Scotsman's sporran doomed by European ban on sealskins

July 25, 2008

By Jonathan Brown

Friday, 25 July 2008

The Highland kilt must rank as one of the most distinctive and manly

items of clothing that the world has ever seen. But it has no

pockets. Braveheart warrior types, though, were never going to resort

to carrying some kind of proto man bag. So the sealskin sporran was

born.

Now, however, centuries of tradition look set to be overturned after

the European Commission moved a step closer to a complete import ban

on seal products. At present, 90 per cent of sporrans are fashioned

from the mammal's hide, prompting warnings from traditional Highland

dressmakers that the change in the law could spell disaster for the

thriving industry.

The move, announced yesterday by the European environment

commissioner Stavros Dimas, was warmly received by animal welfare

groups which have campaigned to end what they regard as the inhumane

slaughter of seals. But others believe it could mean an end to a

distinctive feature of Scottish heritage.

Ian Chisholm, who owns a Highland dress business in Inverness,

said: " Sealskin has been a traditional skin used by the Highlanders

for many years. It would be a sad day for the Scotsman if we lost the

use of seal skin. "

Robin McClintock, who produces 4,000 sporrans a year from his base at

Bonnyrigg near Edinburgh, warned that it could open the floodgates

for cheap imports from southern Asia that threaten to kill off the

traditional Scottish sporran-making industry. " What is keeping them

out at the moment is the high price of seal skin – it is so

expensive. If it is banned, they will use cow or rabbit skins, " he

said.

At present, seal remains the skin of choice among discerning sporran

wearers. " Its look, its feel, there are all sorts of reasons and

emotions tied up with seal skin sporrans, there really are, " he

added. " Sporrans make up only a tiny proportion of seal skins, most

go to the Far East to make coats. A ban will affect many cultures

outside Scotland, particularly those of the Inuit who hunt them, " he

added.

Almost all the sealskins used to make the pouches are treated in

Norway. Many of the pelts make their way there from Canada, where

hunters carry out the biggest cull in the world, and which along with

Greenland and Namibia accounts for 60 per cent of the 900,000 seals

culled annually.

But seal-hunting also goes on within the EU, both in Scandinavia and

the UK. Announcing the move, which must receive the backing of the

European Parliament and the 27 member governments before it becomes

law, Mr Dimas said the trade in seal products would be allowed only

where it could be guaranteed that hunting techniques met with high

animal welfare standards and that the animals did not suffer

unnecessarily.

Ross Minett, the campaigns director at Advocates for Animals,

welcomed the announcement. He said that while the majority of people

saw the wearing of fur as wrong, " sporrans are one of the few things

where it's still seen as publicly acceptable to wear fur. "

Interest in traditional Highland dress and the original sporran has

been growing in recent years. One of the main growth areas has been

among Scottish football fans, according to Hamish Husband, spokesman

for the Association of Tartan Army Clubs. " In the past 10 years there

has been a sea change in the wearing of the kilt and the sporran by

the Tartan Army. When you travel abroad you see thousands of people

wearing kilts. "

But seal is not the only controversial skin to be used. In June, kilt

wearers were warned that they could face prosecution if they failed

to produce a licence for their sporran under laws designed to protect

endangered species such as otters.

Highland pouch given a Victorian makeover

The original sporran was an altogether more humble affair than the

ornate versions that came to prominence during the Victorian era,

courtesy of Prince Albert.

For the early Highlanders they were little more than a string-draw

bag of cloth or leather in which to carry oatmeal or gunpowder. They

also did a good job preserving modesty as the original rough plaid

wraps were prone to billow open.

By the late 1800s, after receiving royal endorsement and riding the

popularity of Sir Walter Scott, the sporran underwent a more

flamboyant incarnation. Though more affluent Highlanders had long

decorated their sporrans with silver and tassels, the late Victorian

wearer plundered otters, badgers, goats and even hedgehogs. The

sporrans got so huge that some completely covered the kilt's front.

Some adornments arealready banned – among them wildcat heads.

