• Contact
  • About
  • Authors
DONATE
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  • Login
Bylines Scotland
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Bylines Scotland Breaking News
    • Europe
    • King Charles III
    • Queen Elizabeth II
    • Scotland
    • War in Ukraine
    • World
    blue background, A younf woman holding a large black sign that says VOTE ! in white letters

    Scottish elections: young people more likely to vote if they started at 16 – new study

    Healthcare word seen in a scrabble

    “Leave no one behind” – the Health Foundation’s report into health inequalities in Scotland 2023.

    Sign saying NHS Greater Galsgow & Clyde in front of a hospital building

    Concern over patients waiting in corridors for free beds at Glasgow Superhospital

    A row of tall houses on the left, with parked cars in front on the side of the street

    Saving Scotland’s tenements

    Ben Nevis. Forground has green shrubbery, then background a mountain with two tops. Blue sky with a few streaky clouds

    Exploring the Highest Mountain in the British Isles: A Guide to Ben Nevis

    Image via Steller Systems, a potential candidate.

    Cancelling future frigates could be final nail in the coffin for the UK

    A hospital corridor with trolleys on the sides.

    Glasgow hospitals halt non-urgent operations due to pressure

    A scene of people demonstrating, holding Scotland flags. One man wears a tartan cap and holds a blue flag with both the Scottish cross and the EU stars on it.

    Is Alister Jack sane?

    Cartoon by Stan

    Film reviews award season

    Trending Tags

    • Democracy
    • Devolution
    • Brexit
    • Ukraine
  • Politics
    • All
    • Council Areas
    • Europe
    • Holyrood
    • Liz Truss
    • Rest of UK
    • Tories
    • United Kingdom
    • Westminster
    • World
    blue background, A younf woman holding a large black sign that says VOTE ! in white letters

    Scottish elections: young people more likely to vote if they started at 16 – new study

    A scene of people demonstrating, holding Scotland flags. One man wears a tartan cap and holds a blue flag with both the Scottish cross and the EU stars on it.

    Is Alister Jack sane?

    Image Malcom Laverty

    The Brown plan

    The climate change impacts of Russia’s war with Ukraine

    Britain wastes £1bn on drones to monitor English Channel

    The Autumn Statement – time to take a closer look

    Photo Mtaylor848, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    Christmas cheer for Tesco if grim reading for the political classes

    Scottish independence isn’t going away

    Russia as a low-tech nation

    Trending Tags

    • Crime
    • Equality
    • Johnson
    • Scottish National Party
  • Business
    • All
    • Agriculture
    • Aviation
    • Corporations
    • Energy
    • Fishing
    • Natural Resources
    • Shipbuilding
    • Trade
    • Transport
    • Workers
    A row of tall houses on the left, with parked cars in front on the side of the street

    Saving Scotland’s tenements

    A large red researcgh vessel in the sea with ice sheets all around it on the water.

    Rosyth shipyard attracts UK Government contract to maintain fleet of scientific research vessels

    large posts saying 'Glasgow Airport Business Park' on the left and right of a road leading away from the main road in the front. . On that road leading away building with walls almost entirely existing of windows.

    Why doing business in Scotland may be better for your corporate wellbeing

    A mountain of spools forming a tree on the left, a sandy area to the right and a row of houses at the back. mountains in the distance on the right

    The Ullapool Giving Tree

    Electric off-roader heralds return of vehicle mass-production in Scotland after 40 years

    Photo Mtaylor848, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    Christmas cheer for Tesco if grim reading for the political classes

    Ferguson Marine will weather the storm

    Order placed for remaining five Type 26 Frigates on the Clyde

    Police Scotland not investigating Scottish government over ferry contract criminality

    Trending Tags

    • Health
      • All
      • Assisted dying
      • Covid
      • Influenza
      • Polio virus
      • Respiratory
      • Scientific Research
      Healthcare word seen in a scrabble

      “Leave no one behind” – the Health Foundation’s report into health inequalities in Scotland 2023.

