2026 Kilt Skate: New Heights
/The 2026 kilt skate season began rather inauspiciously with a cancellation. In past years, Calgary AB hosted kilt skates in temperatures that, with the wind chill factored in, felt to the skater like it was 40-below. Calgarians are a resilient bunch. They kept the kilt skate tradition going no matter how cold. But how do you respond to the challenge of warm weather — temperatures in the mid-teens. On short notice the City shut down the outdoor skating facilities on Prince’s Island because the ice was too thin for skaters.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the country, Fredericton NB was experiencing the Arctic temperatures that Calgary had faced in past years. Fredericton skaters braved the elements and earned the bragging rights of hosting the first kilt skate of 2026.
The Calgary and Fredericton events were both timed for the Robbie Burns celebrations in late January. Four weeks later came the various iterations of what is known generically as the “Family Day” long weekend. Manitoba’s family day is named after Louis Riel, and the Winnipeg kilt skate on Riel Day often finds skaters bracing for very cold temperatures. This year the sun shone bright but the temperatures plunged. A local poet composed an ode to kilt skating that concludes:
:For only the Peg, wi’ a straight frozen face,
Could call this a holiday treat;
An’ only the Scots would look winter square on
An’ say: “Aye—let’s dae this on skates.”
Family Day kilt skates were also held in Moncton, NB, where the outdoor event coincides with the local PolarFest winter carnival…
Family Day also was celebrated in Antigonish, NS, where the kilt skate was held in an indoor hockey arena.
The weekend following the family day holiday was February 21-22. As Director for the National Kilt Skate at the Scottish Society of Ottawa, Andy MacCulloch had a vision of focusing kilt skate activity on this particular weekend as a way to highlight the growing international component of the Great Canadian Kilt Skate — it was no longer just Canada. For the second year in a row, a kilt skate was held in Renfrewshire, Scotland.
The Scottish kilt skate was held on February 21, the day that the Glasgow Clan hockey team played its rival, the Fyfe Flyers. A public skate was held before the game — admission to the public skate cost 12 pounds sterling. Anyone wearing a kilt could skate for free. Don’t have a kilt? Wear a bit of tartan and reduce the price by two pounds. It was a wonderful appeal to Scottish frugality to promote the kilt skate.
Meanwhile, in the Ottawa Valley, the town of Renfrew, ON, was also holding a kilt skate. Here’s the poster for the event.
Andy MacCulloch persuaded many of the Canadian kilt skate cities to hold their events on what came to be known as the International Kilt Skate Weekend. For the second year in a row, a kilt skate was held in Halifax, NS, where once again the cold temperatures tested the resolve of skaters.
A February 21 was also held in Montreal, where the skaters were joined by unusual guests…
,,,including SSO’s Andy MacCulloch.
As is its tradition, the kilt skate in South Glengarry was combined with a winter carnival with free hay rides.
In Ottawa, which organized the first kilt skates in 2015 welcomed many new faces on the ice at Lansdown Skating Court.
Toronto held its event in a hockey arena.
So did Fergus, ON.
While in Orillia, ON, the kilt skate was held outdoors on Brewery Bay at the Stephen Leacock Museum.
Another outdoor skate was hosted by the New Hampshire Scots in Concord NH, making a third country taking part in the International Kilt Skate Weekend.
Indoors or outdoors. Canada, Scotland, or USA. Burns weekend, Family Day weekend, or the International Kilt Skate weekend. This kilt skate season has been one of the best years yet for the Great Canadian Kilt Skate. A total of 15 communities hosted events in 2026 — the largest number yet. Ten of those skates were held on the weekend of February 21-22l The media coverage for the events was excellent in various cities, In many communities the kilt skate has taken its place among the winter festivals that provide winter fun for so many.
What’s more, the idea of skating in kilts is catching on. The Fredericton kilt skate, for example, was launched without any contact or support from the Scottish Society of Ottawa, which has been promoting kilt skating across Canada and abroad since 2015.
Yes, it’s been a terrificc year and we’re looking forward to another season in 2027. But stay tuned, in the coming weeks we’ll be announcing the 2026 Kilt Skate Capital on www.kiltskate.com.
