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Star Trek Day
"I cannot change the laws of physics, Captain! A've got to have thirty minutes!"
~ Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
Live long and prosper and polish up your Dilithium crystals! It's Star Trek Day! Thanks to the iconic television series Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry, which debuted this week in 1966, everyone's favorite "old Aberdeen pub-crawler", Scottish Starship Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott left an indelible memory as part of the greater Star Trek legacy. Kilts and even bagpipes boldly appear a few times in the original series courtesy of "Scotty" (played by James Doohan). The tartan in which Montgomery Scott is seen wearing in episode “The Savage Curtain” as part of his dress Starfleet uniform is not the official clan Scott tartan, but rather, a variation featuring a black and white weave. Clan Scott gave their blessing to his wearing of the tartan, though the Canadian actor claimed only Irish heritage. According to Star Trek lore, Doohan tried a variety of accents for the part and decided to use a Scottish accent on the basis that he thought the Scots make the best engineers. Star Trek fans also now have their own official tartan, STARFLEET, but credit Scotty for for making it fashionable! Beam us up, Scotty! 🌠 🚀 🖖 👾
"Beam me up, Scotty!"
The iconic television series, Star Trek, premiered on September 8th, 1966, to become one of the most influential franchises of all time.
Star Trek was groundbreaking in many ways, with unforgettable characters, including engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, chief engineer of the spaceship USS Enterprise.
Kilts appear a few times in the original series, through the character of Montgomery Scott (played by James Doohan). The tartan which Montgomery Scott is seen wearing in episode “The Savage Curtain” is not the official clan Scott tartan, but rather, a variation featuring a black and white weave, which he was given the blessing of wearing by members of the clan, despite the actor being of Irish heritage.
In the Original Series, he is seen wearing a kilt twice, both in the third season. He also wears a different Scott tartan in The Wrath of Khan.
Even just a few years before his passing, actor James Doohan could be seen proudly wearing the Scott tartan on the red carpet, a symbol of his most well-loved character and his adopted heritage!
Doohan was cast as the Enterprise engineer for the second Star Trek pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (1966) on the recommendation of that episode's director, James Goldstone, who had worked with him before. The character almost did not make it to the show after series creator Gene Roddenberry sent Doohan a letter informing him, "We don't think we need an engineer in the series". Only through the intervention of Doohan's agent did the character remain.
Doohan tried a variety of accents for the part and decided to use a Scottish accent on the basis that he thought the Scots make the best engineers. Doohan himself chose Scotty's first name of Montgomery in honor of his maternal grandfather, James Montgomery. In a third-season production memo, Roddenberry said Doohan "is capable of handling anything we throw at him" and that the "dour Scot" works better when being protective of the ship's engines.
For the biography and backstory of fictional character Montgomery Scott (who refers to himself as "an old Aberdeen pub-crawler", click Scotty!