July 25, 2008

> The Highland kilt must rank as one of the most distinctive and manly

> items of clothing that the world has ever seen. But it has no

> pockets. Braveheart warrior types, though, were never going to resort

> to carrying some kind of proto man bag. So the sealskin sporran was

> born.

Shame the " journalist " didn't do his research properly. The Highland kilt,

along with the sporran, wasn't invented until around 600 years after William

Wallace ( " Braveheart " ), and over a century after the last battle on Scottish

soil. So " Braveheart Warrior types " would never have been seen wearing a

sporran either.

BB

Peter

July 25, 2008

really???????

i have a friend who used to go on and on about a family heirloom that someone had, which was an ancient sporran like thing.

he said it originally dated from the 14th century.......seem to remember seeing a picture of it once..raggedey fur and leather thing...some scrap of murder....

he used to vacillate between his scottish and mexican heritage, and would wax and wan between the two....

Peter Jul 24, 2008 11:20 PM Re: Scotsman's sporran doomed by European ban on sealskins

> The Highland kilt must rank as one of the most distinctive and manly> items of clothing that the world has ever seen. But it has no> pockets. Braveheart warrior types, though, were never going to resort> to carrying some kind of proto man bag. So the sealskin sporran was> born.Shame the "journalist" didn't do his research properly. The Highland kilt, along with the sporran, wasn't invented until around 600 years after William Wallace ("Braveheart"), and over a century after the last battle on Scottish soil. So "Braveheart Warrior types" would never have been seen wearing a sporran either.BBPeter

With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably.

July 25, 2008

Hi Peter

I remember you saying that, but couldn't remember what date.

BBJo

-

Peter

Friday, July 25, 2008 8:20 AM

Re: Scotsman's sporran doomed by European ban on sealskins

> The Highland kilt must rank as one of the most distinctive and manly> items of clothing that the world has ever seen. But it has no> pockets. Braveheart warrior types, though, were never going to resort> to carrying some kind of proto man bag. So the sealskin sporran was> born.Shame the "journalist" didn't do his research properly. The Highland kilt, along with the sporran, wasn't invented until around 600 years after William Wallace ("Braveheart"), and over a century after the last battle on Scottish soil. So "Braveheart Warrior types" would never have been seen wearing a sporran either.BBPeter

July 26, 2008

ï»¿

Hi Fraggle

Yep - the kilt and sporran were inventions of 19th century loggers. Before then, Scottish national dress was the whole swath of fabric that went over the shoulder - it proved to be very inconvenient when climbing trees, hence the change introduced by the logging firms.

And if you think about it, the concept of carrying money around (the purpose of a sporran) is very modern - most people in the 14th century wouldn't have had any need for such a device, and if they had, they'd have just gone for the same as every other country - a little leather draw-string bag or pouch.

I wouldn't trust heir-looms too much. I remember when I was a kid, my grandad had a 16th century coin which had a wonderful little family story attached to it. It may be true, but we have no way of knowing! It's what families do - have little stories about their past, most of which are from someone's imagination during the last century.

BB

Peter

-

fraggle

Friday, July 25, 2008 5:01 PM

Re: Scotsman's sporran doomed by European ban on sealskins

really???????

i have a friend who used to go on and on about a family heirloom that someone had, which was an ancient sporran like thing.

he said it originally dated from the 14th century.......seem to remember seeing a picture of it once..raggedey fur and leather thing...some scrap of murder....

he used to vacillate between his scottish and mexican heritage, and would wax and wan between the two....

Peter Jul 24, 2008 11:20 PM Re: Scotsman's sporran doomed by European ban on sealskins

> The Highland kilt must rank as one of the most distinctive and manly> items of clothing that the world has ever seen. But it has no> pockets. Braveheart warrior types, though, were never going to resort> to carrying some kind of proto man bag. So the sealskin sporran was> born.Shame the "journalist" didn't do his research properly. The Highland kilt, along with the sporran, wasn't invented until around 600 years after William Wallace ("Braveheart"), and over a century after the last battle on Scottish soil. So "Braveheart Warrior types" would never have been seen wearing a sporran either.BBPeter

With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably.