SOURCES FOR SCOTTISH GOODS
Introduction and List by Eric Saunders
Links and Contact Info Updated April 16, 2008 by Robert
Saunders
If info cannot be verified, it has been crossed out
instead of deleted.
This is a no nonsense page which is
purposely devoid of much graphics. It is intended as
a service to Scots, particularly those in America, to
provide information about the available sources of Scottish
attire and goods. If you know of additional sources
which you would like to see listed, please provide the
relevant information by email. Note the format of the
listings and please try to provide all of the sort of
information which I am listing, including a brief note
about what sort of goods the vendor carries, and any
specialties. I will, at my discretion, list any relevant
sources that you might provide. But I will include your
recommendation of a vendor — if and only if — you are
willing to have your email address listed as the person
who made the recommendation.
This effort is provided as a service
to my fellow Scotsmen. I am not making any money from
this effort, and I specifically disclaim any responsibility
for any of the vendors listed or for any transactions
that you might have with them. The vendors are listed
in alphabetical order, so as not to imply any recommendations.
Nevertheless, if I say that I bought something from
a particular vendor, you can pretty much count on it
being a great buy and great quality. (If I got burned
somewhere, then I wouldn’t do the vendor the courtesy
of listing it here, now would I?) While I may not be
the foremost authority in such matters, you can probably
tell that I have made the effort to educate myself as
to the available sources of Scottish goods, so it is
unlikely that I paid anything more than the lowest price
for the quality of goods that I bought. Of course, I
tend to buy only very high quality (why would you do
otherwise, unless you didn’t know better).
If you are going to wear the kilt, you
MUST find a copy of the J. Charles Thompson (February
21, 1917 – June 6, 1995) book So You're Going To Wear
The Kilt. Mr. Thompson was the undisputed foremost American
authority on modern Scottish attire, and his works are
also highly regarded even in Scotland, itself. If you
study the subject enough, you will find that some authorities
might disagree on a few minor points, but you just can’t
go far wrong by following his sage advice. (Ladies,
note particularly the modern version of the arisaid,
which he recommends. I couldn’t agree more that it is
the perfect attire for a lady accompanying a gentleman
who is wearing the kilt.) I will try to list some sources
for this book, below – but this is a commonly available
work which can be obtained from many vendors and at
essentially any Scottish event where vendors are present.
 Please
note that I am not including here pages which would
be of interest ONLY to pipers and drummers, as these
are covered adequately elsewhere. (Click on the image
of the pipes below to go to a listing of most of them.)
However, many of the vendors listed here do also carry
bagpipes and accessories in addition to their other
lines.
You should check out the
Official Register of All Publicly Known Tartans.
I'll bet there are variations on your clan tartan that
you may not have seen before.
Please let these merchants know you
found them through the web pages of The Clan MacAlister
Society.
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1739 PUBLICATIONS
500 East Cleveland Street
Dillon SC 29536
phone (800) 204-2506
www.carolinascots.com
This vendor has advised
us of the availability of Carolina Scots: An
Historical and Genealogical Study of Over 100
Years of Emigration. Scotland and the Carolinas
are separated by an ocean but united by a common
story. The history of the Highland diaspora
comes alive in this brand new book.
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ACHLAIN MEDALS
Glenmoriston,
Inverness-shire.
IV3 6YN
Scotland
phone +44 (0) 1320 340
341
fax +44 (0) 1320 340 255
email
info@medal.co.uk
www.medal.co.uk
(Offline: April 2008)
Achlain Medals is making
very attractive pure silver clan crest medals.
So far, they have only a few available "off
the shelf", but they are soliciting inquiries
from other clans. Seems to be worth looking
into if you are looking for a distinctive keepsake
for your clan members.
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KILTS BY SUSAN
(Formerly "Susan Brashear
Kiltmaker")
11055 Mystery Mountain
Road
Valley Center, CA 92082
Work: (760) 749-1451
Fax (760) 749-8831
www.kiltsbysusan.com
(Updated: 2007)
This is the shop from which
I bought my dirk (at the Pozo games). They seem
to have a nice selection of quality goods.
