The History of Scotland's Iconic Kilt

February 07, 2024

Scotland's iconic relationship with the kilt began as far back as the 16th century when wool became an affordable and effective material for clothing. Before sheep and wool were established in the highlands, people would wear clothes made from linen and while cheap, it was better suited for climates much further south than the highlands of Scotland. Wool on the other hand is naturally weather-resistant and a great insulator, perfect for the harsh Scottish conditions.

Kilts in Winter

December 27, 2023

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, it's time to start thinking about how to stay warm and stylish in the winter. And what better way to do that than with a kilt?

When Should You Start Arranging Your Kilt?

November 22, 2023

The design of a traditional Scottish kilt has remained largely unchanged since the 18th century. From weaving the tartan to folding the pleats, each step of the process requires great skill and craftsmanship. Even after the Industrial Revolution introduced commodities like weaving and sewing machines, the process is still fairly complex. The intricacy and complexity of kilts is what makes them special, meaning production does take time. Whether you are buying a machine-made or handmade kilt, it’s important to consider how far in advance you should get things organised. While hire kilts aren’t made to order, during busy times of...

How the traditional kilt shop experience is evolving

July 12, 2023

The kilt has been a part of Scottish identity for centuries, first as the feileadh-mór or great kilt and later as the fèileadh beag, which is the version we know today. The great kilt was not much more than a length of material wrapped around the waist with the excess material draped over the shoulder. However, as the kilt evolved into the fèileadh beag or little kilt, the construction of the kilt became more intricate. After the Dress Act of 1746 was repealed in 1782, demand for high-quality traditional highlandwear grew, not just in the rural highlands, but also in the modern...

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Kilt in 2023?

June 14, 2023

Wearing a kilt to a formal or semi-formal occasion is always the best choice, in our humble opinion at least. A kilt delivers a wow factor that a suit just can’t seem to match. Whether you are looking for a kilt to wear to a Burns Supper or are looking to get your groomsman kitted out for the big day, our Kilt Hire service is here to help. We have four stores in Scotland, pop-up services in London and Manchester, as well as a Virtual Kilt Fitting Service, all of which can help you arrange your next highlandwear look. But how much...

Samantha and David's Wedding Day

June 07, 2023

Samantha and David recently celebrated their big day and have graciously agreed to share a little bit of their story with us. As we’ve mentioned before, we love hearing about our customer's wedding days and learning a little bit about the thought processes behind planning one of the most important days of their lives. We asked David why he chose to wear a kilt outfit for his big day. He explained that “Being Scottish, I have a lot of love for the kilt. I had only worn one once before when I was extremely young and I remember how much...

When were kilts invented?

May 17, 2023

The relationship between Scotland and its kilts goes back many centuries, however, the date in which kilts were first invented, is rather unknown. The first documented mention of the féileadh-mór (or great kilt) can be found in books dating back to the 1500’s. As you can imagine, the great kilts' popularity would have been quite prevalent to have been worthy of documentation at that time. So it’s safe to say that the great kilt would have been invented sometime earlier. It’s thought that once sheep became readily available across Scotland that their wool would have been used to weave cloth....

Wedding Guide 2023

May 11, 2023

Wedding season is approaching full bloom and we’re kilting up more grooms and guests every week. Nowadays more than ever we find that couples are looking for ways to make their day unique and personal and highlandwear is an ideal way to do that. Although tartan and kilts are often seen as very traditional, there are so many ways you can use them to add a personal and contemporary touch to your big day. From handfasting ceremonies to hiring any tartan, dive into our ultimate guide to wedding season 2023.

How To Wear a Kilt Casually

April 19, 2023

Traditional highlandwear outfits are most commonly worn to formal events like weddings and other black tie events. The swing of the pleats, the different colours of tartan and all the accessories make for a much more interesting outfit than a plain suit. While it’s ultimately down to personal preference, as a rule of thumb, a Prince Charlie or Argyll jacket and waistcoat are worn to the most formal occasions. These outfits are also accessorised with a dress sporran. For slightly less formal occasions, tweed jackets and semi-dress sporrans are more appropriate. This doesn’t mean that a tweed jacket can’t be...

Harris Mist Tartan Takeover

April 12, 2023

From designing and weaving the tartan to launching our collection, sharing our new Harris Mist tartan has been a proud moment for the whole team at MacGregor and MacDuff. With every department involved in some way or another and having had such a great reaction to the design, we wanted to do something more special than ever to celebrate. Having been inspired by the Isle of Harris, we thought a trip to the island would be the perfect tribute to the tartan’s roots. We hosted a fitting service and organised a photoshoot with the iconic Harris scenery as the backdrop. From start...

Celebrating Scottish Ancestry

March 23, 2023

We were recently approached by a newspaper to answer a few questions about the wearing of kilts by non-Scots. In our answers, we discussed that as long as highlandwear is worn properly and not as a joke, cultural appropriation isn’t an issue. We have mentioned previously that we see non-Scots wearing kilts as a cultural celebration and encourage everyone to wear a kilt, no matter their nationality or ancestry. After the article was published, it got us thinking about how far kilts and highlandwear have travelled throughout the world and how a small country like Scotland has been able to...