Please meet Hamish, a very rare Teddy bear created by artist Gary Nett of Bears

Please meet Hamish, a very rare Teddy bear created by artist Gary Nett of Bears by Nett of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.   He's from the late 1990s.   These bears are typically limited editions, but his paperwork has been lost.   He is made of mohair, and as a bagpiper wears an incredibly detailed outfit with a black embroidered jacket, red tartan kilt with little sporran, red and black socks, buckled brogue shoes and a feather bonnet.   His bagpipes are made of wood and the bag itself is a dark blue tartan.    He is in excellent condition. 

Hamish might have been born near a Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania, but his heart belongs to Scotland.    From the time he was a young cub, he was enthralled by the stories he heard from his father, who emigrated to America soon after adult bearhood.    Hamish imagined his forebears raising hundreds of sheep on common pastureland surrounded by lochs and glens and romantic castles, a world away from the hustle and bustle of a city bear's life.

The first time Hamish traveled to his ancestral home, it was overwhelming.   First, he had to adjust his ears to the burr of the Scottish accent.   He hardly understood the Teddy at the reception desk of his hotel.   It sounded like, "It's awfy dreich ootside the day," whatever that meant.   Then he made the mistake of renting a car.    It was quite the adjustment driving on the left side of the road, let alone shifting the car with his left paw and tackling all those roundabouts.   He kept his eyes peeled on the road, unable to enjoy the scenery, so when he finally reached his father's family farm, he was exhausted, but happy to arrive in one piece. 

The moment Hamish pulled up to the farmhouse, the front door opened and out streamed Teddy bears of all sizes and colors, extending their paws in greeting.   They were just as excited to meet Hamish as Hamish was to meet them.   Introductions were made all around, and the bears headed over to the pub for a wee dram of the best single malt in the house.   His cousin Angus taught him how to play snooker, and before the night was over, Hamish felt like he was accepted as an honorary member of the Scottish clan.

Early the next morning, Hamish was awakened by the bleating of four hundred Black Faced Scots.   The nearest Hamish had been to sheep was at the yearly Wool and Fiber Festival in Maryland.   Now he had the opportunity to see a crofter's life up close.   Following a breakfast that included eggs, bacon, toast, and a serving of black pudding, he was greeted by his cousin Fergus and two border collies in the yard.    They rode an ATV up to the fields above the farm, where the two teds and two dogs gently herded the animals into a new grazing area.   Hamish never experienced anything like it before, and nothing like it since.  The time he spent with his relatives in Scotland created the best memories of his lifetime.  On the evening before he was due to return home, Hamish listened to the sound of the bellwether sheep, as she led the flock into the next field.   He might not be a native Scot, but he was delighted and proud to have these Teddy bears as his family.

He returns to Scotland every year on holiday, and he's even become accustomed to the Glaswegian accent.   Well, for the most part anyway.   After years of study, he's now an accomplished piper, and at every family gathering, in America or in Scotland, he'll be dressed in his kilt and brogues and feather bonnet, playing his bagpipes, like his heart belongs to Scotland.