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Angus Glens cattle breeder goes kilt-free for first time at Royal Highland Show

Luckily, he was wearing a fetching pair of Bermuda shorts instead.

Royal Highland Show
Traditional kilt-wearer John Gibb was forced to don shorts at the Royal Highland Show.

There was something just not right on the hottest day of the Royal Highland Show.

Veteran Beef Shorthorn breeder John Gibb, of Glenisla, in the Angus Glens, wasn’t wearing his kilt.

Instead, “the major” was to be seen strolling around the showground in khaki Bermuda shorts.

The sudden change of attire was unsurprising, given the scorching weather.

As anyone who’s ever worn a kilt knows, it’s not the most comfortable of garments in the heat.

John’s fashion choice raises eyebrows

But John’s decision to change the habit of a lifetime raised a few eyebrows among the farming fraternity.

Industry insiders could not recall ever seeing him without his Buchanan tartan kilt at the big show.

“This is unprecedented,” one of them told us, adding: “The major and his kilt are such an established part of the Royal Highland.”

This is definitely a first for me. It was a very hot day.” John Gibb.

John told us it was a sensible decision under the circumstances.

He’s had his kilt on the day before for the cattle judging.

But he wasn’t showing animals this year so decided to dispense with the kilt for once.

“This is definitely a first for me,” he said, adding: “It was a very hot day.”

John and his kilt are familiar sight at many other agricultural events too

It’s not just the Royal Highland that he gets his kilt out for.

He dresses exactly the same way at many other events in the Scottish agricultural and Highland Games calendar.

John Gibb in his kilt.
John and his kilt at the East of England Smithfield Festival. Image; Tim Scrivener

Glenisla House has been in the family since 1918 and John took over in 1966.

He currently has around 70 cows on his farm.

He started breeding Beef Shorthorns in the early 1970s and he’s shown them at the Royal Highland, in Edinburgh, almost annually since the early 80s.

John in his kilt at Glenisla Highland Games.

Explaining why he didn’t enter any cattle this time, John said industry-wide labour shortages are making it increasingly difficult to take time off from the farm.

Because of this, he couldn’t commit to four days of Royal Highland Show attendance.

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