What is a Scottish sporran & How to wear it?
What is a Scottish sporran & How to wear it?
A Sporran is a pouch (Scottish Gaelic for ‘purse’) traditionally worn as part of Highland dress, Suspended by a chain or leather strap that wraps around the waist, it is now primarily a decorative accessory.
It originally served as a practical and essential everyday item for carrying personal belongings. Typically made of leather or fur, the sporran often features intricate silver or other decorative ornamentation.
A sporran is a pouch worn at the front of a kilt, suspended by a chain or leather strap that wraps around the waist. It serves both a decorative and practical purpoe.
Originally, the sporran was used to carry everyday items like coins and food rations, since kilts traditionally had no pockets. Even today the sporran remains a practical little purse, ideal for keeping essentials such as keys, phones and wallets — and for some, even a compact hip flask — safely close at hand.
How to Wear a Sporran
To put on a sporran:
Wrap the chain or strap around your waist over the kilt.
Secure the strap or chain at the back.
Adjust the sporran so it hangs centrally and at the proper height.
Types of Sporrans
Day Sporrans - Traditionally a leather pouch often in deerskin or calf skin with or without a simple cantle in brass. The leather is often studded or tooled with various leather tassel options.
Semi Dress Sporrans - A leather pouch with a fur front and a various tassel styles perfect semi dress events including Highland Games and ceilidhs.
Dress Sporrans - A fine fur sporran with a white metal or sterling silver cantles. To wear for full dress events including Balls, weddings or Burn’s Night Suppers.
Full Mask Sporrans - Traditionally crafted in a variety of furs and fashioned with the animal’s head forming the top flap, these pieces often feature examples such as otter, badger, wildcat , musquash, pine marten and fox. Some of these species are rightly now protect species and protected by CITES laws. However, it is perfectly legal to wear a vintage sporran to honour the animal.
Goat Hair Sporrans - With a long goat hair front adorned with either a simple leather cantle as worn by Highland estate ghillies or fine silver cantles for dress wear.
Horsehair Sporrans - With a long horsehair front richly styled and finished with either a simple leather cantle, metal cantle, or delicate fine silver cantles choices often favoured by pipers, pipe bands, and for formal dress wear.
Regimental Hair sporrans - With a long horsehair or goats‑hair front for officers levee dress. Styled with a regimental badge and leather cantle for Other Ranks, and a metal cantle for pipers, SNCOs and officers in various regimental styles, often featuring battle honours and distinctive regimental devices.
For full details of our range of Scottish hand crafted and bespoke sporrans please visit the sporran department.
Historical Sporrans
