A Taste of Scotland

The Scots have learnt over the years to make best use of the offerings nature handed to them in Scotland, from the rugged mountains, lakes, sea lochs and streams, to the fertile valleys and moorlands. The climate of Scotland is relatively temperate in the southern and central parts but the highlands and islands are subject to particularly harsh winters. Scottish Cuisine has its own characteristic features and is immensely appreciated by food buffs all across the world. Traditionally, Scotland is known for its well-loved whisky, haggis and shortbread.  Today, the country is a major exporter of food, offering top-quality farm, dairy and seafood produce. Like England, food in Scotland today is an eclectic mix of many cultures - English, Italian, Indian and Chinese. In Scotland, the Scots hold on tightly to their culinary heritage still using local, seasonal food. Oats are still widely eaten, as is fish, game, and of course beef. Scottish soft fruits – raspberries, strawberries, are renowned throughout the UK. Scottish cheeses, fruits and vegetables likewise. Wherever you travel in Scotland the opportunity exists to sample the local delicacies - Arbroath smokies, Lochfyne kippers, Scotch broth, Colcannon, Scotch Pies, Crowdie, Porridge, Forfar Bridies, Selkirk bannocks, Orkney cheese, Islay cheese, Galloway cheese, Dundee cake, Moffat toffee and many more.

 

Soups and Broths

In Scotland, the Scottish kitchen is an abundance of soups and broths including Cock-a-Leekie - Chicken and leek soup, Scotch Broth – barley enrichened soup, Cullen Skink - a stew/soup from Cullen on the shores of the Moray Firth usually made with Finnan Haddock and Brose – A simple soup usually Kale, with a handful of oatmeal.

 

Fish

Fish is a staple of Scotland coming from the lochs, streams, river and magnificent coastline. Fish and seafood are plentiful and Scottish salmon (smoked and fresh) is world-renowned as are Arbroath Smokies (smoked haddock).

 

 

Meats

The Scottish table will have meats a-plenty. Almost everybody who comes to Scotland knows about Haggis, although most have never tasted it until they come here. In Scotland you would never eat haggis without the neeps and tatties. It’s just part of the tradition. Neeps is basically mashed turnip, and tatties are just Scottish for potatoes. Internationally it is seen as the national dish, but in reality most ordinary people only eat haggis on Burns night, or a particularly special Scottish themed occasion. Beef, game – particularly venison game birds, Haggis - a sheep’s stomach stuffed with sheep’s intestine and oatmeal – which was famous enough for famous Scots poet Robbie Burns to pen and ode. And not forgetting Forfar Bridies, a pasty not dissimilar to a Cornish Pasty.

 

Bakery

Scotland is celebrated for its baking and puddings. A Clootie Dumpling, again not unlike an English suet pudding with a suet pastry case filled with dried fruits. Scottish shortbread is legendary as are oatcakes and pancakes. No list would be complete without Crannachan which incorporates some of Scotland’s most famous ingredients - raspberries, oats and whisky – or Tablet the delicious fudge-like confection made from sugar, cream, condensed milk, and butter. Tunnocks sweets/biscuits/wafers/cakes have been around since before war time Britain. The tea cakes however, are the best of them all. It is essentially a soft biscuit, topped with filled bubble of cream.

 

Scottish Cheese

Scotland has a long tradition of cheese making as its climate and location are ideally suited to produce cheese although their long cold winters and short production seasons in the summers have meant traditionally that hard cheeses were much more readily available. Today there is a wide variety of Scottish cheeses to choose from including both hard and soft varieties produced from goats, cows and ewes milk. Many are still produced on small family run creameries using traditional techniques. Scotland has some of the world's finest cheeses, many handmade in superb rural locations, well worth a visit. Scottish cheddar remains a firm favourite with the Scots and our visitors, Crowdie, a soft cheese, Caboc, Strathkinness is Scotland's answer to Gruyere, Bishop Kennedy is an unpasteurised Scottish Cheese, Brie, Bonnet, Brodick Blue, Caithness, Inverloch, Dunsyre Blue are some of the Scottish cheeses.

 

Whisky

Scottish distillers have made a great contribution to the fame of Scotland with their manufacture of whisky. Scotch whisky is regarded as ‘the’ whisky. It is prized among connoisseurs with its variety of aromas and flavors. The Scots and the Irish still argue today about who invented whisk(e)y. The Scottish spelling does not recognize the ‘e’. The argument sways to Ireland with evidence from circa 432 and St Patrick. Perhaps one of the most important ingredients of the Scottish larder is whisky - known as Uisge Beatha or the Water of Life. Whisky is without doubt Scotland's national drink, made in Scotland and consumed all over the world. Among the famous Highland malts are Glen Grant, Macallan, Glenfarclas, Knockando, Cardhu, Glenfiddich, Strathisla and Tamnavullin. Of course there are also island malts which have their own special appeal. These include Highland Park and Scapa on Orkney, Talisker from the misty Isle of Skye, Jura and the Islay malts which include Laphroaig, Bowmore and Bruichladdich.