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Nothing wrong with tartan persona

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Published Date: 08 March 2008
ON ROLLS
Scotland's rebranding
After renaming the Scottish Executive the "Scottish Government" and ditching "The Best Small Country in the World" as the nation's marketing slogan, the hyperactive Saatchis in the SNP administration now want to rename Tartan Week – the festival of all things Scottish in the United States – as "Scotland Week".
The aim is to broaden out from razzmatazz events such as the Tartan Day parade down Fifth Avenue to more serious promotions of contemporary Scottish life and work. The administration is anxious to move away from anything associated with Caledonian Cringe and to present Scotland as something more than the land of tartans, whisky and shortbread. Commendable though this broadening is, the fact remains that many Scottish Americans love the tartan-and-bagpipes persona. These are real, unambiguous and indisputable assertions of Scottish identity and automatically recognised as such around the world. Many nations are deeply envious of our distinctive identity – and the enduring appeal of these traditional icons speaks volumes about their popularity.

As with so much, it is a question not of ditching our heritage but striking a fresh balance between old and new. If potential US investors warm to the traditional, we should play to this strength while also making clear we are about so much more.





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  • Last Updated: 07 March 2008 8:09 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Tartan Week
 
1

Abel Magwitch,

08/03/2008 05:06:54
The Scotsman should offer a prize for the best poem in the style of Robert Burns, extolling the things that modern Scotland has to offer. Extra bonus if it can be set to music.
2

EWB,

UK 08/03/2008 07:23:47
If whisky and shortbread sell big time in the States, then is there not a point in maintaining that image and helping the Scottish economy?

If Americans like kitsch, then why not sell it to them?

However, why the self-styled Scottish Government is right to play down this Walter-Scott-engendered tartanalia, which fits in with the Brigadoon image of Scotland, is that most Scots are English-speaking Lowlanders whose traditional dress was never the tartan.

But as Holywood says: Don't let truth get in the way of a good story.
3

Hermitage,

Edinburgh 08/03/2008 08:26:28
All we need now is Harry Lauder, Andy Stewart and the White Heather Club, Kenneth McKellar singing 'Scotland the Brave' and.........Flower of Scotland.

Cringe.
4

Beth Boyle,

NY 08/03/2008 08:28:19
Yes there is more to Scotland than Burns but then when Scots think of America they think of Hollywood, Niagara Falls and Cowboys. When Americans think of Scotland they think of glens, tartan and short bread. What's wrong with that? It's just human nature to love a good story and a little glamor. Salmond is making a mistake taking all the fun our of Tartan Week! Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Humbug! A bit of twee is the way to a man/women's heart, aye!
5

eric,

08/03/2008 09:15:14
Scotland has to get its own Eurovision entry ,AAAAAAg
More Tartan cringe or Boil n bag Scottishness,
6

Douglas,

Bathgate 08/03/2008 09:36:49
Beth #4: When I think of Niagara Falls I think of Canada. :o)
7

Foulkes Off the CyberNat,

Edinburgh 08/03/2008 10:07:29
Well maybe the Scotsman doesnie mind the world viewing Scots through the image of grounds keeper Wullie.
8

Beth Boyle,

NY 08/03/2008 11:05:17
Well Douglas it stands between Canada and the USA. Would you like it better then if I said the Grand Canyon or how about Las Vegas? At anyrate when I come over I don't look for modern Scotland very much I look for history and natural grandeur! If I want Modern Corporate culture I will just stay here at hame.
9

Beth Boyle,

NY 08/03/2008 11:23:27
Well Douglas it stands between Canada and the USA. Would you like it better then if I said the Grand Canyon or how about Las Vegas? At anyrate when I come over I don't look for modern Scotland very much I look for history and natural grandeur! If I want Modern Corporate culture I will just stay here at hame.
10

Over the Top,

08/03/2008 11:29:23
The Scots in Scotland are always looking at the their own World through English eyes and rarely ever through Scottish ones.
11

EWB,

UK 08/03/2008 12:21:03
#7. Interesting point, though I suspect that some Scots would rather that the world knew that Scots existed, even in the form of the Simpsons' (a guid Scots name!!!) grounds keeper Wullie, than not at all.