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CELTIC CRAFT CENTRE
11323 Columbus Ave.
Fisherman’s Wharf
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 567-6520
fax (415) 567-5918
email
ccckilt@aol.com
web page ::
price list ::
sporran leaflet
Flyer Available
This is a branch of a shop
on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. I bought my
kilt and many other accessories here. They carry
pretty much the standard line of accessories.
What really sets them apart is the way they
make their kilts. Without getting into too much
detail here, the sewn part of the kilt is shaped
into the back and fits like a glove and hangs
properly even during strenuous activity. It's
great to have a branch of an Edinburgh shop
in the States. They're good people and I understand
that they ship anywhere in the U.S. free.
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CHEAPER THAN DIRT
2536 NE Loop 820
Fort Worth, TX 76106-1809
(888) 625-3848
fax (800) 596-5655
email
CTD@cheaperthandirt.com
www.cheaperthandirt.com
Just the name appeals to
my Scottish heart. This vendor carries a variety
of sporting goods such as firearms accessories
and edged weapons. From time to time they have
claymores and other weapons and accessories
of particular interest to Scots at prices
commensurate with their name.
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THE RENAISSANCE STORE
Chivalry Sports, Inc.
4620 E. Speedway Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85712
main phone (520) 546-8223
store phone (520) 731-1812
fax (520) 546-8220
toll free (800)-730-5464
toll free (800) 730-KING
toll free fax (800) 410-KING
toll tree fax (800) 410-5464
customerservice@chivalrysports.com
www.RenStore.com
Catalog Available
Not a Scottish store, per
se – but a source of a great selection of Scottish
goods (as well as other sorts of period outfits,
weapons and armor.) In particular, this is a
great source of items for women, which is much
needed given that most Scottish shops only have
a very small selection for women. I got several
things here, including what they call an "Irish
Dress" for my lady, Gail. The Irish Dress is
similar to the Arisaid (except that, since it
only comes in a limited variety of tartans,
we had to get it in a solid color to match her
dress sash.) This is marketed as a period piece,
but works very well as modern women’s Scottish
attire for occasions when the gentleman might
be wearing formal or semiformal Scottish attire.
Also, check out their "The Secret of Wearing
a Kilt" video tape.
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DUNCAN HOUSE
(updated: February 19,
2008)
Strathaird Steading
Strathaird
Isle of Skye
IV49 9AX
Tel: +44 (0)1471 866 366
Fax: +44 (0)1471 866 327
www.duncan-house.com
Garth Duncan creates the
most special blades and jewelry on earth. If
you want the best dirk, sgain dubh, clan badge,
or Celtic jewelry, then this is the place to
look.
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The Edge
Company
Out of Business
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Gael Force Imports
Varied Info Found in 2008:
323 West Cromwell Avenue Suite 117
Fresno, CA 93711
Phone: (559)438-9661
PO Box 26445
Fresno, CA 93729
This vendor tends to shy
away from clothing, concentrating instead on
other sorts of Scottish goods, such as music,
jewelry, accessories, and the like. A great
source for such items.
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GEOFFREY (TAILOR)
KILTMAKERS & WEAVERS
(several
locations throughout Scotland)
U.S. and Canada: (800)
566-1467
email
enquiries@geoffreykilts.co.uk
www.geoffreykilts.co.uk
One of the larger and more
established full service Highland dress and
accessories shops. In addition to the direct
toll free hotline from the United States and
Canada, they have a truck that tours the biggest
Scottish events here. I bought my gillie brogues
from them at the Sacramento games (in Woodland,
CA). In my opinion, one of their coolest items
is the white Prince Charlie.
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CAROL FARNES
P.O. Box 458
Guerneville, CA 95446
(707) 869-3574
9am to 5pm PST
www.carolfarnes.com
Flyer Available
Carol works in leather.
I bought my leather eitean from her, at the
Queen Mary festival. (She calls it her "Doublet
with Collar and Peplum") It is, without a doubt,
the single most special item of Scottish attire
that I own. Everywhere I go I get comments about
it.
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GREAT SCOT SHOP
76 East Main Street
Nashville, Indiana 47448
(812) 988-1877
(800) 572-1073
(812) 988-1660
email
info@greatscotshop.com
www.greatscotshop.com
The web page looks good.
It appears that they carry a fairly complete
line of Scottish clothing and accessories.
