I'm actually from Scotland and grew up in an area that laid claim to their invention - near Stonehaven - around the time they popped up.
They're basically a silly novelty equivalent to "deep fried butter" is in the USA but they definitely came from Scotland. I've never had one and know only a handful of people who did, I suspect they came about as a sort of pre-internet way to grab attention and go "viral"
They're not exactly a delicacy or something that we should be proud of, mind ...