Men in Kilts – Episode 5 Review

The theme for Men in Kilts Episode 5 is Culture and Traditions so you can imagine there was plenty to talk about! This is a country that fully embraces traditions, from our food and national dress to language and folklore. I believe that the Scottish culture is one of the main reasons that so many people fall in love with Scotland. It helps people relate to their heritage, even if their ancestors left hundreds of years ago.

Unfortunately, this feels a little like an episode thrown together. It just features any interesting things that happened on the pair’s journey that didn’t fit anywhere else. Arguably everything they have seen or done so far comes under the wide umbrella of Scottish culture or traditions. This means that Men in Kilts Episode 5 is a little bit lacking in structure and flow, even though it has plenty of substance.

If you missed the review of Episode 4 then click here to go back and read that one first!

Local Tweed Shop

The first stop for our Men in Kilts is a clothing store with a pretty impressive pedigree. Stewart Christie & Co actually predates the building of Edinburgh’s New Town having been founded in 1720. It started life in the dark, cramped streets of the Royal Mile before moving across the North Bridge along with most of the wealthy residents.

The suits that they tailor for Sam and Graham are made from Harris Tweed. This is a truly historic fabric protected by its own Act of Parliament. To be Harris Tweed it has to be “Handwoven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the Outer Hebrides, and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides.”

It’s not just suits and jackets you find made of Harris Tweed though. There are cushions, bags and of course dog collars modelled by Molly below.

You won’t find many people wearing full tweed suits, unless you’re on a Highland estate or a fairly wealthy gentleman’s club. Just as an indication, an off the shelf suit from Stewart Christies & Co is around £800. On the other hand, many Scots will have their own kilt even if it’s a second hand ex-hire. It still costs a good few hundred pounds including all the accessories, but look after it well and it will last your whole life.

If you want to be one of the authentic men in kilts then I have a little advice. The smooth side of the kilt goes at the front, always wear it to the knee, never over it and never too high. If you’re unsure, then kneel down and the bottom of the kilt should be just at the floor not hanging above or lying on it.

Gaelic Lessons

I particularly liked the second location the Men in Kilts visited because it taught us about two things. Firstly a lesson on Scottish Gaelic and secondly, a lesson on the Scottish midge. I’m not convinced Sam managed to pay attention to very much while he was being pestered by these little bugs. During the summer months, if the wind drops then expect to be swarmed by millions of midges. Sometimes I’m lucky and the biters ignore me, but camping in the Lost Valley with my friend Mairead last year things got pretty bad as you can see.

Back to the Gaelic lesson which is such an interesting language but not widely spoken. Lots of visitors to Scotland go to the effort of learning a few phrases before travelling just to discover that only 1% of the population will understand them! If you have watched my Instagram weekend tours at all then you’ll know I love Gaelic music. I believe that those songs played a huge part in saving the language from extinction.

Historically, Gaelic bards and poets were afforded a huge amount of respect in society. Many of them would have been the people who passed Scotland’s stories down through the generations so for that, they have my eternal thanks.

I’m pleased to say that Scottish Gaelic has been making a resurgence in recent years. It’s now offered in schools as an optional class and for the mature students there are lessons on Duolingo as well as BBC Alba’s new setup SpeakGaelic. At the moment, Tha beagan gàidhlig agam or “I have a little Gaelic”.

Tae a Haggis

Sam then recites one of my favourite Robert Burns poems “Tae a Haggis”. This classic always accompanies a Burns Supper, the celebration of out national poet and needs plenty of dramatic actions. I really expected a section on haggis here since it’s one of Scotland’s best recognised cultural icons. For some reason, Episode 5 just moved on without explanation. Don’t worry though, I’ve got you covered.

Don’t be put off by the following description of haggis, trust me when I say it’s delicious. Haggis is made from finely ground heart, liver and lungs of a sheep, mixed up with oats, suet and spices. Once it’s cooked you get a soft and slightly spicy mixture which I wouldn’t describe as overly meaty. Traditionally you’ll find it eaten with neeps and tatties, otherwise known as mashed turnip and potatoes.

The poem was first written by Robert Burns as an off the cuff joke during a dinner party. He then took the idea and refined it to what we have today. It would have been seen as a poor man’s meal in Burns’ time so the poem is full of sarcasm. Making it out that haggis is so important it deserves it’s own grace and that those who refuse it to eat fancy foreign dishes are left weak. Unlike the big strong Scotsmen of course!

If you want to hear the whole poem then have a look at my attempt while hosting a virtual Burns Supper in January here.

You can find the words written out here along with a translation: Tae A Haggis.

Herbal Remedies

I was a bit surprised for herbal remedies to feature in Men in Kilts Episode 5. This isn’t something I would say is deeply engrained into Scottish culture or traditions. Of course it would have been incredibly important to people of the past, but it’s one aspect of history that I need to learn more about myself.

A modern day Claire Beecham-Randall-Fraser talks us through different plant based remedies. In real life, this is Claire Mackay Marcello from Herbal Heritage who was an advisor on Outlander. She is doing an excellent job keeping traditional medicines alive today in Scotland. If you enjoyed that side of Outlander then you can actually visit the garden from the show at Culross Palace.

They mention Bog Myrtle which is a well known deterrent for those midges that were bothering Sam earlier in the episode. But there was another remedy that caught my interest. Onion juice for baldness is a new one that I’ll try out and report back on.

“Don’t you even think about rubbing an onion on my head” might be my favourite line from the show so far.

Basket Weaving

We’ve come a long way since the Men in Kilts were tossing cabers and heaving up lifting stones. Now they are sitting down with Lise Bech to try their hand at weaving baskets. I wouldn’t say this is a skill or a hobby that’s common amongst Scots but you will find a few fascinating weaved sculptures around. Falkland Palace has a beautiful Mary Queen of Scots made by none other than Sam Heughan’s uncle – Trevor Leat. On the other side of the country, Culzean Castle features mythological animals by David Powell.

In a wider sense, Scotland is full of incredible craftspeople who put in hundreds of hours to hone their skill. With Christmas coming up, I feel much better searching through markets or independent stores to find some gifts with real personality.

Crofting on Skye

Last and by no means least, Men in Kilts Episode 5 takes us off to the Isle of Skye to experience crofting. These two herding sheep goes pretty much exactly as you would expect. An absolute farce, although I doubt Molly and I could do any better…

Crofting is a uniquely Scottish tradition although it isn’t as old as you might think. For hundreds of years, most highlanders lived under a tightknit clan system. Unfortunately, that started to break down after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. The Highland Clearances soon followed where people were moved from their homes in the glens of Scotland to make room for large scale sheep farming or sporting estates.

I found a really interesting page that explains things much better than I can. It has several fascinating videos to explain how the crofting way of life has developed over the last couple hundred years. If you’re interested then have a look here.

If you’re watching along with the series (or even if you’re not), then check out the next episode here!

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