Greetings all,

I have recently returned from Scotland, more specifically, Badenoch located in Inverness-shire, in the central Highlands. I travel to Scotland almost every summer to attend the annual Clan Macpherson gathering and rally that takes place the first weekend of August. Along with attending the gathering, I visit family relatives that live in Kingussie, Aviemore, Kincraig, and Newtonmore-all along the A9 motorway, which eventually leads to the so-called "capital" of the Highlands, Inverness.

Whilst home, I always take the time to make the time to visit various establishments that deal specifically with Highland dress, and Kate Macpherson is always on the list. Kate Macpherson is in an active member of the Clan Macpherson Association and is a professional sporran maker, with an experienced background in taxidermy. Kate produces very traditional, and some more modern, not-so-traditional animal-mask sporrans. All of Kate's animal-mask sporrans come from animals in Scotland. She also produces leather daywear sporrans, horsehair sporrans, and welcomes custom designs and ideas. Her technique is rooted in tradition, fine craftsmanship, and attention to detail.

I currently own three animal-mask sporrans that Kate Macpherson produced for me: badger, mink, and pine marten. I also own one muskrat animal-mask sporran from L&M Highland Outfitters, which is absolutely wonderful and very high-quality. I would like to purchase animal-mask sporrans with the addition of the plain brass or silver cantle and six tassels with silver or brass cones that Kate offers with some of her animal-mask sporrans, as well as polecat and red fox sporrans, in the near future. I also am very interested in her bespoke horsehair sporrans, which don't have that "piper horsehair sporran look", i.e.-Kate's horsehair sporrans tend to look more natural, tapered, offered in a variety of colour shades (brown, grey, white, black, auburn) and not precisely "formed" or "cut" as in the typical piper's horsehair sporran.

I am obviously in full support of wearing animal-mask sporrans for both daywear and eveningwear; they are quite the versatile Highland gentleman's sporran, and the properly made, heirloom quality animal-mask sporrans, most definitely may be passed on to future generations for wear. In my honest opinion, I prefer animal-mask sporrans to almost any other type of sporran out there, however, I still do own and wear plain leather sporrans in both black and brown colours, some with silver or brass studs, and some with silver or brass cantles, as well as owning a bespoke horsehair sporran for eveningwear, and a plain evening sporran in white rabbit fur with a silver cantle. I find the animal-mask sporrans very easy to wear, they look superb with any type of day or eveningwear outfit, and I have found them to be a conversation piece almost every single time I have worn them.

I only have one rule for the wearing of animal-mask sporrans, they must be well made! The shaggy, unkept, too bulky, and poorly made animal-mask sporrans that are available out there, specifically in the U.S., are in my opinion, simply ugly and are only a "poor" attempt at a very tradtional and somewhat old (the Victorian era is when they really became extremely popular) Scottish Highland sporran design.

www.katemacphersonsporrans.co.uk
www.landmhighland.com

Scottish Pine Marten (v-gusset)


Scottish Pine Marten


Horsehair with Plain Silver Cantle and Cones


Red Fox


Red Fox with Plain Silver Cantle


Badger with Plain Silver Cantle


Badger with Plain Brass Cantle


Scottish Polecat


Me wearing my Muskrat animal-mask sporran produced by L&M.


Another view of the Muskrat animal-mask sporran.



Beannach'd libh,