The person leading the game should explain that while the meat is usually beef or lamb, haggis is so important in Scottish legend that lots of people pretend that it’s its own animal (called ‘wild haggis’) as a joke. Haggis is the national dish of Scotland that has been enjoyed for centuries. It can be found everywhere in Scotland, from upmarket restaurants to fish and chip shops. You can even buy it in a can from the supermarket! Sadly, wild haggis are very elusive creatures so your chance of seeing one first-hand is remarkably low. For a while, The Scotsman Newspaper actually ran a competition where you could win a trip to Scotland if you spotted a haggis on one of their live webcams. RNIB Certificate in Contracted (Grade 2) Unified English Braille - Exam-only option for blind and partially people Encourage your child to feel and smell the ingredients and to taste them individually before they are mixed together. This is a great activity for discussing texture, temperature and flavour and for extending your child’s vocabulary and understanding of these concepts.

It is believed that the present secretive wild hairy haggis population is descended from the feral haggis, which in turn were descendants of the domesticated Hebridean haggis, abandoned when the native crofters and their families were forced to leave the land at the time of the forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. The haggis is coarse and crumbly in texture, as well as being heavily seasoned which gives it a peppery flavour. Although traditionally eaten with neeps and tatties, haggis is also enjoyed in sandwiches (known locally as a haggis piece) or formed into meatballs. A large number of wild haggis still roam the moors and machair of the Western Isles and, despite the Isles of Lewis and Harris having a strict Sabbatarian tradition, the Hebridean Haggis Hunt is one of the few events that takes place on a Sunday across all of the islands – including Lewis and Harris. One museum in Glasgow (the Kelvingrove Museum) even has a pretend stuffed haggis alongside the other animals in the natural history section.

The Golden Haggis is much more common in the Western Isles (especially on the machair) than on the mainland and commands a premium price. All wild haggis is therefore considered to be a great delicacy, to be prepared and presented with care and ceremony and eaten on special occasions. Cranachan is a traditional Scottish pudding and is often served at Burns Suppers after the haggis, neeps and tatties. During this activity:

The Lewis Haggis is different from the Haggis on the mainland: unlike its mainland relative all its legs are of the same length. Capturing of wild haggis on Lewis is a traditional community event. At dusk, the young men of the villages go out on to the moors to form a wide semi-circle while the elders cover peat creels with heather and turf, just leaving the opening visible. The young men, acting as ‘beaters’, drive the haggis towards the traps. Each team should pat down the contents so it’s compact then tie the end and cub off any excess fabric. It’s OK if they need a grown up to help with this stage.

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Burns often wrote about Scotland’s natural beauty and other themes, including love and the universe, in simple language, making poetry more accessible for a wider audience. Burns also wrote many songs, including ‘Auld Lang Syne’ which is often sung at weddings and Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve) and other celebrations. To increase your chances of seeing wild haggis on your trip, your best bet is to team up with a local haggis hunter, sometimes known locally as a gillie (and bring binoculars). During the Haggis Season Ghillies who are familiar with the local terrain take advantage of the delicate issues facing the male haggis on finding a mate by releasing Haggis Scottii dexterous females into known Haggis Scotii sinistrous territory, (or vice versa) thus attracting the attention of local males whose brief, hazardous and ultimately pathetic pursuit of the objects of their amorous desire is inevitably fatal, as they are an easy target for the Haggis Hunters.