Islay blog: The Persabus Haggis Hunt
It was not a mission for the faint hearted. The Haggis hunting season is here. With Burns night upon us the Happy Farmer has been out on the seasonal Persabus Haggis hunt.
It began with ‘pre-hunt refreshments’ in the new Persabus stable for the Happy Farmer and his small cohort from the farming contingent, all eager to get their hands on a prized Persabus Haggis. Now no Persabus blog would be complete without an appearance from the Persabus Aga. Late last night trays of mini Highland beef pies came bubbling out from the top shelf to feed the assembled hunters, all washed down with a ‘wee snifter’ of the Happy Farmer’s bramble whisky, before the hunt began in earnest.
The first hurdle was the electric fence, which to circumnavigate in the darkness, with some ever so slightly ‘tippled’ farmers proved a bit of an obstacle. Not every farmer has been blessed with the mighty long legs of the Happy Farmer or indeed the Handsome Young Farmer. Some of the party are even beginning to get ever so slightly ‘clickety clackety’ in the gait, and with wee legs to boot, well a sharp tweak in the ‘oxters’ is not a happy thought and could have brought a swift halt to proceedings. Luckily the Handsome Farmer and the Happy Farmer stepped in and with good old fashioned ‘coalie backs’ hoisted the lesser legged members of the contingent over the fence and they were off. Stumbling across peatland and bog land hoping to get a glimpse of the evasive Persabus Haggis. The jaunt up the hill did not come without its trials. One farmer got bogged. Another tripped and slid into the burn. Luckily a bottle of the island’s ‘amber nectar’ provided a much-needed source of medicine to persuade the party to continue in their efforts. Out on the hill in the dead of night it can be an eerie place. Stumbling among the old ruins of days gone by. The farmers nearly jumped out of their skin, and almost spilt their bottle of whisky, when, low and behold, the milkman, who had been hiding behind the trig point, jumped out on them, just like the full moon, lighting their path.
In the distance they spied torch light. Poachers? It was distillery staff from Islay’s south island distilleries. They were also out and about searching for the prized Persabus Haggis. You see the haggis at Persabus are among Islay’s best. Known for their sweet, succulent flavour. Helped by the fact that, if rumours are to be believed, they are fed a daily dram from Caol ila Distillery. The Persabus Haggis are already rumoured to be more than excited by the prospect of the generosity of the new Ardnahoe Distillery.
The party returned in the wee small hours. Their bravery rewarded. Haggis in hand.
Much to the Happy Farmer’s dismay, with our daughters arriving home today, the Persabus Burns supper is going to be chicken pie. Reluctantly the Happy Farmer has had to let his haggis go. We watched as he ran gleefully squealing back up the hill, the Happy Farmer that is, not the Haggis.
At this point I must inform you that some of the characters in this blog and a ‘tad’ of the content is purely fictitious, mixed in with a wee dash of Persabus humour. This just leaves me to wish you and yours a hearty happy burns night from all of us at Persabus.
Until next time…
