Myths & Motifs: Wild Haggis and Nessie

Scottish folklore often occupies an unusual space between story, humour and belief. The Wild Haggis and Nessie are both examples of figures that are widely recognised, yet rarely treated in quite the same way twice. One is usually presented with a straight face despite being entirely improbable. The other remains just plausible enough to keep the conversation going. Both continue to survive because the stories are still worth telling.

The intention was not to produce novelty designs, but to work with forms that sit somewhere between recognition and suggestion.

The Wild Haggis

The design draws on a well-known Highland tale.

A small animal, adapted to the slope of the hills, with one side of its body longer than the other. The details vary depending on who is telling it.

The engraving reflects this idea directly. A compact, forward-facing form, with uneven legs set into the line of the ground. Beneath, the text follows an undulating path, echoing the terrain.

A simple composition, built from a familiar story.

Nessie

The approach here was more restrained.

The design focuses on the head and neck emerging from the water, turned slightly, with a distant boat set in the background. The form is kept minimal, allowing the shape to carry the reference without over-definition.

Below the image, the formal name Nessiteras rhombopteryx is included, followed by a single line: Nessie.

Glass and Format

Both designs are prepared for whisky tumblers.

The scale allows the detail to remain clear, while the proportions suit a single, contained engraving rather than a full wraparound.

Two figures, treated with restraint and held in simple form.