MINISTRY of Defence (MoD) cost cutting will see military sporrans used by the Royal Regiment of Scotland imported, rather than bought from Scottish manufacturers.
The move comes a little over a week over the Heritage Crafts Association added kilt and sporran-making to the list of “endangered” crafts in the UK, with only six people making a living crafting the traditional pouches worn over kilts. A further 20 are involved as amateurs.
The chairman of the Scottish Tartans Authority, John McLeish, called the decision to import sporrans a “bit of a kick in the teeth”.
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“The MoD might say the quality is the same, but I will not believe it till the cows come home because I’ve seen it for myself,” he told The Times.
“When soldiers parade as the Royal Regiment of Scotland, they do so with pride. Wherever they are marching, at Balmoral or down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, in their kilts, their sporrans, and their uniforms, it is important to them where these things come from.”
Greg Whyte, the owner of Margaret Morrison Lt – which held the sub-contract for sporran-making – said there would be a “hole in the accounts”.
A soldier from Balaclava Company (5 SCOTS) The Royal Regiment of Scotland ahead of the State Opening of Parliament
Buyers for the MoD “don’t get the sporran, they don’t get the Scottish regiments”, he said.
Whyte added that the sporran is not just a piece of clothing, but “part of an identity” and should therefore be made in Scotland.
Daniel Carpenter, of the Heritage Crafts Association, said he was “very disappointed” by the decision.
“We will raise this issue with ministers to see if anything can be done for British sporran makers in this instance, and try to influence a change in policy for future decisions,” he explained.
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Sporran-making now joins Shetland lace knitting and compass-making on the list of “critically endangered” crafts in the UK.
The sporran industry suffers from a lack of training opportunities and difficulty accessing materials, the association says – while demand for “substandard and very cheap imports” is causing concern.
"If we allow endangered crafts to disappear then we seriously diminish the opportunities for future generations to create their own sustainable and fulfilling livelihoods, based on these skills,” said Mary Lewis, who led the research for the association.
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