This is the real Scotland not the tartan /shortbread version that tourists usually get served up.

More like the authentic plaid skirts that were actually worn in ancient times than the pleated ones of today.

@Marionville I am curious at the longer rear portion than the front. All we see here are the very expensive pleated jobs. They are very particular about showing off their kilts here. I believe that the clan tartan patterns are a 19 th. century affectation.

@FrayedBear I think that a lot of the tartans are quite modern in as much as they have bright colours. I do believe there were ancient plaids in dull colours which would have been dyed wool woven into particular combinations denoting the clans. They would have been dyed with grasses roots and ground-up minerals and the colours would not have been vivid. I have seen old illustrations and they seemed to be more like lengths of cloth wrapped around and up over one shoulder. Yes the had to be shorter at the front or they would have tripped on them....they were held on the shoulder with a pin or brooch.
.

@FrayedBear I should also have said that I understand that they originally came over to Scotland with the Norsemen or Vikings who ruled over large swathes of the north and west of Scotland for centuries including most of the Highlands and Islands including the Isle of Man and even down as far as Golloway on the English border. So technically the kilt was brought to Scotland and even prior to that the Greek and Roman soldiers wore kilt like tunics!

@Marionville re looking at the garments I began to consider that the longer part at the back is indeed the plaidy that goes around the shoulder. [encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com]

@Marionville My probable ancestry. The Isle of Man had a large influx of refugees of Viking origin in 960? when Brian Boru threw them out of Dublin.