Scotland Food and Drink

Traditional Scottish cuisine has a reputation for strong flavours and interesting ingredients. For example, Haggis, Scotland's national dish, is made with minced sheep offal, oatmeal, suet and seasoning. In the past, haggis was shaped and cooked in a sheep's stomach but nowadays most are cooked in a synthetic sausage casing. Other examples include black pudding (made with animal blood) and wild grouse, shot by hunters and prepared in various ways.

Seafood is also popular, with salmon, haddock and mussels often featured in restaurants along the coast.

Many Scots probably won't deny that they like a sugary treat when reaching for fudge-like confection known as 'tablet' and anything deep-fried (including deep-fried Mars Bars), but increasingly, new ranks of celebrity chefs are keen to change perceptions and elevate the country's culinary credentials.

Specialities

• Porridge: A traditional Scottish breakfast made from locally grown oats and either milk or water.
• Haggis: Chopped offal and oatmeal, traditionally cooked in a sheep's stomach and served with neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes).
• Cullen skink: A creamy soup of smoked haddock or smoked salmon.
• Partan bree: A seafood soup.
• Arbroath smokies: Smoked haddock or salmon.
• Black pudding: A savoury pudding made with animal blood.
• Cranachan: A traditional Scottish dessert made with whipped cream, whisky, honey, raspberries and oatmeal.
• Tunnock’s teacakes: Soft marshmallow on a biscuit base and coated in milk chocolate.
• Whisky: malt or grain whisky, Scotland's most famous export.
• Irn-Bru: A sweet fizzy drink that's bright orange.

Tipping

10-15%.

Drinking age

18. If you appear to be under the age of 25 and are buying alcohol, you could be asked for an ID.