtartans.org/tartan.html www.scotchcorner.com/tartan-index.html
http://www.tartansauthority.com/tartan/the-growth-of-tartan/the-origin-of-clan-tartans/

Yes, Kilts are expensive, but they are fantastic. Part of the reason that they are expensive is that it's really good wool. A second reason is that a kilt includes a lot of the material. The pleats are deep and there are a lot of them. I think that I used Geoffrey (Tailor) Kiltmakers. Pam

If you're meaning the bespoke kilt, it's very expensive and cannot be bought off the peg. You could contact a kiltmaker to see what they could do, but normally requires at least a couple of fittings. They'll want it to look perfect as they have a reputation to protect .... I had to wear "real" kilts to school and weeks of work went into each of them. A kilt is often given as an 18/21 birthday present (along with the other bits of the dress). If you mean a tartan skirt, this is entirely different. I'm sure you can contact a kiltmaker from US and make arrangements. You could get samples of tartan(s) sent to US. Your family name is likely to have several variations on a theme: dress, hunting, etc (for same tartan).
S

Monte, You do realize that any participants at the Heavy Events at any Highland Games MUST wear under garments. I dare YOU to go tell these big boys that they're wearing skirts! I own 2 kilts and what's worn or not worn underneath is my own business.

Bob, I'm just passing along a comment my Canadian-born wife got from a friend in Squamish. No, I didn't know the Scots had to be told to wear underwear.

All those who say kilts are expensive are absolutely correct. As Susan says, there is a lot of heavy material involved. It needs to swing properly as you walk. It should be bespoke if you,re serious and really going to wear it.To my mind, there is nothing more distinguished or sexier than a man in a kilt! My husband had his made by a firm in San Francisco, believe it or not. It took forever but is superb and the tartan correct. There is also a place in Alexandria,VA that deals in kilts. You could check out a variety of places here before you go. Then, of course there is the expense of getting the Bonnie Prince Charlie or tweed coat, the sporran etc. Any occasion is the perfect place to wear a kilt. One never looks out of place. If you decide to spend the money, make sure it will be worn often....a great incentive not to gain weight!

My Dad commissioned his when he visited Scotland and he did not have to have several fittings. When he died it was a big debate as to what to do with his kilt. We ended up giving it to the local piper's club so that it would be worn. If it had gone to any nephews or my brother it would have sat in the closet. Pam

Years ago I spent hundreds of dollars on a kilt in my family tartan when I was in Glasgow. I had to have it. I was determined to have it. All this to the amusement of my husband. But then I never, ever wore it. Not once. It hung in my closet, a constant reminder of my folly, until one day I gave it to charity. The end.

I shopped in Edinburgh, you could easily spend $1,500 - or more - to buy a nice kilt with accessories. Amazingly comfortable wool, but too rich for me. Check out "buyakilt.com" (out of UK); of the places I've shopped and purchased from, I think they offer the best kilts for the price. Even their budget kilts are better than higher priced kilts from other places. Most of their accessories (maybe not sporran) are reasonable too. In the US, USA kilt has decent prices, I'd recommend them for accessories - lots of good, affordable sporran choices. Sport kilt has really good prices but the stuff you get from them is noticably lower quality. If you want cheap but very basic, this may be the best choice.