Travel: 15 ‘Must Taste’ food and drink experiences when visiting Scotland

From a plate of freshly caught fish, enjoyed whilst taking in the beautiful scenery of the Orkney Islands, to an adventure picking wild berries on a trip to the Scottish Borders, to trying a genuine Arbroath smokie or Aberdeen buttery, Scotland has a variety of food and drink experiences to be savoured around every corner of the country.

With a little help from their many followers on Facebook and Twitter, VisitScotland, Scotland’s national tourism organisation, has created a bucket list of ‘must-tastes’ for visitors to the country in 2015 and beyond. The bucket list covers the top picks of the ultimate food and drink experiences in Scotland across the 15 regions.

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• Fish & chips at the harbour in Anstruther
  Festivals Edinburgh director Faith Liddell is a fan. “The award-winning Anstruther Fish Bar is a legend with some of the best fish and chips in the UK,” said Faith. “Waiting in the queue, watching screens with images of local fishermen struggling in rough seas to catch your dinner, makes that deep fried fish taste even more marvellous.”

• A meal at the Andrew Fairlie Michelin Star Restaurant, the Strathearn or afternoon tea at Gleneagles
  Chef Tom Lewis from the Monachyle Mhor Hotel in Perthshire, said: “One of the dishes had a couple of pistachios on it. Still to this day, one of the best pistachios I have ever eaten.”

• Wild berry picking in the Scottish Borders
  According to Chef Carina Contini, owner of restaurants in Edinburgh including Contini Cannonball: “The idea of free fruit on a hedge along a country walk. My children get as excited as I did when I was their age.”

• A meal at one of the restaurants on Thistle Street in the Capital, including Iris and the Bon Vivant
  Andrew Jowett, Gleneagles’ Head Golf Professional suggested: “Bon Vivant, on Edinburgh’s Thistle Street. [It] is a really atmospheric night out. They do tapas-style dishes with a twist – like haggis bon bons and chorizo in cider – and have a cracking cocktail list.”

• Frankie’s fish & chips, located in the village of Brae on the shores of Busta Voe in the Shetland Isles
  As suggested by Facebook fan Silvestre Selvatica who added: “[Shetland] is a place out of the world, with breathtaking views, dramatic skies and lots of puffins so friendly that if you sit on the grass on the ledge they will eventually come to you .. Making you feel like you’re melting into nature.”

• Enjoying a Scottish breakfast, including Ayrshire sausage, during a stay at one of the many seafront guesthouses and B&Bs in Ayrshire
  Facebook fan John Anderson said: “Brekkie in the By the Sea guest house in Ayr…truly heroic.”

• Eating a genuine Aberdeen buttery in Aberdeenshire
  Facebook fan Carol Taylor loves these savoury delights which are also known as “Rowies, morning rolls in Aberdeen!”

• A meal from Tobermory on the Isle of Mull
  Facebook fan Fi Cawley gives her vote to “Fresh scallops and langoustines on Mull at Cafe Fish.”

• A trip to Castle Douglas, a designated Food Town boasting some 50 food & drink outlets
  Facebook fan Julia Cliff loves “Haggis from Ballards butchers in Castle Douglas.”

• Trying a genuine Arbroath smokie!
  Facebook fan Peter Marsh enjoys a “proper Arbroath smokie!”

• A visit to BrewDog in Glasgow or the Artisan in Wishaw
  Those who suggested this included Facebook fan Simon Bernard who said “The Artisan in Wishaw [has] the best selection of whisky in the world!”

• A pilgrimage to the Isle of Skye, home to globally revered restaurants such as the Three Chimneys
  Facebook fan Jackie Godward enjoys “Freshly picked mussels on the Isle of Skye. We picked them at Broadford and took them back to the cottage to cook them with wine, chilli and garlic. Best mussels ever!”

• A picnic by Loch Lomond
  This would be the choice of Facebook fan Julia Knauf who added that “plenty of shortbread” would make the experience extra special!

• A meal of freshly caught fish in Orkney
  Orkney lovers include Facebook fan Eileen Kinnaird who would choose “Fish of the Day at Pierowall Hotel, Westray, Orkney.”

• A visit to the Temple café on the Isle of Harris
  Facebook fan Robbie Alberre Gibbon loves the Temple Café – the building is made of stone and looks like an ancient temple.