If like us you love to taste new cuisine when exploring a new country, we have you covered with our list of food and drink to try when visiting Scotland.
1. Haggis
First on our list is of course Haggis, Scotland’s most famous traditional dish. We are not going to tell you what it is… you should maybe google if you are brave enough! We’d recommend you try Haggis Bon Bons, which are simply haggis fried in a batter and usually served with a whisky sauce. Delicious!
2. Whisky
Next up is Whisky… and it’s unlikely you’ll not have heard of this one. Choosing which Whisky to try can be overwhelming however we’d recommend trying the Glenmorangie single-malt scotch whisky. There are also many distillery tours you can visit such as The Macallan Distillery in Speyside, the Blair Athol Distillery in Pitlochry and the Auchentoshan distillery in Clydebank. If visiting Glasgow, we would highly recommend the Bon Accord for its vast selection of whiskies. They have a selection of over 400 at their bar!
3. Irn-Bru
Did you know Irn-Bru is our nations other favourite drink? It’s our delicious fizzy soft drink which is actually more popular than Coca Cola in Scotland and is known as a beloved hangover cure. You’ll find it in practically every shop, restaurant and bar and if sugary drinks aren’t your thing then try the diet or Xtra option!
4. Roll and Square sausage
A Lorne sausage, or square sausage as we call it, is simply a traditional Scottish sausage which just so happens to be in the shape of a square! It is a staple of a traditional Scottish breakfast and goes perfect with a well fired roll.
5. Scottish Tablet
Scottish tablet is an extremely sugary sweet treat which is absolutely delicious. We’d recommend you buy from somewhere local like in a bakery or a souvenir gift shop (the supermarket mass produced ones are just not the same as the home made ones).
6. Sausage or fish supper
There are not many places in scotland you won’t find a chippy (chippy shop) and we’d recommend trying a sausage or fish supper. When asked if you want salt and vinegar, say yes – it’s the British way! You can also add sauce and we would recommend tomato ketchup or HP brown sauce (or be weird like Ashley and have them both together).
7. full scottish breakfast (Fry UP)
If you have been to England before you have may have tried a traditional English breakfast and it’s similar in Scotland but with a few additions. A traditional Scottish breakfast includes fried eggs, bacon, sausages, grilled tomatoes, baked beans, haggis, black pudding and potato scone (tattie scone) served with tea or coffee. Oh and of course the square lorne sausage!
8. deep fried mars bar
It may sound disgusting but it tastes like heaven. You’ll find this interesting concept at local chippies and if in Glasgow we would highly recommend the University Cafe on Byres road. The mars bar is deep fried, making the inside gooey and the chocolate melt inside a thin batter. Now please note this is not something we eat in Scotland all the time. In fact, a lot of us Scottish have never even tasted one. It’s more of a gimmick that came about in Aberdeenshire in the 90s, but we are all for it!
9. shortbread
Shortbread is a sugary biscuit (or cookie to some). You’ll find it every gift shop and it’s a common souvenir to take home to family and friends. It is also a traditional treat we eat on New Years Day.
10. gin
Gin has become extremely popular in Scotland in the past few years especially in fancy flavours and cocktail mixes. Many islands now have their own gins and Edinburgh Gin is also very popular.
11. steak pie
A family favourite in Scotland is steak pie and is a traditional meal at New Years. You can find this in many pubs and restaurants around the country.
12. tunnock's tea cake
A Tunnock’s tea cake is another biscuit that goes nicely with a cup of tea. It’s mallow on biscuit covered in chocolate.
13. crabbie's raspberry ginger beer
This isn’t common on a lot of drink menus but if you happen to see it during your visit you have to try! It is so delicious and refreshing and comes in both alcoholic and non alcoholic versions.
14. tennent's lager
Often voted the most popular beer in scotland, Tennent’s is a Scottish pale lager you will find in every bar. You can also taste it on their amazing brewery tour in Glasgow, which at 18 acres is one of the biggest breweries in Europe.
15. chicken tikka masala
Believe it or not, our home city Glasgow is the place where Chicken Tikka Masala was invented in the 70s. We would highly recommend Indian cuisine when visiting Scotland. Our favourite being Mother India in the West End of Glasgow.
bonus: scottish tap water
The tap water in Scotland is perfectly safe to drink and is free!
We hope you enjoyed our recommendations on the best food and drink to try when visiting Scotland. For more Scotland inspiration click here.
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Aga
Now I know what Scottish tablet is 😛 great post you guys 😉
ontheroadagaintravels
haha yay! thanks so much ❤️
Paula
I keep meaning to try deep fried Mars bar but I still haven’t. So many tasty items on this list though!
ontheroadagaintravels
We just tried for the first time last year and they are so so good! Absolutely… got us so hungry writing it haha.