Please meet MacGregor, a rare Antique Gund Black Scotty Dog

Please meet MacGregor, a rare antique Gund Black Scotty dog and faithful Teddy bear companion!  He was made in the 1950s and still has his original hang tag.   I don't believe his fur is mohair, but rather it is very soft and silky.  He wears a lovely red leather collar and his little ears are lined with a plaid fabric.   He is not straw stuffed, but is firm.  He is not jointed.  He has glass eyes, and his squeaker is no longer operable.  He has a very, very cute face.

MacGregor was born in New York City, but was quickly adopted out to a family in the north of Scotland.   He only has a fuzzy memory of his mother.   What he remembers most about New York is the constant sound of the traffic and the smell from the Hudson River.  He was glad he left the city behind.  Once his adoption went through, he was packed into a crate and taken aboard a ship where for nearly seven days he braved the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.  He couldn't see very well in the hold and he sometimes felt a little queasy, so it seemed a lot longer than a week.  

When MacGregor arrived in the seaport of Grangemouth, Scotland, it was a warm summer day, and he couldn't wait to be free.  His little tail was thumping against the side of the crate, and his nose was twitching with excitement.   Going through customs, he jumped out and ran circles around the agent, first running very fast, and then glancing behind him, he slowed down a bit so he would be caught.  He wriggled in the man's arms and licked his face.  He was a bundle of energy in those days.

An older gentleman picked MacGregor up at the cargo counter and attached a red leather collar and leash to his neck.   He lead him to a Humber Super Snipe Mark II Saloon parked just outside the doors, placed a water bowl, kibble and  a small piece of rawhide on the passenger side floor and tried to usher MacGregor inside, but MacGregor had other ideas.    He slipped under the car and out the other side, with the gentleman in hot pursuit.   MacGregor sprinted as fast as he could at first and then  slowed down,  looking over his shoulder, waiting to be scooped up, and indeed, he was.

On his way to his new home, MacGregor was fascinated by the Black-faced sheep and the Highland Cattle.   He wanted to run circles around them, too, but he was foiled at any attempts to escape.  When the car finally arrived at the little fishing village of Gardenstown on the outskirts of Banff, MacGregor was very tired.  He could hardly keep his eyes open.  He felt himself being tucked into a small bed, but in the morning when he awoke, he explored all the rooms, ready to start his day.   He pushed open the back door and ran laps around the garden at top speed, hoping for someone to chase him, and sure enough, a young boy came out of the house chasing MacGregor up and down the stone path.    He let himself be caught.

Over the years, MacGregor had many escapades, scampering up and down hills, through fields after those Black-faced sheep and Highland cattle, racing up and down country lanes, even once or twice tearing past the parishoners in the middle of the minister's sermon.   You see, he has a reputation to uphold.   He's a little slower today than in those early days, but if you happen to see him in the village, don't be surprised if he's running, looking over his shoulder, and waiting for you to catch him.