      Sign saying NHS Greater Galsgow & Clyde in front of a hospital building

      Concern over patients waiting in corridors for free beds at Glasgow Superhospital

      A hospital corridor with trolleys on the sides.

      Glasgow hospitals halt non-urgent operations due to pressure

      Two more unions reject Scottish Government NHS pay offer

      GMB union reject Scottish Government pay offer to NHS staff

      Lymphocites gathering

      How careful should we be when choosing a scientific term?

      Code Black – A mayday from the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital

      The challenges facing mental health care in Scotland

      Illustration by author

      What are the boundaries to push science to its safety limits for the benefit of discoveries?

      Trending Tags

      • Environment
        • All
        • Air Pollution
        • Biology
        • Climate Change
        • Wildfires
        Ardnish wildfire by Leslie Barrie, CC BY-SA 2.0 Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic — CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons'

        Fire threats in the Scottish countryside

        Wood stove at the foot of the bed in the Danish Blue room at Pig Hill Inn, Cold Spring, New York. Printed with permission and confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.

        When smoke gets in your eyes

        Opening of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27 in Egypt. Photo courtesy of the UNFCCC

        COP27 and the inconvenient truth

        Viscum album in trees

        Night of the strangling figs: a biological horror story

        Out & about with Charlie Mac: Cycling to the heart of Scotland – the National Cycle Network 7

        Scotland's mountain footpaths

        How do we care for Scotland’s mountain footpath network?

        climate science

        PM to be chosen by people with little grasp of climate science

        Trending Tags

        • Opinion
        No Result
        View All Result
        • Home
        • News
          • All
          • Bylines Scotland Breaking News
          • Europe
          • King Charles III
          • Queen Elizabeth II
          • Scotland
          • War in Ukraine
          • World
          blue background, A younf woman holding a large black sign that says VOTE ! in white letters

          Scottish elections: young people more likely to vote if they started at 16 – new study

          Healthcare word seen in a scrabble

          “Leave no one behind” – the Health Foundation’s report into health inequalities in Scotland 2023.

          Sign saying NHS Greater Galsgow & Clyde in front of a hospital building

          Concern over patients waiting in corridors for free beds at Glasgow Superhospital

          A row of tall houses on the left, with parked cars in front on the side of the street

          Saving Scotland’s tenements

          Ben Nevis. Forground has green shrubbery, then background a mountain with two tops. Blue sky with a few streaky clouds

          Exploring the Highest Mountain in the British Isles: A Guide to Ben Nevis

          Image via Steller Systems, a potential candidate.

          Cancelling future frigates could be final nail in the coffin for the UK

          A hospital corridor with trolleys on the sides.

          Glasgow hospitals halt non-urgent operations due to pressure

          A scene of people demonstrating, holding Scotland flags. One man wears a tartan cap and holds a blue flag with both the Scottish cross and the EU stars on it.

          Is Alister Jack sane?

          Cartoon by Stan

          Film reviews award season

          Trending Tags

          • Democracy
          • Devolution
          • Brexit
          • Ukraine
        • Politics
          • All
          • Council Areas
          • Europe
          • Holyrood
          • Liz Truss
          • Rest of UK
          • Tories
          • United Kingdom
          • Westminster
          • World
          blue background, A younf woman holding a large black sign that says VOTE ! in white letters

          Scottish elections: young people more likely to vote if they started at 16 – new study

          A scene of people demonstrating, holding Scotland flags. One man wears a tartan cap and holds a blue flag with both the Scottish cross and the EU stars on it.

          Is Alister Jack sane?

          Image Malcom Laverty

          The Brown plan

          The climate change impacts of Russia’s war with Ukraine

          Britain wastes £1bn on drones to monitor English Channel

          The Autumn Statement – time to take a closer look

          Photo Mtaylor848, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

          Christmas cheer for Tesco if grim reading for the political classes

          Scottish independence isn’t going away

          Russia as a low-tech nation

          Trending Tags

          • Crime
          • Equality
          • Johnson
          • Scottish National Party
        • Business
          • All
          • Agriculture
          • Aviation
          • Corporations
          • Energy
          • Fishing
          • Natural Resources
          • Shipbuilding
          • Trade
          • Transport
          • Workers
          A row of tall houses on the left, with parked cars in front on the side of the street

          Saving Scotland’s tenements

          A large red researcgh vessel in the sea with ice sheets all around it on the water.

