Food is integral to every traveler’s journey, connecting you with your destination in a sensual way. From the scent of peppery cock-a-leekie to the heartiness of neeps and tatties, each dish you’ll experience on Scottish tour will bring you even closer to the best of Scotland and its traditions.
When you travel to Scotland with Insight Vacations, you’ll enjoy carefully curated food and drink experiences that will introduce you to the culinary culture. While tasting the best traditional Scottish food your tastebuds will travel the heather-clad moors, rocky peaks and windswept coastline all accompanied by the national drink, whisky.
1. OLD PULTENEY DISTILLERY WHISKY TASTING AND TOUR, WICK
The quaint town of Wick is home to Old Pulteney Distillery, where fine single malt whiskies have been made since 1826. It is one of Scotland’s most northern distilleries and its history is inextricably linked with the town, formerly known as the herring capital of Europe. The bracing coastal air of Caithness infuses every bottle here and you can almost taste the North Sea in every drop.
Insight Choice gives you the opportunity to go behind the scenes at the distillery, hearing tales of seafarers and seeing the remarkable stillroom that defies convention. In these hallowed surroundings, you can have a wee dram of their award-winning single malt whiskies, which warm the throat and belly, and were once vital to the fisherman who brought the herrings ashore in Wick.
Visit Old Pulteney Distillery on day 4 of the Country Roads of Scotland tour
2. TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH AFTERNOON TEA AT ARDGOWAN ESTATE, GREENOCK
It’s not often you get the chance to eat with a Baronet, but at Ardgowan Estate, Sir Ludovic Shaw Stewart even gets involved with the food preparation.
The 12th Baronet of Greenock and Blackhall prefers to go by the name, ‘Ludo’, and he welcomes Insight guests for a tour of the 10,000-acre family estate that he works hard to conserve. Work up an appetite walking amid the beech trees and Hahas while hearing more about the Shaw Stewart family and then return to the castle for a sumptuous afternoon tea.
This typically Scottish affair comprises tasty finger sandwiches made with locally sourced ingredients, freshly baked scones, cream, jam and cakes that ‘Ludo’ likes to bake in his spare time.
Enjoy locally sourced Scottish food on the Best of Ireland & Scotland tour.
3. GRAND CAFÉ, EDINBURGH
A thousand tales have been spun out from these walls when it housed The Scotsman newspaper. The first edition of the paper was produced here in 1905, and many more since until it became Grand Café in 2018. Feel the history emanating from the plush wallpaper and the love of a good story still shared between tables.
The flavors here are typically Scottish too, from the Roast Orkney Scallops straight from a northern archipelago to the Loin of Highland Venison, caught on the majestic slopes of Scotland. Taste a Haggis Scotch Egg or a Woodland Mushroom and Spelt Risotto, all made with seasonal ingredients found in nearby farms.
This elegant restaurant is the perfect showcase for the best of Scotland.Try it for yourself on the Country Roads of Scotland tour.
4. THE BAROLOGIST, EDINBURGH
Step into the weird and wonderful world of Geordie Armstrong, the Barologist to enjoy a modern take on Scottish fare. Meet the man himself and see his marvelous inventions including a snow machine, nebulous with shooting stars and indoor thunder and lightning! The dining room has features like an eccentric lord’s castle and the menu has excellent local staples such as Seared Pigeon Breast served with Stornoway Black Pudding, a national delicacy made from pork, cereals and spices.
Your first drink is served with some typically Scottish snacks such as haggis bonbons or tidbits of artisanal cheese such as Lanark Blue or seriously strong cheddar made on the islands. Soups are popular in Scotland, so it’s worth trying the delicious Carrot and Ginger soup, or a Highland Steak Pie.
The Barologist is located by the water in the trendy port district of Leith. For days where the breeze is blowing hard off the sea, there’s a warming winter vegetable Shepherd’s Pie, or a sinfully more-ish Chicken Hotchpot with Haggis Dauphinoise.
Discover the quirky Barologist on the Best of Ireland and Scotland tour.
When visiting the islands, you’ll find succulent seafood such as pan-roasted salmon, and don’t forget on your best of Scotland tour to try ‘cranachan’, a native dessert made from Scottish raspberries folded into cream flavored with honey, whisky and toasted oatmeal.
