Well Kat,
As one who is from and lives in the highlands, I suppose I have some right top define what a Choochter or Teuchter is.
I read some where that it was used back in the Scottish regiments. The piping tutors refferred to themselves in their own highland dialect as "choochter" and, in typical army fashion, that became the byname for highlanders in general. I find that feasable and the most probable explanation.
Where I slightly disagree with the above, I don't think it is meant or taken as a term of derision.
I actually moved from the highlands and finished my secondary schooling in Glasgow (before moving back up again) I was always referred to as "the wee choochter". I can honestly say that I never sensed any suggestions that the highlanders were more backward (as in the case of the Hillbillies)
This is possible due to the fact that Glasgow had its other obsessions at the time. Now I was asked several times if I was a Proddie or a Kafflik choochter.
The term is often used by highlanders themselves these days, as I did at the start of the thread. If a thing is a bit teuchtery (or choochterie) then we mean that the music is closer to Jimmy Shand that Dick Gauchan.