          Rosyth shipyard attracts UK Government contract to maintain fleet of scientific research vessels

          large posts saying 'Glasgow Airport Business Park' on the left and right of a road leading away from the main road in the front. . On that road leading away building with walls almost entirely existing of windows.

          Why doing business in Scotland may be better for your corporate wellbeing

          A mountain of spools forming a tree on the left, a sandy area to the right and a row of houses at the back. mountains in the distance on the right

          The Ullapool Giving Tree

          Electric off-roader heralds return of vehicle mass-production in Scotland after 40 years

          Photo Mtaylor848, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

          Christmas cheer for Tesco if grim reading for the political classes

          Ferguson Marine will weather the storm

          Order placed for remaining five Type 26 Frigates on the Clyde

          Police Scotland not investigating Scottish government over ferry contract criminality

          Trending Tags

          • Health
            • All
            • Assisted dying
            • Covid
            • Influenza
            • Polio virus
            • Respiratory
            • Scientific Research
            Healthcare word seen in a scrabble

            “Leave no one behind” – the Health Foundation’s report into health inequalities in Scotland 2023.

            Sign saying NHS Greater Galsgow & Clyde in front of a hospital building

            Concern over patients waiting in corridors for free beds at Glasgow Superhospital

            A hospital corridor with trolleys on the sides.

            Glasgow hospitals halt non-urgent operations due to pressure

            Two more unions reject Scottish Government NHS pay offer

            GMB union reject Scottish Government pay offer to NHS staff

            Lymphocites gathering

            How careful should we be when choosing a scientific term?

            Code Black – A mayday from the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital

            The challenges facing mental health care in Scotland

            Illustration by author

            What are the boundaries to push science to its safety limits for the benefit of discoveries?

            Trending Tags

            • Environment
              • All
              • Air Pollution
              • Biology
              • Climate Change
              • Wildfires
              Ardnish wildfire by Leslie Barrie, CC BY-SA 2.0 Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic — CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons'

              Fire threats in the Scottish countryside

              Wood stove at the foot of the bed in the Danish Blue room at Pig Hill Inn, Cold Spring, New York. Printed with permission and confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.

              When smoke gets in your eyes

              Opening of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27 in Egypt. Photo courtesy of the UNFCCC

              COP27 and the inconvenient truth

              Viscum album in trees

              Night of the strangling figs: a biological horror story

              Out & about with Charlie Mac: Cycling to the heart of Scotland – the National Cycle Network 7

              Scotland's mountain footpaths

              How do we care for Scotland’s mountain footpath network?

              climate science

              PM to be chosen by people with little grasp of climate science

              Trending Tags

              • Opinion
              No Result
              View All Result
              Bylines Scotland
              No Result
              View All Result
              Home Lifestyle Culture

              The wild haggis – all the facts and no fiction

              Anna Schurer presents the ultimate guide to the wild haggis

              Anna SchurerbyAnna Schurer
              22-01-2023 14:21
              in Culture, Gaelic and Scots
              Museum case with a small hairy haggis in it on a ground with purple flowers, and a large baking potatoie (Tattie) next to the haggis. Tattie and haggis are roughly the same size.

              Haggis scoticus By Emoscopes - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, commons.wikimedia.org

              Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

              Disclaimer: no haggis was harmed during the researching or writing of this article. The same can not be said however about a few wee drams. So, what is a haggis?

              Haggi – plural of haggis, though sometimes hagisses can be used – are native to Scotland and wonderful beasties that deserve the crown ‘great chieftain of the pudding race’. It has to be noted, the Scottish ‘pudding’ doesn’t need to mean a desert. Pudding is any foodstuff inside a cloth or natural structure (i.e., animal stomach or bladder), that is cooked to perfection; as there is no other way to cook puddings.

