Why Do Scottish Men Wear Kilts? The Real Reasons, Then and Now

Scottish men wear kilts today mainly to show pride in Scotland, in their family and in their clan. The kilt is Scotland's national dress, so it comes out for the big moments: weddings, Burns Night, Highland games, graduations and Scotland matches. It started out very differently, though. In the 1500s, Highland men wore it because it was the most practical thing to wear in wet, wild hill country.

So there are really two answers. One is about the past (weather, hills, money and soldiers) and the other is about now (identity, tradition and looking sharp). This post covers both. Both start with what a kilt actually is: a length of pleated tartan cloth, wrapped and buckled at the waist.

The Short Answer: 8 Reasons Scots Wear Kilts

Here are the main reasons, old and new, in one place.

Why Did Highlanders Start Wearing Kilts?

The first kilt was not the neat, pleated kilt you see at weddings. It was the great kilt (in Gaelic, fèileadh mòr), a huge length of wool that men pleated by hand, belted at the waist and threw over the shoulder. The earliest clear description comes from 1594, in an Irish account of Hebridean soldiers who had come over to fight in Ireland. The writer could tell them apart from the Irish troops by their weapons and clothes, including mantles belted at the waist.

Highlanders didn't wear it to look traditional. They wore it because it worked. Here is why.

Wool Beats Scottish Weather

The Highlands are cold, windy and wet for much of the year. Wool is one of the few fabrics that stays warm even when damp, and a tightly woven tartan sheds a fair bit of rain. A big wrap of it was close to a waterproof coat, a jumper and a pair of trousers in one.

Easier on Hills, Bogs and Rivers

Highland life meant walking. Men herded cattle over hills, through heather and across peat bogs and rivers. Long, wet trousers are miserable in that kind of ground. A kilt hangs above the knee, so it stays out of the mud and dries out on the move. Visitors in the 1700s noted how quickly Highland men could march, wade rivers and live rough in it.

Clothes by Day, a Blanket by Night

This is the clever part. At night a Highlander could unbuckle the belt, unroll the great kilt and sleep under it. On the hills, with no inn for miles, that mattered. In heavy rain the top half could also be pulled up over the head and shoulders like a hood. Few garments in history were as useful as the great kilt.

One Piece of Cloth, No Tailor Needed

Most Highland families were not rich. The great kilt was simply cloth straight off the loom, with no cutting, sewing or fitting. One length could be worn by a tall man or a short man, and passed on when it was worn out. It took centuries before the kilt became the tailored garment it is today. That change is the main thread in the history of the kilt.

Why Didn't the Kilt Die Out?

By the late 1700s, the kilt could easily have disappeared. After the Jacobite rising of 1745, the government banned Highland dress for ordinary men and boys with the Dress Act of 1746. By the time the ban was lifted in 1782, most Highlanders had moved on to other clothes.

Three things saved it:

• Soldiers. The Highland regiments of the British Army were allowed to keep the kilt the whole time. More on them below.
• Gentlemen's clubs. Wealthy Scots set up societies to save Highland culture. The Highland Society of London, founded in 1778, helped get the ban repealed.
• Royalty. In 1822 King George IV wore Highland dress during his visit to Edinburgh, and suddenly every Scottish gentleman wanted a kilt. Later, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought Balmoral in 1852 and filled it with tartan. George IV's 1822 visit was planned by Sir Walter Scott as a great tartan pageant.

Something important happened along the way. The kilt stopped being just Highland work clothing and became the dress of all Scotland, Lowlands included. That is a big part of why a man from Glasgow or Edinburgh wears one today, even if his family never lived in the Highlands. Ireland's kilt has a much newer and quite different story: the Irish kilt only became popular with the Gaelic revival of the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Why Scottish Soldiers Wore Kilts

If one group made the kilt world famous, it was the Highland regiments. The first, the Black Watch, wore a dark green and blue tartan now known as the Government tartan. The Black Watch tartan kilt is still one of the most popular kilts today.

Highland soldiers fought in kilts across Europe, North America, Africa and Asia. After battles like Waterloo in 1815, the kilted Highlander became a hero figure in Britain. Kilts were even worn in the trenches of the First World War.

Modern warfare finally ended that. In 1940 the War Office ordered Highland soldiers into standard battledress, partly because bare legs were exposed to gas. The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders are usually named as the last unit to wear kilts in action, in France in May 1940. Scottish soldiers still wear the kilt today, but for parades and ceremonies. Many units wore their own regimental tartan, and several of those patterns are still worn by civilians.

Why Do Scottish Men Wear Kilts Today?

Nobody needs a kilt to cross a bog any more. Scots wear them today for different reasons.

Pride in Being Scottish

This is the big one. The kilt is the most recognisable national dress in the Western world. Putting one on is a simple way of saying "this is who I am". You see it most at moments that feel important: getting married, graduating, or watching Scotland play.

