Scots school children giving Haggis a miss

Almost half of Scottish children have never tried haggis, according to a new survey.

Picture: JP

The finding emerged from a poll of five- to 16-year-olds by budget hotel chain Travelodge.

The survey of 1,000 English and 1,000 Scots children reveals that traditional ‘holiday food’ like haggis, Cornish pasties, candy floss and cockles are at risk of extinction.

Combined results revealed that 90 per cent had never tried haggis and 46 per cent of Scots youngsters hadn’t sampled the national dish.

In addition, 72 per cent of children in Scotland had never tried black pudding and 70 per cent had never experienced a Cornish pasty.

The study also found that 83 per cent of Scots kids had never enjoyed a Devonshire cream tea, with more than a quarter believing it to be a cup of tea topped with whipped cream.

And despite the continuing popularity of seaside holidays, 29 per cent of children north of the border had never tasted candy floss and 87 per cent had never tried cockles.

Travelodge spokeswoman Shakila Ahmed said: “Food is a big part of Britain’s rich heritage but our research has highlighted that we are at risk of losing some of our famous regional dishes because children have not been given the opportunity or encouraged to try them.”