              Puddings can be meaty, fruity, starchy, or any combination. Suet is added to improve the consistency, herbs and spices are added to the mix to enhance the flavour.

              Is the haggis just a pudding? 

              The haggis is not just THE ultimate pudding, but it’s a clever wee beastie as well.

              Haggis usually consists of a bladder or stomach, filled with liver, kidney, lungs; all kinds of organs. Some carbohydrates are present as well, oats usually, but that depends on the foodstuffs that are available to the haggis. The main difference with more commonly known mammals is that in the haggis the organs are not nicely separate but mixed together in a unique anatomical configuration.

              The haggis originated in the Highlands of Scotland, the Hebridean Haggis. It is a small and tough beastie, which of course it had to be in order to survive in that challenging environment. From there they spread out over the northern parts of Scotland. The beasties are good swimmers, so travel between the isles and the mainland is no problem. 

              What is special about their legs?

              An anatomical specialty of the haggis is the beasties’ legs. They tend to have shorter legs on one side and longer on the other. This is to facilitate running around the mountains. The ones that run around the mountains clockwise have shorter legs on the right side, the left running haggi have legs that are shorter on the left.

              mountain landscapre, with an arrow painted over one maountain, The arrow points anticlockwise
              Left turning mountain (Ideal for left running hagisses with longer legs on the right) Picture courtesy of Liz at BylinesScotland, adjusted with permission

              There is much speculation about this, with some suggesting males and females have different legs (nonsense of course, a right leg longer haggis trying to mount a left leg longer haggis would just slide off and roll down the mountain to almost certain death, and vice versa. So interbreeding would be very dangerous except for those few clever enough to channel the Haggis Kama Sutra and find alternative positions. 

              a plie of stones in the front left of the picture. in the background a large mountain with its top in the clouds. An arrow is drawn on the picture over the mountain, it points anti-clockwise
              Right_turning_mountain (ideal for right running hagisses with longer legs on the left) Picture by Liz at BylinesScotland, ajusted with permission

              Leg length does tend to vary per clan as some mountains are more amenable to clockwise running and others to anticlockwise, so it is a regional thing. 

              Suggestions that the leg situation is reversed in Australia is a distinct possibility as mountains behave differently down under. But the practical implications of this are uncertain, as the wild haggis population is too small in Australia for any statistically relevant research.

              Breeding of the haggis species

              Most haggis breeding occurs in the wild, though there have been attempts at haggis farming. Unfortunately the haggis requires very specific circumstances such as the right type of mountain for its legs, the right type of heather to run in and to eat, rainwater of the correct acidity to drink and shower, peat to dig a nest. This is not easy to duplicate in artificial circumstances. But attempts are ongoing.

              Haggis has two different species names, Haggis scottii (with a sinistrous and a dexterous variety) or Scoticus, or Dux magnus gentis venteris saginati which is a reference to the old ‘Great Chieftain’ accolade. 

              In the Highlands, where the circumstances for haggis breeding are optimal, there has been some success breeding larger varieties with shorter hair (of course the wild haggis needs a long wiry coat to keep warm). Fank (=litter) size has increased with selective breeding and can now be up to eight haglets (the original wild variety would only have two or three per yearly birth). To determine gender and possible pregnancy and ultrasound scan can be used, aiding the breeding project even further.

              However the attempt to breed even-legged haggis was a disaster. A small haglet being born with diagonally shortened legs caused the poor beastie a lot of trouble walking (and of course, no mountain sunning was possible). Therefore this type of cross-breeding should be discouraged.

              Even the beasties’ thirst for a dram or six has been modified with breeding, though falling-over disease (caused by too large an intake of the national drink) is still a problem if not closely supervised. 

              Falling-over disease or ‘severe Burns’ 

              This is a very common veterinary emergency mainly seen in wild haggi and unsupervised captive specimens.The cause is thought to be overindulgence in a certain tipple, which causes clumsiness, falling over and dehydration. This disease affects humans and haggi both. It mainly presents on a Friday or Saturday evening, and in humans it seems to be particularly prominent in the student variety of the breed.

