Kilt and sporran

The Kilt is one of the one of the most iconic ways to express your Scottish roots. Shop our bestselling range of 8 Yard Casual Kilts. Read more.

Made of leather or fur , the ornamentation of the sporran is chosen to complement the formality of dress worn with it. The sporran is worn on a leather strap or chain, conventionally positioned in front of the groin of the wearer. Since the traditional kilt does not have pockets, the sporran serves as a wallet and container for any other necessary personal items. It is essentially a remnant of the common European medieval belt-pouch, superseded elsewhere as clothing came to have pockets, but continuing in the Scottish Highlands because of the lack of these accessories in traditional dress. The sporran hangs below the belt buckle ; and much effort is made to match their style and design.

Kilt and sporran

But where did the sporran originate and what was its purpose? Kilts of that time were very basic garments that required no tailoring and comprised a single piece of tartan cloth some two yards in width by four or six yards in length. It fell down to the knees and was secured over the left shoulder with a brooch or pin and a tight belt gathered it all around the waist. Such dress was ideally suited to the climate and terrain of the Highlands. It allowed freedom of movement, the tightly woven woollen cloth was warm and waterproof, unwrapped it could provide a voluminous cloak against the weather or a comfortable overnight blanket, it dried out quickly and with much less discomfort than trousers. But unlike trousers, the kilt could not provide pockets and so the sporran was born out of necessity. Early sporrans were made from leather or skin, both deerskin and calfskin proved particularly popular. They were simple in design and usually gathered at the top by basic drawstrings or by thongs with small tassels. The Highlanders of the Western Isles often wore cloth pouches known as trews. Original sporrans dating from the fourteenth century and onwards can be viewed at many Scottish museums. The history and evolution of the sporran can also be traced through early British military paintings and portraits of Highland soldiers; these later sporrans start to show more elaborate decoration. From the late seventeenth century and early eighteenth century sporrans were generally fitted with metal clasps, usually made from brass, or for clan chiefs, occasionally silver. The elaborate metal workings of some of these clasps are indeed miniature works of art. The goat-haired, sporran molach or hairy sporran was introduced by the military in the eighteenth century. But what is it that a Scotsman actually keeps in his sporran?

The horsehair sporrans were widely used in different ranks. Victorian examples were usually quite ostentatious, and kilt and sporran more elaborate than the simple leather pouch of the 17th or 18th century.

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But where did the sporran originate and what was its purpose? Kilts of that time were very basic garments that required no tailoring and comprised a single piece of tartan cloth some two yards in width by four or six yards in length. It fell down to the knees and was secured over the left shoulder with a brooch or pin and a tight belt gathered it all around the waist. Such dress was ideally suited to the climate and terrain of the Highlands. It allowed freedom of movement, the tightly woven woollen cloth was warm and waterproof, unwrapped it could provide a voluminous cloak against the weather or a comfortable overnight blanket, it dried out quickly and with much less discomfort than trousers. But unlike trousers, the kilt could not provide pockets and so the sporran was born out of necessity. Early sporrans were made from leather or skin, both deerskin and calfskin proved particularly popular. They were simple in design and usually gathered at the top by basic drawstrings or by thongs with small tassels. The Highlanders of the Western Isles often wore cloth pouches known as trews.

Kilt and sporran

JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Sporran, also known as a pouch or purse, is an essential accessory to complete the traditional Scottish attire. The sporran is worn with the kilt and serves both as a functional and decorative item.

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Checkout Empty bag. This style displays the Scottish tradition, since the earliest pouches probably included the head with the pelt. J Contents move to sidebar hide. Early sporrans would have been worn suspended from the belt or on either of the hips, rather than hung from a separate strap in front of the wearer. Officers were permitted to wear undress sporran resembling the men's. On the centre, Boar's head and scroll. The cantle may contain intricate filigree or etchings of Celtic knots. Pewter or silver cantle is also carved on the sporran. The Kilt is one of the one of the most iconic ways to express your Scottish roots. The general rules for six tassels are: two at the top in a line, two under them in a line, and two in the centre to hang below these, so that a line drawn across the bottom of the side tassels would pass through the centre of the centre tassels. Civilian sporran worn by General Duncan Campbell of Lochnell. This style commonly fastens at the rear with a stud on a small flap that connects the front and rear of the sporran.

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BBC News. On the centre, Boar's head and scroll. These "day" sporrans often have three or more leather tassels and frequently Celtic knot designs carved or embossed into the leather. The rank and file wore similar ones of black or grey goatskin, but the white tassels had red cords. Early sporrans would have been worn suspended from the belt or on either of the hips, rather than hung from a separate strap in front of the wearer. The main function of sporrans were used as haversack, for each Highlander carried his own provision of oatmeal—eating it if necessary, raw, or mixed with a little cold water—as did Montrose in the dawn before the Battle of Inverlochy. Scott Collection. Hidden categories: CS1 maint: location missing publisher Articles with short description Short description matches Wikidata Articles needing additional references from September All articles needing additional references. Read more. They are often embossed or hand-tooled with Celtic, thistle, or other designs on the flap and body, and fasten with a stud or hook closure. They are often worn for semi-formal occasions with Argyll outfits.