What to Eat in Scotland

quickwhittravel

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Updated June 25, 2020.

We ended up visiting both Edinburgh and Glasgow on this trip, and we had positive foodie experiences in each city! We tried the most Scottish food we could find, and in case you wondered, I can definitely recommend the haggis!

Royal Yacht Britannia

Not only did we get to tour the Royal Yacht Britannia, we also got to dine there! They have a restaurant called the Royal Deck Tea Room onboard, and we felt very fancy eating our little sandwiches and sweets! I’ll be honest with you, though; as far as tastiness, we were unfortunately underwhelmed!

Shetland oak smoked salmon with lemon and cracked pepper cream cheese
on wholemeal bread
Ayershire honey roasted ham, tomato, and wholegrain mustard on white bread
Fruit scone with strawberry jam and clotted cream

And let’s be honest, I can’t pass up an opportunity to eat a Victoria Sandwich!

Victoria Sandwich: yellow sponge cake with strawberry jam and heavy whipped cream
Read on: Visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia

Hotel Buffet Breakfast

I was actually pretty impressed with the hotel breakfast at the Hampton next to the Edinburgh airport. Or maybe I was just really hungry at 5:00am. Either way, I’m glad it was included in our rate!

Fruit, bacon, black pudding, and eggs! Plenty to keep me going until lunch time.

The Iron Horse

I got the Haggis! It came out looking a little different than I expected, but it was actually great, and I’d get it again! It reminded me of meatloaf and came with “neeps” and “tatties,” which are parsnips and potatoes respectively!

From bottom to top: cream sauce, tatties, haggis, tatties, haggis, neeps, Scottish flag!

Joel, on the other hand, got the steak pie, which is also a British delight! It came with chips (aka French fries) and peas.

Chips, steak pie, peas

Deacon Brodie’s Tavern

This tavern on the Royal Mile came highly recommended, but we waited far too long for our food, even by leisurely European standards! I hope we were the exception and that our experience was just a fluke, since the food was good!

Cullen Skink (creamy seafood soup) with bread and butter
Joel’s delicious Fish Pie (with mashed potatoes on top and veggies on the side
Toad in the Hole (puff pastry with mashed potatoes, pork and haggis sausages, caramelized onions, gravy, and veggies on the side

The Elephant House

This is the cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter! Neither Joel nor I are too crazy about Harry Potter, but of course we wanted to eat here for the literary and historical significance! Pro tip: go for breakfast. The crowds were far fewer than at suppertime the previous day!

Japanese Cherry Tea
Apple Danish
Elephant House Breakfast: Haggis balls, scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, Cumberland sausage, and tomato
Morning roll with butter, bacon, and tomato
Read on: What to Know Before You Visit Edinburgh

Vittoria

Okay, so we weren’t in Italy, but who can pass up gelato?

Lemon Sorbet and Praline Gelato

Greyfriars Bobby

We stumbled upon this pub kind of on accident, but it was the best place we ate the whole trip! The sticky toffee pudding was life-changing!

But the story of Greyfriars Bobby is even sweeter. Bobby the Skye terrier belonged to John Grey, a night watchman with the Edinburgh City Police. He and Bobby were inseparable for two years, but John died. Bobby sat faithfully by John’s grave in the church behind the pub for 14 years until he passed away himself in 1872 at 16 years old. He is also buried in the Greyfriar’s church yard.

Scottish Stovies! This is a traditional Scottish dish made with slow-cooked beef, root veggies, and potatoes in gravy and served with oat cakes (to the right).
Confit Duck Pie: slow-cooked duck leg in a mushroom and bacon sauce, topped with puff pastry and served with mashed potatoes and veggies.
Stick Toffee Pudding covered in warm toffee sauce and served with warm vanilla custard.
Don’t skip Greyfriars Bobby, and don’t forget to rub his little nose!

Royal Scots Club

Our last authentic Scottish meal was breakfast at the Royal Scots Club, where we stayed in Edinburgh. We both got the Full Scottish Breakfast, and I have to say, it was a fine send-off!

Our Table
Fruit from the buffet.
Sausage, potato “scone” under a sunny-side up egg, tomato, black pudding, bacon, and mushrooms

Which would you like to try?

Hungry for more? Check out my World Foods Page!

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6 responses to “What to Eat in Scotland”

  1. Seeking Wonderful Avatar
    Seeking Wonderful

    Everything looks really tasty and comfy. I can imagine most of that food is so perfect for fall and winter days.

    Reply
    1. quickwhittravel Avatar
      quickwhittravel

      I agree! Definitely comfort food!

      Reply
  2. Carrie Boltz Avatar
    Carrie Boltz

    How easy do you think it would to eat for vegetarians?

    Reply
    1. quickwhittravel Avatar
      quickwhittravel

      I’m not sure! I think you should be able to fond something vegetarian wherever you go. Look for “Cheese Toastie,” which is basically grilled cheese with cheese both in the middle and on top! Vegetarian options will most likely involve cheese, but mushrooms are also popular meat alternatives in the UK when in season! Good luck!

      Reply
  3. Jeanne Avatar
    Jeanne

    Oh yeah, I’m gonna loose weight when I get there in 2 weeks. Only item that looked good to me was sticky toffee pudding. Glad you enjoyed.

    Reply
    1. quickwhittravel Avatar
      quickwhittravel

      You might be surprised at how many delicious things you’ll find! I’m a pretty adventurous eater. There are other options! 😂

      Reply

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