              Less is known about a specific age or occupational demographic of affected haggi. To decide whether it has a viral or purely an environmental cause, more research is required, and indeed empirical induction of the condition seems to be ongoing in both populations. 

              Affected haggi need urgent care and should be taken to the nearest veterinary clinic with haste. This post describes in detail how haggi are treated at clinics.

              In short, they need an Irn Bru drip (into the body of the Haggis if a suitable vein can not be found), and as soon as the beastie starts to improve, start feeding little pieces of shortbread. Before releasing the haggis back in the wild make sure you top up its necessary level of whisky, of which the haggis can not survive the harsh Scottish winter without. 

              Less severe cases where the haggis is still able to react it may not require the Irn Bru. If so, a steady supply of whisky and shortbread will be enough to help the beastie recover. 

              And make sure you always wrap the haggis in a tartan cloth, as that is the only thing their delicate skin and fur tolerates for longer than a few minutes. Ideally it would be the haggis clan’s tartan, but if the correct one is not available any tartan will do. Be certain to change the cloth every four to six hours so the tartan doesn’t have a chance to imprint on the haggis’ skin and brain and alter the haggis’ clan identity. 

              That of course would cause confusion and possibly long term mental health problems for the poor Haggis, and therapists who can deal with this are few and far between. 

              Are there different breeds of haggis? 

              The most important breakthrough in breeding the haggis is the American variety, as importing haggis into the US has been strictly forbidden for years.

              This was obviously because they did not want to risk importing the Scottish variety of falling-over disease, a disease the Americans tried to eliminate in their country by long years of ‘Prohibition’, when what they presumed to be the causative agent of the illness was banned.

              So Americans have had to breed their own variety of haggis from stock they had left over from before the ban. This seems to have been effective, although real haggis connoisseurs are likely to be able to tell the difference. Unfortunately neither the Prohibition nor the haggis import ban has managed to eliminate falling-over disease, in humans or in haggi. 

              Interbreeding between the American and the Scottish haggis has not happened, as the beasties may be good swimmers but not good enough to cross an ocean. So whether it is a genuinely new breed, or just a new variety within the breed, is impossible to tell. 

              Other varieties have been attempted, including the vegetarian haggis but the scientists failed to keep them alive long enough to breed, because a haggis can’t survive without liver, kidney or lung tissue. 

              There has been a report of a flying haggis, but after careful consideration the author decided this is a hoax. Why would a self respecting haggis take to the skies? It is simply not believable. 

              Haggis hunting

              In order to catch the wild haggis, hunts are regularly organised. There is some controversy over when hunting is permitted. The breeding season is not a good time of course, as that would prevent the population maintaining numbers. 

              Most people agree the hunting season starts on St Andrews Day (30 November) and ends on Burns night (25 January). Some hunting outside of these dates might be done if the breeding in captivity failed that year and a supply of haggis is needed outside of Burns Night. 

              We will not go into hunting protocols, as that would give humans an unfair advantage when attempting to catch a haggis. 

              Address the haggis

              If you do manage to get hold of a haggis and want to enjoy its particular flavour, there are a few stipulations. Neeps and tatties have to accompany the haggis. A bottle of Scotch needs to be at hand, single malt is preferable. And of course you need to know how to address the haggis properly before consumption. 

              Without giving the full address, it would be a travesty to consume any haggis, especially on Burns Night. 


              We need your help! The press in our country is dominated by billionaire-owned media, many offshore and avoiding paying tax. We are a citizen journalism publication but still have significant costs. If you believe in what we do, please consider subscribing to the Bylines Gazette 🙏

              Tags: Burns nighthaggisScotland
              Previous Post

              Nicola Sturgeon rallies her business troops in Glasgow

              Next Post

              Amateur orchestra delivers rousing performance in first post-lockdown concert

              Anna Schurer

              Anna Schurer

              Related Posts

              close up picture of part of a violin
              Arts & Entertainment

              Amateur orchestra delivers rousing performance in first post-lockdown concert

              byMartin Roche
              26 January 2023
              Image Gary Birnie (CC BY-ND 2.0), via Flickr.
              Culture

