50 years ago, in Pre-oil days, I was the Manager of THE ABERDEEN & DISTRICT MILK MARKETING BOARD, Twin Spires, Bucksburn, and ABERDEEN DAIRIES, Aberdeen City. Also District Commissioner of Scouts, Aberdeen Northern District. My Maternal Grandmother was Mary Ross, and a Great Uncle, The Reverend James Ross, a Missionary, founding the Church in what was to become Abercorn, Northern Rhodesia.

The Milk Marketing Board, received the milk, from the Dairy Farmers of Aberdeenshire, Kincardineshire and Banffshire, and in a few cases cream separated on the Larger Estates.  Factory Managers dealing regularly with the Great Estates, adopted Highland Dress as a matter of choice, My 12yard Hunting Ross Kilt, By Scott's of Union Street Cost me £50.00. Made to measure and cut to set.

Each time I returned to the North-East I visited farmer friends and always in Highland Dress, came the oil, casual dress became the norm.

I still return to Scotland three or four times a year on coach tours, by 2005 I had to admit that south of the Great Glen, Highland Dress equated to fancy dress. Attending the Royal Highland Show, Edinburgh Tattoo, and the Dundonald Games. I still wear Highland Dress, last year a strange thing happened, on two November coach trips (pretending to celebrate Xmas), the Hotel staff were in Kilts & Gillie Shirts. On a trip to Sterling, it was interesting to see three Scots living south of the border, purchase & wear Kilt Outfits!!! 

So what have I to be thankful for?

I read and re-read The way forward for the Scots Language on your website, Burns works give no problem, as a child, my Dad read Burns works to me, always explaining words (and phrases) over which I stumbled, to be fair, I lived for time in Mauchline, and always enjoy performances at the Burns Centre.

Suddenly it dawned on me, what I was reading in The way forward for the Scots Language was the Scots we used in the Grampian area 50 years ago!!! a relative of mine Donald Ross, was translating Aberdeen Scots into Gaelic, sadly twenty years ago Donald died, and his drat notes were lost.