When I ask locals about Scottish cuisine, many say it’s not good. I beg to differ. Scotland has amazing food, but most food tours in Edinburgh don’t highlight that. However, one tour in particular focuses on quality far above quantity of guests, or on visiting restaurants with the best decor. Here’s what you should expect on the best Edinburgh food tour, and which tour to do.
Why You Should Consider a Food Tour of Edinburgh
I joined my first food tour in Sweden in July 2016. Before that, I had only taken walking tours in most of the cities I visited. Nowadays, you can take running tours, bike tours, literary tours, history tours, and, well, just about every type of tour imaginable. Having experienced several myself, I’ve concluded that food tours are my favorite and most rewarding. Not only do you get to try the local cuisine, you’ll learn about great places to eat during your stay in the city, and they usually include some local history too.
Discover Scottish Cuisine on an Edinburgh Food Tour
Didn’t think there was such a thing as Scottish cuisine? You’re not alone. I’ve even had arguments with locals about whether Scotland has its own food. There are actually several dishes, drinks, desserts, and pastries unique to or originating in Scotland. But I often find locals eating burgers, pasta, Chinese and Indian food, pizza, and just about anything other than local food.
Cullin Skink
Cullen Skink is probably my favorite dish in Scotland, but, like any dish, it varies in quality. Unlike the name suggests, it’s not made from skinks (lizards). Skink derives from the Old Germanic word meaning “shin,” and it originally referred to a beef shin stew.
Sometime in the past couple hundred years, a coastal village called Cullen in northeastern Scotland replaced the beef with fish. Nowadays, the soup is made with smoked haddock, potatoes, and leeks in a cream or milk base, and it’s delicious!
The first time I tried it on a food tour, the company took us to a touristy restaurant that served a watery version with barely any fish. When you’re on a tour that accommodates more than a dozen guests at a time, you’re unlikely to visit a restaurant that makes the soup fresh in small batches. Instead, you’ll want to visit restaurants such as The Doric, The Piper’s Rest, Mussel and Steak Bar, Creel Caught, or The Magnum, where they make the soup fresh every day from scratch. Or jump on an Edinburgh food tour that uses these kinds of restaurants.
Haggis, Neeps, and Tatties
Haggis, neeps, and tatties are the national dish of Scotland, although the origin of the sausage is in England. Haggis is just a sausage made with ground (minced) lamb meat, oats, onions, and spices. “Neeps” is short for turnips, and is also called rutabaga in the U.S., swede in England, and yellow turnip. “Tatties” is British for potatoes.
In the words of the great Anthony Bourdain, “There is no more unfairly reviled food on earth than haggis. Its ingredients are, in fact, no more unusual or bizarre or unappetizing than any hot dog you ever ate.”
Just like Cullen skink, some restaurants serve far better quality haggis than others. The first food tour I went on in Edinburgh took us to a Belhaven Pub, a Greene King subsidiary known for serving microwaved food (per the chefs). My recommendation is to find an independent pub or one managed by a small, local group. Many of the best locations for Cullen skink also have great haggis dishes.
Scottish Tablet
Tablet is a Scottish confectionery similar to fudge, but made with sugar, butter, and condensed milk. It’s richer and more crystalline than fudge or toffee. Edinburgh doesn’t have a dedicated to only tablet, but you can find some good locally-made tablet at Bains Retro Sweets and the Broughton Market.
Fudget was originally created in the 1880s at Mackinac Island, Michigan. As the legend goes, the woman was trying to make toffee and messed up (fudged) the batch. The sweet is now very popular in the UK, and two busy stores prepare it on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.
Whisky
No trip to Scotland would be complete without trying Whisky…if you drink alcohol. There’s a massive amount of information behind whisky, its history, how it’s made, the five primary types of whisky in Scotland, and more. Personally, my favorite place for a whisky tasting is Jeffrey St Whisky, where the staff is incredibly knowledgeable. Furthermore, the family-run shop has better whiskies at better prices.
