IT was a week for national humiliation – and I'm not talking about Brazil's record-breaking thrashing by Germany in the World Cup.

Just days before the start of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Team Scotland revealed its official uniform.

And before you could say "hoots mon", this once-proud nation that gave us Robert the Bruce, the best James Bond and a soft drink made from girders, was the laughing stock of the world.

The uniform is built around a tartan featuring the clashing shades of turquoise, fuchsia and, what is politely being called "caramel", but I can think of another, less appetising, word (clue: begins with 'd' and ends in 'a').

Worse, I am afraid, are the bright blue shirts and wrap dresses that look like they've been fashioned from Mrs Brown's cast-offs.

As a Scot, the first expression that came to mind was "aunty Beanie" (trans. old fashioned); but few critics have been as tame.

Within moments of the team pic being posted on Twitter, social media was buzzing with shock reaction from fellow Scots.

"Maybe this is why Chris Hoy decided to retire before the games"; "Somewhere in Auchterarder, a tea room is missing its curtains" and "300 years of scaring the sheat out of everybody blown in one photo shoot" were just three responses that proved once again that in the face of national adversity, Scots still find solace in their sense of humour.

Textile designer Jill Blackwood has put on a brave face in light of the critical mauling. She says she will "get over it" and, looking on the bright side, insists there will be "no mistaking Team Scotland" members with their new uniform.

The only people rubbing their hands with glee, it appears, are the Aussies, whose uniform featuring three shades of green had received a similar pasting in the media. "If you thought Australia's Commonwealth Games uniform was bad," wrote the Herald Sun, "it isn't a stitch on the host country's horror design."

Team Scotland has form on the uniform front. A snap from the 1998 Commonwealth Games shows the men in kilts with pink polo tops and the women in bizarre bright yellow shirts and long floral skirts.

Why does it all matter, you might be wondering? Well it does. How we present ourselves to the world is one of the key choices under our control.

On an individual level, we flex this freedom in our daily grooming, from how we style our hair to the clothing selections we make.

We should take care, because these decisions have consequences: people judge us all the time, and most closely on our appearance.

And so, it is perfectly right to ask what does Team Scotland's uniform tell us about the nation itself? Just weeks away from the referendum on independence, the picture of a group of sporting heroes decked out in tartan could inadvertently have political ramifications.

I've yet to see First Minister Alex Salmond step out for a photo-call with the boys and girls in blue (and pink and "caramel"); but to be fair, his challenger, Alistair Darling, leading the 'no' campaign, is nowhere to be seen either.

No doubt when the athletes start winning medals, it will be a different story.

Then politicians from both camps will be falling over themselves to be snapped with the triumphant Scots; who by this point will not only be wearing the tartan, but have painted their faces blue as well.

A successful Commonwealth Games can only be good news for the 'yes' camp – do you remember the surge of patriotism, optimism and sheer joy we felt after the London Olympics?

If Scots get the same boost after the Glasgow games, we could well see that translate into pro-independence votes come September.

And who will be laughing at them then?

AND so it was over in a flash. A bill of £27 million, months of build-up and hours of waiting by the roadside were rewarded by seeing a group of men in Lycra whiz past quicker than you could press and point your mobile phone for a blurred snap.

Was it worth it? You bet. What a coup for York and Yorkshire. The city and county never looked better as it was photographed from all angles and those images beamed to the world.

Race director Christian Prudhomme gave us the seal of approval and a heart-felt thanks. He promised it was a matter of not "if" but "when" they would be back.

That's brilliant news for the region, as is the estimate that the financial boost from the Grand Depart will be more than £100 million.

The Tour de France might still have two weeks to run, but we already know this year's winner: Yorkshire.