The Haggis Award
THE HAGGIS, (HAGGIUS SCOTIUS)
The Haggis, once a common wild animal of the Scottish highlands and lowlands is now a very rare specimen indeed and is under threat of extinction. Unfortunately, unlike the plight of the Scottish Wildcat and Capercaillie, who are also under threat, this animal, for some unknown reason, does not have the same public appeal. Perhaps this is because not a lot is known about this unobtrusive and retiring shy wee beastie.
What is known is that once a Haggis finds a mate they are partners for life, and if one partner dies the remaining partner does not take another mate. The knock on effect of this is that the reproduction rate diminishes and there are fewer specimens of the Haggis in the wild to find each other to, mate, and to continue the species and for us to see. Allegedly it is bad luck to hunt the wild Haggis, perhaps this is why there are no registered haggis hunters.
The Haggis is a master of camouflage, which explains, to a certain extent, why so few people have actually seen one in the wild. The male and female are easily distinguished by size and eye colour, the male being the larger of the two, the more colourful, as they have to attract the reclusive female, and the more aggressive, to protect their family. The eye colour of the male is a reddish colour, perhaps reflecting their aggression in protecting their family, whilst the eye colour of the female tends towards a tawny brown to pale grey in colour, perhaps reflecting their tranquility. They have keen eyesight and acute hearing, hence their relatively large eyes and ears. The Haggis mate in Oct/Nov with the young, usually a litter of 4-6 Hagglets, being born blind in their under ground lair where they are suckled for 10 days before coming out into the fresh air of their environment, usually in April.
Haggis from the Highlands differ from those from the lowlands in their coats and colouring. All types of Haggis, highland and lowlands, east coast or west coast, have coats that blend in with their environment which makes them, if not invisible, very difficult to spot. The Haggis of the high hills, like the Mountain Hare, can change the colour of their coat to blend in with the snow thus making it difficult for predators to see them, (they also have a collar of spines to protect them from predators trying to attack them), and with their short fore limbs and larger rear limbs, are expert at running, from trouble, up hill, to the sanctuary of their lair. The haggis also uses their larger hind limbs to stand up and peek over the heather to make sure that no predators are waiting for them, thus making them the chubby Scottish version of the Meercat.
The Haggis on display here is a darker variety specifically from the area around dark Lochnagar!
The Haggis comes out at dawn and dusk and also on nights of a full moon, and their natural call is similar to a very deep sigh. I like to think that it is a sigh of contentment and not of sorrow because of the persecution of the species, but who knows? The Haggis is also said to be a brilliant mimic and can copy the mew of the Curlew, the cry of the Heron and the singing of the Sky Lark, so perhaps the next time that you hear one of these sound but cannot see the bird, maybe, just maybe, it might be a Haggis. You never know!
The writing above appears on the scroll of the Haggis Award.
You can order your own Haggis as a unique Homecoming Scotland gift. It is on sale for £499 + postage. It comes with a plaque on the front and a scroll (see above). To order please click here to send us an email.