Kilt wearer's purses: They better not be wild

EDINBURGH, Scotland — It's considered rude to ask a Scotsman what he keeps in his sporran, but kilt wearers may be forced to start producing licenses that show their traditional purses aren't made from endangered wildlife.

New legislation in the European Union says the owner of any sporran made later than 1994 has to prove the animal was not endangered or killed illegally. The law is aimed at protecting wild animals such as badgers, otters, hedgehogs and wild cats.

"I have been inundated with calls from customers worried they are now breaking the law," said Malcolm Scott, of sporran makers William Scott and Son.

The sporran is a leather or fur purse that hangs just below the belt buckle of full Highland dress. Although its contents are often a mystery, Scotsmen often keep a flask of whisky in it.

Sporran makers and Highland dress shops are trying to determine if their products fall under the ban. The maximum fine for breaking the law is nearly $10,000 or six months in jail.

More macho than a man bag, the sporran's origins are in the medieval belt pouches. But it protect the wearer's modesty, especially if he is upholding the tradition of wearing nothing beneath the kilt.