Join the festival where we can celebrate our weirdness in style

WHAT it is to be Scottish, eh? Ain’t easy, that’s for sure. Regularly cited in scientific research as the weirdest people in the world, we have plenty to be ashamed of, and that is a cause for celebration.

The advent of social media has revealed that much of the rest of the UK, at least south of the Border, regards us as akin to midges. So, to them, an event called Scotcon is doubtless a seminar on how to get hardworking

We know better, though. Scotcon – or, more beautifully, Mór-dhàil Alba (“A Great Scottish Gathering”) – is akin to ComicCon, except that, instead of celebrating men in tights it celebrates men in kilts, particularly as depicted in the TV series Outlander.

The event takes place in Embrashire this coming weekend and is a non-profit festival that sets out to honour “Scotland, our people, our history, our heritage, our culture, our values, our diversity, our innovation and our future”. I think that’s everything.

Apart from everything, there will also be a Sports Village, weaponry displays, Highland dancing (at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston), genealogy, woodturning, portrait painting, a Battle of the Clans musical skirmish and, er, regression therapy.

No going back on that, I suspect. And if you are thinking of going to Scotcon, the organisers would appreciate it if “all our bonnie lads” wear kilts or – avert your eyes, Martha! – trews. Women are invited to empower themselves with tartan dresses, boots, wraps, bags or bows.

I should mention that a goodly selection of cast members from Outlander will be strutting their funky stuff and that several charities are due to benefit from the event (note also that there’s no paying at the gate; tickets have to be bought in advance).

This is all grand stuff, taking us back to the days when men were men and didn’t delight in the latest GERS figures. Wha’s like us, eh? Gey few, and that is something to celebrate in great numbers. For more details about the festival at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange on September 4 see www.scotcon.scot.