Best Food In Scotland – Ultimate Scottish Food Guide

Best Food In Scotland – ultimate guide to the very best of must try Scottish food – with a video of some of the foodie highlights.

Best Food In Scotland

This Best Food In Scotland Guide will help you taste the very best local Scottish food delicacies when you visit Glasgow, Edinburgh, Scotland’s Highlands or anywhere else in the beautiful, historic country.

Scotland is blessed with incredible local Scottish produce including dairy, world-renowned seafood and fresh fish, Aberdeen Angus beef and of course Scotch Whisky.

There’s something for everyone, whether your preference is for savoury or you’re looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth, you’ll find both traditional Scottish food and local dishes to satisfy every possible taste, including some of Scotland’s favourite desserts you simply must try.

Best Food In Scotland List

Here’s the full list of Scottish foods for you to try on your visit:

Full Scottish Breakfast

Enjoy a Traditional Scottish Breakfast for your most important meal of the day, to fuel you with plenty of energy for a day of exploring.

The above pictured breakfast was at Singl-end in Glasgow’s Merchant City, I went for the Meaty Breakfast which included poached eggs, potato scone, streaky bacon, Lorne sausage (the square sausage), Stornoway black pudding, grilled tomato, home-baked beans and toasted sourdough.

I was dining with my son and he went for the Veggie breakfast which was meant to include homemade vegetarian Haggis, but unfortunately they were out of stock on the day we visited so he swapped the Scottish delicacy for avocado instead.

As far as the elements on the plate, the eggs were perfectly runny, bacon crisp, beans full of flavor and while the black pudding is an acquired taste, it a super tasty breakfast item. It was my first time trying Lorne Sausage and I really enjoyed the taste of it, the sausage meat flavors reminded me of Boerewors, a South African sausage that I grew up with, so it was familiar and wonderfully meaty.

I found the potato scone to be different to ones I’ve found on Irish and English breakfast plates, it was super crisp on the outside with soft, gooey potato within… potato perfection!

Scottish Porridge

Another warming, hearty breakfast option when you’re in Scotland is to opt for a comforting bowl of tasty and nutritious Scottish porridge.

Porridge also happens to be a budget friendly breakfast option that you’ll find on cafe and restaurant menus all over Scotland.

You’ll find that Scottish porridge differs from other varieties in that usually only water and a pinch of salt is added and then slowly simmered to create a creamy and hearty bowl full of porridge.

Cullen Skink

The hearty dish of Cullen Skink is a comforting fish soup or chowder that usually contains smoked haddock, potatoes, onion, garlic, stock, milk and cream to create a lovely creamy soup.

Here’s a video showing you how to make Cullen Skink yourself, hit play below or click here to watch on YouTube.

Cock A Leekie Soup

A heatry soup that you’ll find around Scotland and that’s also so easy to make, and is full of nutritious, wholesome ingredients including chicken, plenty of leeks and other vegetables.

Here’s a video showing you how to make Cock A Leekie Soup, hit play below or click here to watch on YouTube.

Scotch Pies

A traditional Scottish meat pie, a Scotch pie is known for it’s distinctive texture, shape and flavor.

You’ll find that the pastry, which is a hot water crust pastry, is baked to have tall, straight sides with a slightly recessed top.

For the filling, you’ll typically find it to be a rich and savoury minced mutton or beef that’s seasoned simply with salt, pepper and sometimes also a pinch of nutmeg or mace for a little bit of warmth.

Macaroni Pie

While researching what to eat for my recent trip to Glasgow, the unique Macaroni Pie kept coming up as a speciality that you’ll find at Bayne’s bakeries.

The one I visited was at Glasgow bus station and had a choice of tempting pies, including the above pictured macaroni pie, that had a crispy cheesy topping and was filled with gooey, cheesy macaroni cheese.

I’m still dreaming of it weeks later, and if you’re a mac and cheese lover like me, then I thoroughly recommend seeking out a macaroni pie when you’re in Glasgow.

Best Food In Scotland – Haggis

You’ll find Scotland’s National Dish of Haggis in many forms at cafes, restaurants and local pubs – including as the traditional dish of Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, that’s typically served on Burns Night. (25th January to celebrate poet Robert Burns.)

I found Haggis in pasty form at Mor Bakery in Glasgow, as well as on breakfast, lunch and dinner menus in creative forms, including deep fried!

Arbroath Smokies

Traditional Scottish cuisine includes a number of fish and seafood dishes that make the most of the incredible local produce.

Arbroath Smokies are a type of hot-smoked, gutted and headless whole haddock, that are traditionally prepared in Arbroath, Scotland and have a delicate, smoky flavor.

Arbroath Smokie can find it’s way into pate, tarts and even pasta, or simply enjoyed as it is to really appreciate the unique flavors.

Here’s a helpful video showing you how to prepare and eat Arbroath Smokie. Hit play below or click here to watch on YouTube.

Irn Bru

Known as Scotland’s other national drink, after Scottish Whiskey, Irn Bru is a bright orange, carbonated soft drink that was first produced in Glasgow in 1901 by A.G Barr.

I has a unique flavor that’s been described as both sweet and tangy and similar or either cream soda or cough syrup!

Deep-fried Mars Bars

Now, onto desserts! First there’s deep-fried mars bars, an extra indulgent treat you’ll find at Scottish fish and chip shops.

The chocolate bars and smothered in batter and deep fried until you have a crisp outside and gooey, melty chocolate within.

I had my portion with ice cream to help balance the intense richness of the dessert. I’m a huge fan, I love how rich and chocolatey the mars bar becomes and it’s simply irresistible when paired with the battered coating.

As mentioned, it is incredibly rich, so I found that sharing my portion with my son wasn’t too overwhelming and I still got to enjoy the sweet goodness without feeling ill afterwards!

Dundee Cake

The Dundee cake is a traditional Scottish fruit cake that originated from the city of Dundee and is packed full of fruit including currants, sultanas and raisins, there’s also often orange peel, zest or marmaladed to add to the batter to create a slight citrus flavor to the cake.

As for toppings, almonds are the traditional option, arranged in a circular pattern on top before the cake is baked.

Here’s a video showing you how to make a traditional Dundee cake. Hit play below or click here to watch on YouTube.

Clootie Dumpling

Clootie Dumpling is a traditional Scottish steamed pudding that’s made with dried fruit, spices, suet and flour which is then all boiled or steamed together in a cloth or “cloot” which is the Scots word for cloth.

Here’s how to make traditional Clootie Dumpling. Hit play below or click here to watch on YouTube.

Traditional Scottish Tablet

If you’re a fudge fan then you’ll love Scottish tablet. The sweet treat is similar to fudge but has a distinctive texture that’s firm, brittle and crumbly and flavor that’s incredibly sweet, rich, buttery and creamy, with an almost toffee-like depth of flavor.

Scottish Shortbread

If you’re looking for a tasty treat to enjoy during your visit then Scottish shortbread is the perfect solution.

Scottish shortbread is simply made with only three ingredients – lots of butter, sugar and flour to create a melt in the mouth texture that’s dense and rich, compared to other shortbread varieties.

Best Food In Scotland Video

Here’s the video showing you some of the traditional dishes I enjoyed during my first time in Scotland. Hit play below or click here to watch on YouTube.

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