It’s no secret that Scotland, like the rest of the UK, is not necessarily known for its food. So admittedly, I went in with pretty low culinary expectations. However, I definitely found some gems in our 4-ish days in Edinburgh, which was an absolutely gorgeous city, chock-full of castles, cobblestone streets, rolling green hills, and endless rows of bar/restaurants packed with people enjoying a pint in the nice weather. Everywhere we went had an incredible selection of whiskys, fish and chips, and, yes, the infamous haggis (more on that later).
I think the trick to eating well anywhere is going with what the locals do best, which in Scotland is definitely whisky. We were really skeptical of the Scotch Whisky Experience, as it is located on the main street in a very touristy area and it, well, involves a ride (a la the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland). However, we were pleasantly surprised with the amount that we learned, not only about how whisky is made, but the characteristics that define each of the main whisky-producing regions in Scotland. We also got to see the largest personal collection of whisky in the world, which was pretty damn awesome; the incredible craftsmanship that went into the various bottles and labels was very cool and unique. We calculated that between the short tasting, the whisky tasting glass that comes with admission, and the fact that we used said whisky tasting glasses to drink for much cheaper back at our hotel than we could at any bar, the tour pretty much paid for itself! Now that’s my kind of math.
Another thing I loved about Scotland (and the UK in general) is the traditional breakfasts. They definitely don’t skimp on breakfast, with a traditional breakfast containing eggs, toast, bacon, sausage, and usually tomatoes and mushrooms, too. On our first morning in Edinburgh (completely on accident) we stumbled upon The Elephant House, where J.K. Rowling famously wrote Harry Potter, and decided to eat breakfast there. I ordered a cappuccino, which was obviously very European and sophisticated of me, and Brad got the traditional breakfast (which I obviously had to “sample”). The cappuccino, like pretty much every coffee I drank on the trip, featured some beautiful milk-foam art and was creamy and delicious, probably because of my I’m-on-vacation-so-I’m-drinking-whole milk thing. Which should totally be an all-the-time thing, because it rocks.
Before we left, I told Brad that I would under no circumstances try haggis, which is a traditional Scottish dish that contains sheep organs and looks absolutely disgusting via a Google image search. Of course, we had to get it as an appetizer at a very nice bar/restaurant called Whiski to each have a taste, and although the cat food-like appearance didn’t do it any favors, it was actually really good. It pretty much tasted like a ground beef dish with warm, cinnamon spices that went quite nicely with creamy mashed potatoes and gravy. So while I may not run off to eat the heart or liver of a sheep again anytime soon, I am definitely glad I was able to enjoy it where it’s done best!
PS – Check out “part 1” of my foodie travel diary here!
