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The Caledonian Society of Oman
One of the largest, most important events in the Scottish calendar will take place this November

Old Scottish traditions are being celebrated in Oman this November. The flourish of kilts and bagpipes might sound out of place in the Middle East, but Oman and the Scots share a long history. Established by a group of senior officers serving with the armed forces, The Caledonian Society of Oman has given advice to Omani institutions on things Scottish – such as the choice of suitable tartans – and organised a variety of cultural and social events. Now, it is gearing up for its biggest annual celebration.

"This year," its chieftain, Jamie Irvine-Fortescue proclaims, "we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the society at St Andrew's Ball on Thursday November 30th, our national day. It promises to be a grand event with a demonstration by the Royal Air Force of Oman Pipes and Drums, dancing to a live four-man Scottish band from Scotland, demonstrations by a professional Scottish dancer and 'caller' from Edinburgh, dancing by our Demonstration Dance Team and a gourmet dinner. In addition, our setup for the evening will allow guests to experience an 'Edinburgh Castle setting' outdoors to make this event even more special. This is the most formal of our events and for this the ladies will wear their ball gowns and the men will wear their national dress, the kilt."

Aiming to keep alive traditional Scottish culture, the society takes dancing particularly seriously. Jamie points to last year's celebrations, where dancing at the ball took over 368 square metres. "As usual, a live Scottish band provided entertainment for the ball. With a mixture of well-known dances, some excellent singing from their violinist and guitarist and their caller calling and leading the dances, the entertainment was a great success. Our Demonstration Dance Team also provided two dances. We were lucky with the weather and a great evening was had by everyone."

And then, of course, is the Burns Supper. Robert Burns, regarded as Scotland's greatest poet and songwriter, was born in 1759, and his poetic abilities ensured that he became a famous man in his own lifetime. Over the 200 years since his death his fame has increased to a point where he is seen as one of the most famous of Scots. He is held in very special affection by millions around the world, with Burns Suppers taking place on or near his birthday on January 25th every year.

"Here in Muscat," Jamie explains, "we stick to tradition. At our Burns Supper, a few welcoming words generally start off the evening and the meal commences with the Selkirk Grace. Our Suppers always feature haggis. This is normally made with the following ingredients: sheep's 'pluck' or heart, liver and lungs, minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices and salt mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in the animal's stomach for approximately an hour. The usual accompaniment is 'tatties' (potatoes) and 'neeps' (turnips). Other components generally include a soup such as Scotch Broth or Cock a Leekie and there may be Atholl Brose or cheese and 'bannocks' (oatcakes). Once several traditional speeches are complete, the evening continues with dancing to a live Scottish band. The evening culminates with the company standing, linking hands and singing 'Auld Lang Syne' to conclude the programme."

There's even more up a Scottish sleeve. A ceilidh (pronounced 'kaylee') is many things. It derives from the Gaelic word meaning a visit and originally meant just that (and still does in Gaelic). It can also mean a house party, a concert or more usually, an evening of informal Scottish traditional dancing to informal music. Ceilidh dancing is fundamentally different from Scottish country dancing, in that it is much less formal and the primary purpose is the enjoyment of doing the dance. "The Caledonian Society of Oman's Summer Ceilidhs are extremely popular especially for this reason." Jamie states. "Our Caledonians and guests love this evening – and having a live Scottish band always makes it a huge success."

Flying the flag
St Andrew's Cross or saltire makes up Scotland's national flag, and is the oldest flag in Europe and the Commonwealth. A saltire is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross or letter ‘X.’ Some say that the white of his wooden cross against the blue of his robes gave the national flag its colours. Another legend relates to the battle of Athelstaneford in 832AD where a white cloud in the shape of the saltire appeared in the blue sky after the Picts, under King Angus mac Fergus, had prayed for deliverance from the English. The king vowed that if, with the saint's help, he gained the victory, then Andrew would thereafter be the patron saint of Scotland. The Scots did indeed win the battle, Andrew subsequently became the patron saint and the saltire formed the flag.

The criss-cross of tartan
Tartan has become the main symbol of Scotland and Scottish culture. It is an emblem for those of Scottish descent around the world. With Scottish national identity probably greater than at any time in recent centuries, the potency of tartan as a symbol cannot be understated. Tartan was known in Gaelic as 'breacan', meaning chequered and was reputed to be characteristic of the Celtic peoples even in Roman times. The word 'tartan' is believed to have originated from the French word 'tartaine' which referred to a particular kind of checked cloth.

Tartan is formed by offsetting lines and checks into patterns and can be woven in unlimited colour combinations. The original colours came from natural dyes derived from local vegetation and these are now called the 'ancient colours.’ The ancient hues are softer than the modern colourings. The 'modern colours' as they are called today result from chemical dyes. The third colour category is 'reproduction, muted or weathered colours' and these have literally been reproduced from pieces of cloth found in homesteads or on battlefields, weathered by time and the elements into muted shades.

Tartans were born as a symbol of belonging and patterns related to particular clans or families. Clanship was the social system of Scotland whereby the essential link was kinship between the chief and the people of the clan. The 'clan tartan' therefore, came to be associated with the dominant clan or family. Tartans originated in the highlands and islands – hence highland dress – and go back possibly to the 7th century AD.

After the Jacobite uprising of 1745 and the disastrous Battle of Culloden in 1746, all use of tartan and highland dress was suppressed by an act of Parliament, which was not repealed until 1782. It was therefore not until after this time that highlanders, moving south in search of work, brought their tartans to the lowlands.

The capital
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and one of Europe's largest financial centres. It has been the capital of Scotland since 1437 and is the seat of the country's Scottish Parliament. The city is one of Europe's major tourist destinations, attracting roughly 13mn visitors a year, and is the second most visited tourist destination in the United Kingdom, after London.

Edinburgh is well known for the annual Edinburgh Festival, actually a collection of independent festivals held every year over about three weeks from early August. The most famous of these events are the Edinburgh Fringe (the largest performing arts festival in the world), the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh International Film Festival and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The Royal Bands of His Majesty, the Sultan of Oman have performed at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in past years.

Published resources
Look up our travel piece on Edinburgh and its festival in the Destination section of the Oman Today March 2006 issue. To order copies, look up our Back Issues Index on page 162 and order with the help of the form attached.