              Culture Corner features; Lost and Found

              byLisa Allison
              23 September 2022
              The Saltire and the three spirals on the Triskelion symbol believed to represent the three worlds: The present physical realm. The spirit world of ancestors. The celestial world of the sun, moon, stars and planets. Image by Martje Ross printed with permission
              Culture

              Stop using Scots and Gaelic as political footballs

              byCameron Greer
              7 September 2022
              Boris, increasingly haunted by his diabolical dealings?
KY Shakespeare in the Parks: Photo by Holly Stone Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)
              Culture

              Political lessons from the Bard: musings on the Scottish play

              byNicola Tipton
              5 January 2021
              Next Post
              close up picture of part of a violin

              Amateur orchestra delivers rousing performance in first post-lockdown concert

              Subscribe to our newsletters
              CHOOSE YOUR NEWS
              Follow us on social media
              CHOOSE YOUR PLATFORMS
              Download our app
              ALL OF BYLINES IN ONE PLACE
              Subscribe to our gazette
              CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SUSTAINABILITY
              Make a monthly or one-off donation
              DONATE NOW
              Help us with our hosting costs
              SIGN UP TO SITEGROUND
              We are always looking for citizen journalists
              WRITE FOR US
              Volunteer as an editor, in a technical role, or on social media
              VOLUNTEER FOR US
              Something else?
              GET IN TOUCH
              Previous
              Next

              LATEST

              blue background, A younf woman holding a large black sign that says VOTE ! in white letters

              Scottish elections: young people more likely to vote if they started at 16 – new study

              31 January 2023
              Healthcare word seen in a scrabble

              “Leave no one behind” – the Health Foundation’s report into health inequalities in Scotland 2023.

              30 January 2023
              Sign saying NHS Greater Galsgow & Clyde in front of a hospital building

              Concern over patients waiting in corridors for free beds at Glasgow Superhospital

              27 January 2023
              A row of tall houses on the left, with parked cars in front on the side of the street

              Saving Scotland’s tenements

              27 January 2023

              MOST READ

              blue background, A younf woman holding a large black sign that says VOTE ! in white letters

              Scottish elections: young people more likely to vote if they started at 16 – new study

              31 January 2023
              close up picture of part of a violin

              Amateur orchestra delivers rousing performance in first post-lockdown concert

              26 January 2023
              A row of tall houses on the left, with parked cars in front on the side of the street

              Saving Scotland’s tenements

              27 January 2023
              Healthcare word seen in a scrabble

              “Leave no one behind” – the Health Foundation’s report into health inequalities in Scotland 2023.

              30 January 2023

              BROWSE BY TAGS

              Alister Jack Brexit Christmas Climate change cost of living crisis Covid Culture Defence Democracy Devolution Gender Recognition Reform Glasgow Halloween health History Holyrood independence IndyRef2 Johnson Journalism Liz Truss Long Covid Monarchy nationalism NATO NHS Nicola Sturgeon politics Poverty Putin Russia Sars-CoV-2 Scotland Security Security and Defence shipbuilding SNP Sunak Supreme Court Tories Tourism Twitter Ukraine UK Supreme Court War in Ukraine
              Bylines Scotland

              We are a not-for-profit citizen journalism publication. Our aim is to publish well-written, fact-based articles and opinion pieces on subjects that are of interest to people in Scotland and beyond.

              Bylines Scotland is a trading brand of Bylines Network Limited, which is a sister organisation to Byline Times.

              Learn more about us

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Bylines network
              • About
              • Authors
              • Contact
              • Donate
              • Privacy

              © 2022 Bylines Scotland. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Home
              • News
                • Scotland
                • World
              • Politics
                • Council Areas
                • Europe
                • Holyrood
                • Rest of UK
                • Westminster
              • Business
                • Fishing
                • Trade
                • Transport
              • Health
              • Environment
                • Climate Change
              • Opinion
              • Donate

              © 2022 Bylines Scotland. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

              Welcome Back!

              Login to your account below

              Forgotten Password?

              Retrieve your password

              Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

              Log In