Vintage Scottish Otter Sporrans - For at least the last couple of hundred years we know otter fur has been used to make sporrans from. It may well be that the use of otter fur goes back into the mists of Highland history. Today the otter is a rightly protected species.

However, vintage and antique otter sporrans do survive and occasionally turn up. We restore these vintage gems to give them the opportunity to be worn for many years to come.

The Eurasian otter is one of Scotland’s top predators. The otter (Lutra lutra) was lost from most of England and Wales between the 1950s and the 1970s because of hunting, and pesticide pollution of waterways. But it survived in Scotland’s cleanest bodies of water in the north and west.

Today, the species is flourishing across Scotland, and recovering well across the UK as waterways are cleaned up. The Scottish population is estimated to be around 8000 otters.

Otters are largely solitary, semi-aquatic mammals that get most of their food from lochs, rivers or the sea. We are lucky enough to see otters in the burn below the studio and other local waterways.

Vintage 1930’s Otter Mask Sporran

Recent we were lucky enough to source another 1930’s vintage otter sporran. Following some minimal restoration the full mask sporran is now ready to wear again. Due to the fact the otter is a protect CITES species the otter fur sporrans can only be rehomed in the UK.

For the current stock of vintage sporrans please visit the shop sporran department.

Vintage & Antique Otter Sporran Gallery

Although the classic otter sporran is generally though of as a full mask sporran with head and on occasion the feet overlaid on a fur body otter fur has been for various styles of sporran over the centuries.

King Edward VII wore an otter sporran for sporting days out on the hill as did his son King George V, grandsons King Edward VIII and King George VI.

The fur has been used on its own with no taxidermy full mask. This was popular for children’s sporrans as it was so soft to the touch. It was also popular for many day style sporrans, with brass cantles, tooled leather, studded embellishments and even paired with brown goat hair for a long hair sporran look. The fur was also used with sterling silver to give a full dress look in the early 20th century.

Today Musquash fur has taken over as a more sustainable option that still gives a similar look.

Vintage Otter Sporran Style