10 best comfort foods of Scotland

Scotland is a country of highlands, lowlands, long walks, and even longer meals best eaten beside fireplaces. So it’s no surprise that its cuisine is a highly developed one of comfort. Here are some of the iconic flavours of Scotland.

Deep-fried mars bar

First of all, it’s not as unhealthy as everyone thinks. It comes in at 260 calories per chocolate bar with the batter constituting 200 calories at most. The delicacy tastes better minus the guilt. The Scottish invention came about at the Carron Fish Bar in Stonehaven, found south of Aberdeen, when a young customer requested a mars bar supper, with the owners duly stepping up to the fryer.

Haggis

Scotland’s national dish has found a new audience, with appropriations of the divisive dinner made from offal and oats popping up in fine dining restaurants all over the world. For those with squeamish stomachs, opt for the sides haggis is served with – neeps and tatties. That’s turnips and potatoes to you and I. There are variations of haggis to look out for too. The Flying Scotsman is chicken with haggis on the inside, an easy introduction to the delicacy. There’s also vegetarian haggis, which is made from lentils and oats.

Stovie

This is the affectionate Scottish name for a stew – a labour of love on the stove that was traditionally concocted from leftover roast dinners, containing meat, onion and potatoes. For a historical throwback, eat it with Scottish oatcakes and pickled beetroot for extra tang.

Smoked fish

Scotland is world-renowned for its smoked salmon and smoked haddock. Smokehouses throughout the country keep this old-fashioned technique alive with independent producers keeping it local and ensuring consistent high quality. Try Arbroath Smokies, a spiced haddock, as well as Finnon Haddies, a cold-smoked variety.

Meat

Aberdeen Angus beef is ubiquitous nowadays but it originated in Scotland and tastes even better when eaten there. Then there’s north Ronaldsay lamb with its diet of seaweed making for an only-in-Scotland flavour.

Seafood

While we mostly associate Scotland with heavier fare, it has a range of freshly caught seafood that makes the most of its coastal resources. There’s even a seafood road trip that runs the length of the west coast. Not only is this coastline blessed by dramatic landscapes, it also has a plethora of seafood restaurants. Be sure to stop off at Loch Fyne Oyster Bar and Restaurant in Cairndow.

Shortbread and tablet

We’ve all tried Scottish shortbread; with its buttery crunch turning to velvet on the tongue. Lesser known is a tablet, the Scottish version of fudge. It’s harder than the version you’ll find down south in England and often has nut chunks within.

Selkirk Bannock

It’s a long name for a fruitcake but its history warrants a strong title. It all began in 1859 when a baker created the raisin-speckled bread cake. A firm favourite of Queen Victoria, it can now be found throughout Scotland.

Cranachan

Finish a meal of haggis with this and you will feel mightily indulged. This dessert makes use of Scotland’s fine produce and is a hodge-podge of whisky, whipped cream, raspberries, honey and baked oats for crunch.

Whisky

There is whisky and then there’s Scotch whisky, which trumps all others. For diversity head to Speyside, a region home to half of Scotland’s whisky distilleries that is renowned for producing fruity single malts. For smoky single malts, make your way offshore to the island of Islay which punches above its size with a total of eight distilleries producing more than 220 single malts. Experts attribute the flavour of Islay’s whisky to the sea-salted peat used to malt the barley.

Advertise with us

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

drink food scotland