Scotland visit for American kilt student

Published on Wednesday 24 May 2006 07:41

THE AMERICAN student involved in a heated clash with school administrators over his wearing of a kilt has successfully completed his high school education and revealed plans to visit Scotland.

Nathan Warmack appeared at a school dance last autumn wearing a kilt in the colours of his family's ancestors. Officials at Jackson High School in Missouri characterised the student's attempt to don the kilt as a stunt and stood firm in opposition to the wearing of cultural attire at the school.

What school district officials had not anticipated was an international outcry from Scottish supporters, the media and US-based members of an influential clan society. In less than two months, the district reversed its position and issued a written apology to the student.

Victory was realised in the form of the tall American football-playing student wearing his Scottish jacket, kilt and shoes to school on Tartan Day, 6 April. He then completed his school year by attending the prom a month later, again in his complete attire.

"I think we made a lot of progress," Warmack tells scotsman.com of the school's policy reversal. "Some people liked it (him wearing the kilt) and some thought I was doing it for the attention – which I wasn't. Overall I got a good response."

He adds: "I won't hesitate to come back and help people if there is another situation like mine."

Prom night was particularly satisfying for the young man. When he and his date posed for the traditional prom photo, Warmack painted a picture straight out of a Hollywood premiere.

"It went really well. A lot of people wanted to take my picture. There must have been 50 camera phones taking pictures."

Before he begins his university studies in a few weeks at Benedictine College in Kansas, Warmack has one important trip to complete. He and his family are travelling to Scotland next week for an eight-day adventure that will include visits to castles, cathedrals and a particular loch in search of a certain water monster.

"I'm excited. We're going to see a lot of castles. I want to see them all," he says. "Maybe I'll see the Loch Ness monster."

This is a big step for him, for one simple reason:

"I have a problem with planes," a nervous-sounding Warmack says. "I'll be carrying a lot of lucky charms with me."

And will he be packing certain cultural attire?

"Yeah, I'm bringing everything – including the jacket."