No doubt James Doonan, the Canadian who played the Aberdonian Scottie in "Star Trek" was equally welcomed because he put a Scotsman in Outer Space, despite his attempts to speak with a Scottish accent. And what of Captain Kirk: was he a Scots American? (Yes, I know: William Shatner is a Canadian.)

I suspect that many Scots willingly perpetuated the legend of the canny (or should that be "mean"?) Scot to keep Scots on the radar. Harry Lauder of "bang goes saxpence" fame immortalised the canny Scot.

After all, how many Americans refer to the UK as "England"?
12

Ard Righ,

The Rock Of Edinburgh 08/03/2008 13:07:31
Tourism, forget it.
Lets ban the Gold Bros tat and their denigration of our culture, indeed any one who does not make traditional dress of traditional Scottish materials in Scotland by Scots or taught by Scots.
13

Douglas,

Bathgate 08/03/2008 18:49:09
Thanks for that Beth. We know our place eh? We'll just sit here in the 19th century and wait to be patronised by visitors like yourself. Gosh, we're so cute! Especially since we got indoor plumbing.
BTW we don't think any less of you lot just because you got the wee side of the falls.
14

Over the Top,

08/03/2008 20:31:29
I understand this event was invented by a Canadian in Antigonish in 1986 or 1987.
Does any Scottish person have the right to change anything. If they do then surely anyone throughout the world can do the same to any event in Scotland.
15

Beth Boyle,

NY 08/03/2008 20:55:46
Douglas that is not what I am saying at all. The fact is Scottish people are one of the big reasons people like to visit because most Scots are down to earth, wonderful people to be around. You Dougie are the exception. So someone tell me, please what huge modern part of Scotland is supposed to take the place of the wonderful landscape and the traditional culture? Come on, some one tell me? When most people travel to another coutry be it Egypt or Rome most want the local flavor. All this debate really sounds like Scotland has a chip on its shoulder because its not a big player on the world stage. What a shame to see Salmond wanting to throw out the baby with the bath water. Scotland is not one thing and you all know that too.
16

Douglas,

Bathgate 09/03/2008 13:50:03
Local flavo(u)r yes, Beth. And that flavour does include shortbread, whisky, Irn Bru and all the other health supplements for which we are world famous. In my opinion we don't, as a country, have a chip on our shoulder, at least no moreso than any other stereotyped tourist destination, but there are other things going on here alongside haggis farming and mining for Edinburgh rock.
In conclusion, you appear to have the American habit of taking words at face value, missing the intended undertone of humour but I'll be sure to include smiley faces where I'm kidding in future posts. :o)
Be well Beth.
17

Harumph,

Harumphland 19/03/2008 09:44:38
Douglas and Beth - you did both make me laugh this morning!
It's such a shame that there's not a keyboard shortcut to highlight irony in the same way one can use the underline, bold and italic facilities...
Thanks for helping to start my day with a smile.
18

Long Black Veil,

New York 02/04/2008 00:11:34
Douglas and Beth:

First of all, I hope that you both give us all a thrill by riding off into the sunset together at the end of this thread, like Monroe and Gable in "The Misfits."

You both presuppose that tourists in both directions are of the, shall we say "middlebrow," variety, with no interest in art, architecture, comparative studies in various industries, etc. The truth is that most Euros who travel to the US would rather spend a weekend in trashy Vegas than exploring New York City's islands and historic South Street seaport, although we have plenty of history to offer. Most Americans, when they go to the UK or Europe, want something different that they can't get here, e.g., gloomy castles. However, often the most common tourist destinations are overrated. I had a fascinating trip to Scotland last year on a shoestring budget precisely because I DIDN'T patronize the most sought-after tourist traps (well, except for the Tattoo, which was a disappointment). But I did a lot of research beforehand on my own and made use of the tourist centres once I got there.
Government money can be effectively used to direct tourism off the beaten path into fascinating areas of any country's history that normally don't receive much attention. So there!

 

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