Just for the record, there are two sorts of Haggis:
Long-tailed Haggis, which is found in the east between Dundee and Aberdeen with an isolated population on the Black Isle and
Short-tailed Haggis, which is more common and is found from Fort William to Ulapool. There is a variety that is only found on the the Outer Hebrides, but most authorities consider this the same species.
In 1954 there was a failed reintroduction of the Short-tailed form in Ayrshire, where it had been hunted to extinction, the last one trapped in 1949. Since then there have been scant sightings with one photgraphed at Ecclefeccan in 1973 and another as recently as 1992 just on the outskirts of paisley, but it can be considered effectively extinct south of Loch Lomond.
Opinion is divided on which is the best eater of the two forms. The rather retiring Long-tailed has a rather earthy taste and some say it is best hunted by moonlight, although this was outlawed in all but the Moray Firth since 1990.
The Short-tailed is the one most normally exported to England is sweeter and has a rather rougher texture.
Sensible harvesting has meant the populations of both species have been sustainable since the introduction of a close season in 1968 and there is evidence of an expansion of the Long-tailed Haggis with a sighting of one near Sutherland last year (Haggis monthly Vol 96. 11)
For more information see:
http://haggishunt.scotsman.com/haggisclopedia.cfm