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THE HISTORY CHANNEL
phone 1 (888) 423-1212
www.historychannel.com
You may have Brave Heart
and Rob Roy, but your Scottish video collection
is incomplete without
BATTLE OF THE CLANS. This is a new video
from THE HISTORY CHANNEL which is the most comprehensive
video treatment to date covering the Clans from
the beginnings up to the present day. It is
available for $29.95 by calling the above number.
More Scottish Video
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HERITAGE IMPORTS
P.O. Box 3246
Yuba City, CA 95992
phone (530) 674-33659
fax (530) 674-7824
email
Imports@succeed.net
We bought some nice jewelry
and sword hangers form these folks at the Sacramento
games. Like all good importers, they have a
selection of kind of "standard" items as well
as a nice selection of special items which only
they seem know how to find.
Now called SHAMROCK STUDIOS
Celtic Music Performances
www.shamrockstudios.com
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J. HIGGINS, LTD.
P.O. Box 14341
Lenexa, KS 66285-4341
(800) 426-7268
(913) 894-0220
fax (913) 894-0217
emailo
john@jhiggins.net
www.jhiggins.net
Catalog Available
Highly recommended. This
is a GREAT source of Scottish clothing and accessories.
The prices on many items are absolutely the
best anywhere (OFTEN BY MORE THAN $100). Also,
a great source for pipe and drum uniforms and
equipment. I got my Prince Charlie here, along
with several other items. J. Higgins, Ltd. is
a wonderful Scottish shop right here in the
good old USA. The prices are the best without
any sacrifice in quality. You owe it to yourself
to check out their page.
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HOUSE OF TARTAN, LTD.
Drummond Street
Comrie
Perthshire
Scotland
PH62DW
Phone: +44 1764 679000
Fax: +44 1764 679002
Email
www.houseoftartan.co.uk
Catalog Available
Biggest selection of tartans,
and the catalog makes it easy to shop. Prices
are good.
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THE WILLIAM MACINTOSH CATALOGUE
499 Lawnmarket, The Royal
Mile
Edinburgh EH1 2PE, Scotland
fax & telephone +44 (0)
131 255 6113
email wm.macintosh.co@dial.pipex.com
email
wm.macintosh.co@dial.pipex.com
web page
http://www/TartanWeb.com/wmc/
Mr. MacIntosh has a small
shop in Edinburgh, but he concentrates mostly
on the internet. Not only does he have the full
line of Scottish clothing which you might expect
from a kiltmaker, he has a vast selection of
other very fine and interesting items. For example,
he carries a very complete line of period clothing
and accessories including leather goods and
coatees, and the like. He also has a line of
ladies clothing which can only be considered
as the haute couture of Scottish clothing. I
have ordered for myself there. But most special
is the "modern arisaid" which I have ordered
for my lady, Gail. It is a long way from inexpensive,
but you have to check it out on his page. The
page is just so full of useful information and
interesting things that it is great entertainment
even if you don’t plan to buy right away. William
MacIntosh & Co. is simply the best of the best
in many categories.
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LAMB, ETC.
1413 S.E. Mill
Roseburg, OR 97470
(541) 673-7463
www.oatmealsavage.com
Charles Lamb has an interesting
line, including some very special items. I bought
my badger sporan from him at the Queen Mary
festival, and ordered an Inverness cape which
I picked up at the Pozo games. The cape was
a little on the expensive side, but nicer than
those more commonly available. I also bought
a very beautiful hand carved walking stick from
him, but these are available in only very limited
quantities and I get the feeling that he won’t
sell you one of these unless he likes you. But
this gives you an idea about the eclectic sort
of collection he has. He also has a variety
of Scottish oatmeals and has an FDA approved
haggis. His shirts are recognized as being the
most attractive and distinctive highland shirts
around. You should look him up at the games,
and by all means check out his new web site.
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BUZZ KIDDER & BUZZ KIDDER
ORIGINALS OF CALIFORNIA
Kidder Brothers, P.O. Box
4612, Bisbee, AZ 85603
(520) 432-5388,
www.buzzkidder.com
Buzz Kidder Originals of
California: 976 Almond Drive, Oakley CA 94561,
(925) 625-2673,
www.buzzkidderoriginals.com
Highland shirts for men
and women. Check out their web page. It looks
like they have some very nice highland shirts
at very reasonable prices.