Family and Clan

Many families have their own tartan, linked to a Scottish clan or a family name. Wearing your clan tartan is a bit like wearing your family crest. Men often choose the tartan their father or grandfather wore, which turns a kilt into a family heirloom. A surname is usually the first clue when you find your Scottish clan.

It Is Scotland's Formal Wear

In Scotland, a full kilt outfit counts as formal dress. Worn with a Prince Charlie jacket and bow tie, it is the Scottish equivalent of black tie. So when a wedding invitation says "black tie or Highland dress", many Scottish men pick the kilt. Full kilt outfits include the jacket, sporran, hose and accessories in one set.

Comfort (Mostly)

Ask a man who wears a kilt often and he will usually tell you it is comfortable. There is no tight waistband round the legs, you can move freely, and the cloth keeps you warm on a cold day. The buckles and straps also give a little room if your waist changes. To be honest, though, a heavy 8-yard kilt on a hot day in a packed room is warm. Comfort is a bonus, not the main reason.

Football and Rugby

Scotland's football fans, known as the Tartan Army, are famous for travelling to matches in kilts. Rugby fans do the same at Murrayfield. Here the kilt is less about formal dress and more about fun, team spirit and showing the world where you are from.

When Do Scottish Men Wear Kilts?

These are the occasions where you are most likely to see a Scotsman in a kilt.

Weddings are by far the most common reason. For many men, a wedding kilt is the first kilt they ever wear, whether at their own wedding or a friend's. The Burns Night outfit tends to be smart, while a Highland games outfit is relaxed day wear.

Do Scottish Men Wear Kilts Every Day?

No. Most Scottish men wear jeans and trousers like everyone else. Plenty of Scots don't even own a kilt, and many hire one for a wedding instead.

There are exceptions. Pipers, Highland dancers, tour guides and kiltmakers wear them often, and there is a small but growing group of men who wear a kilt as everyday clothing. Casual and utility kilts have helped with that. Still, for most Scots the kilt is special-occasion wear, which is a big part of why it means so much when they put it on.

Why Men and Not Women?

Historically, the kilt was a man's garment. Highland women wore a different wrap called the arisaid, a long tartan shawl belted into a dress. That is why people still ask why men wear kilts in particular. It is also why some people ask whether a kilt is a skirt. It isn't.

Today, women wear kilts too, especially at Highland dancing, pipe bands and weddings. Women's kilts are cut for a different fit and fasten on the other side. Women's kilts come in the same tartans as men's.

Thinking of Wearing a Kilt Yourself?

You don't need to be Scottish to wear a kilt. Plenty of people with Scottish roots, and plenty without, wear one to celebrate the culture. In short, anyone can wear a kilt as long as it is worn with respect.

Our advice for a first kilt: go for a kilt in a tartan that means something to you, whether that is your clan, your region or a universal tartan like Black Watch. Sizing and fabric are the two things to get right when buying a kilt, and kilts made to your measurements take care of both. If you have never put one on, start with how to wear a kilt.

Why Scots Wear Kilts: FAQs

Do Scottish men still wear kilts?

Yes. Scottish men still wear kilts, mainly for weddings, Burns Night, Highland games, graduations and sports matches. Very few wear them every day.

Why did Scots wear kilts instead of trousers?

The early kilt suited Highland life far better than trousers. It kept men warm in wet weather, stayed out of the mud, was easy to walk and climb in, and could be used as a blanket at night.

Why is the kilt the national dress of Scotland?

The kilt became a national symbol in the 1800s, thanks to the Highland regiments, King George IV's 1822 visit to Edinburgh and the Victorian love of all things Highland. Before then it was mostly worn in the Highlands.

Do Lowland Scots wear kilts?

Yes. Lowland Scots rarely wore kilts before the 1800s, but today the kilt is worn across all of Scotland, from Glasgow and Edinburgh to the Borders.

Why do Scottish men wear kilts to weddings?

A kilt outfit is Scotland's formal dress, so it is the natural choice for a wedding. Many grooms also wear their family tartan to honour their roots on the big day.

Why do Scotland fans wear kilts to football matches?

It is a way of showing national pride and team spirit. Scotland's football fans, the Tartan Army, are known around the world for travelling to games in kilts.

Did Scottish soldiers wear kilts in battle?

Yes. Highland regiments wore kilts in battle for about 200 years, including in the First World War. The kilt was withdrawn from combat in 1940, and today it is worn by soldiers for ceremonies and parades.

When was the kilt banned in Scotland?

The Dress Act of 1746 banned Highland dress, including the kilt, for men and boys in the Highlands. Soldiers in the Highland regiments were exempt. The ban was lifted in 1782.

What does a Scottish man wear under his kilt?

That is up to him. Tradition says nothing, but most men today wear underwear, and it is expected with a hired kilt. The full answer to what is worn under a kilt has more history than you might expect.

Do Scots buy or hire their kilts?

Both. Many men hire a kilt outfit for a single wedding, while others buy one in their family tartan to wear for years. If you will wear it more than two or three times, buying usually works out better value.