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MACLEODS SCOTTISH SHOPS
80 Ontario Street
Stratford, Ontario
N5A 3H2
Canada
Phone: (519) 273-5850
Fax: (519) 273-6287
info@kilts.biz
www.macleodsscottish.com
www.kilts.biz
This looks like a fine Scottish
shop specializing in mail order. Some interesting
items which I have not seen from other vendors.
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THE NOBLE COLLECTION
P.O. Box 1476
Sterling, VA 20167
(800) 866-2538
www.noblecollection.com
Catalog Available
Weapons and Armor only.
The catalog doesn’t concentrate on Scottish
goods, but they have several items of interest.
I bought a beautiful shield with a Rampant Lion
emblazoned, and a (decorative only) Scottish
flintlock there.
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HECTOR RUSSEL KILTMAKER
4-9 Huntley Street
Inverness IV3 5PR
01463 222781
Other Locations
fax 01463 713414
kilts@russellh.win-uk.net
www.hector-russell.com/
Catalog Available
A great catalog. I haven’t
ordered from them yet, but I intend to. I really
like all of the clothing in their catalog, but
am particularly fond of the doublets.
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THE SCOTLAND YARD
The Scotland Yard Ltd
646 Frankfort Road
Shelbyville, Kentucky 40065
(800) 636-0116
www.scotyard.com
Not much information on the web page about what
they carry, but the prices for kilts
are very reasonable, indeed.
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SCOTTISH IMAGES
P.O. Box 160133
Sacramento, CA 95816
(800) 700-0334 (orders only)
(916) 362-3474 (phone & fax)
Catalog Available
These folks have a very
large selection of books, tapes and CDs, and
the largest selection I have seen of video tapes.
They also have some glassware, accessories and
the like. All of these things are very nice
and reasonably priced. I have purchased quaiches
and video tapes from them, myself. But the really
distinguishing feature of this vendor is the
HUGE selection of artwork. It is definitely
the first place I will look when I am next looking
for "Scottish Images". That must why they call
themselves that!
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THE SCOTTISH LION IMPORT SHOP
Little Scotland
P O Box 5002-191
North Conway, NH 03860
1-800-355-7268 (SCOT)
sales@scottishlion.com
(800) 355-7268
www.scottishlion.com
Catalog Available
Good selection. Fairly full
line of clothing, and more different types of
products (like glassware, pictures, and the
like) than most vendors.
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TARTANS UNLIMITED
P.O. Box 33822
San Diego, CA 92163
(619) 295-2562
email
bharpole@ix.netcom.com
web page
http://207.48.130.123/uniforms/index.htm
Catalog Available ($5.00)
A somewhat limited selection,
but some interesting items, including some military
uniform items, and the like.
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TALISMAN JEWELERS & METALSMITHS
To visit in the Los
Angeles area, Call for appt.
1-800-937-7912
(541) 482-5372
www.metalsmiths.com
Recommended by
Billy G. Adams. They stock Celtic jewelry
and will make custom jewelry to order. Mr. Adams
says that they are making an EAGALACH badge.
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A WEE BIT OF SCOTLAND
5473 Capistrano Ave.
Atascadero, CA 93422
(805) 466-2039
These folks had a small
table at the Pozo games. I don’t know what their
other presence is other than their shop, itself
– but they have some very nice jewelry and accessories.
I bought a very elegant hallmarked silver kilt
pin from them.
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WHAT PRICE GLORY
238-A Commission Street
Salinas CA 93901
Toll Free Order Line:
888-431-2351
Inquiry Line:
831-754-2351
9AM - 6PM PACIFIC TIME
12PM - 9PM EASTERN TIME
(that means don't call
before Mickey's hands point straight up)
5PM - 2AM UK TIME
jerry@whatpriceglory.com
www.whatpriceglory.com
www.onlinemilitaria.net
What Price Glory eBay Store
Jerry Lee deals in historic
uniforms and accessories. He has sporrans and
bonnets, and the like, which we all can use.
But if you are trim enough to be able to fit
into regulation size uniform gear (which I am
not, by a long shot), you are really in luck
here.
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