From experience, I’ve found many guides giving false information or “legends” about whisky rather than facts. Additionally, some tours like to give large portions of the wildest blend in Scotland, with the guests walking away from the tour saying they don’t like Scottish whisky. I’ve found that some high-quality expressions are appreciated by most, and those are the ones that should be on a food tour.
Cheese and Charcuterie Boards
Scottish dairy products are legendary, and it’s definitely worth trying some cheese on a food tour. Some great cheeses include Isle of Mull cheddar, Auld Reekies moked, Blue Murder, and Morangie brie. The problem with finding a good cheese or charcuterie board is that pubs and restaurants tend to change the cheeses and meats regularly, or take the board off the menu entirely. Arcade Bar Haggis and Whisky House, The Black Grape, and the Broughton are good examples of independent restaurants with great cheese or charcuterie boards.
Cream Tea
The cream tea is a staple of British cuisine, and it’s not just tea with milk. It’s scones, jam, clotted cream, and tea. British scones are more like a southern US biscuit than an American scone, both of which can be sweet or savory. Jam is never called jelly (that’s Vasaline in the UK), and Scotland has some of the best raspberry jam in the world.
Clotted cream refers to a cream from southwestern England that’s been baked. It’s dissimilar to butter or cream cheese. Perhaps the best way to think of it is like a thick, delicious whipped cream, although it’s not whipped. However, this dish brings up one of the main debates in the UK: whether you put the jam or the clotted cream on the scone first.
The family-run bakeries in Edinburgh that bake their scones fresh daily are easily the best. Places such as Mimi’s Bakehouse, Babyfaced Baker, and Craigies Farm. I’ve found that many younger Scots prefer coffee to tea, but Edinburgh also has great tea brands, such as Eteaket, Pekotea, and Rosevear Tea.
Chicken Tikka Masala
There’s some debate behind the history of chicken tikka masala, but the most accepted story is that it was invented by a Pakistani chef in Glasgow in the 1960s. Tikka means pieces and refers to chicken cut into small pieces, marinated in yogurt for hours or days to make it super tender. Chicken tikka is grilled chicken chunks on a skewer. Malasa means spice, and refers to the curry sauce the chicken is added to.
Perhaps more than any other dish, chicken tikka masala has a very wide range of quality. Some is practically inedible. Apparently, the internet has more than 40 recognized recipes, and the only consistency is the chicken. If you want to find the very best chicken tikka masala in Edinburgh, you’ll have to come on my Edinburgh food tour.
Secret Food Tours
My first food tour in Edinburgh was with Secret Food Tours. The tour took us to several chain restaurants and tourist traps. As I was unfamiliar with a couple of the dishes, I didn’t really know what standards the food should have. However, after the tour, I remember thinking the cheese board was the best dish.
Sadly, I’ve since learned that Secret Food Tours does not operate its tours with quality in mind. Instead, it’s a massive company trying to get as many guests on the tours as possible to just check off a box for having tried a dish, and the stranger the dish, the better. They pay their guides to get 5-star reviews, and consider that tours in all cities should operate identically, despite any local or cultural differences.
Of course, such a tour has its place. If you don’t care about quality, then it’s a good tour. But in one of their reviews, the guest commented that their takeaway was that Scotland didn’t have good food. If you’d like to know just how good Scottish food is from a guide who is truly passionate about quality, then some of the local Edinburgh food tours are a far better choice.
Booking the Best Edinburgh Food Tour
If you’d like a food tour with the best restaurants and dishes and the most experienced guides, join my Edinburgh food and drink tour. The Edinburgh Old and New Town food tour is a full afternoon experience, lasting four to five hours, and visiting authentic parts of the city that no other tour goes to. I don’t have any chain restaurants or tourist traps on my tour.
Not only do I focus on the very best versions of every dish, I enjoy customizing the tour for my guests as much as I can. Rather than following a script, I make each tour new for the guests. I can accommodate most dietary restrictions. And I have a great relationship with the establishments I work with to ensure the guests on the tour have the best experience.
Additional Activities in Edinburgh
For good Scottish food outside of an Edinburgh food tour, check out my series of the best restaurants and meals in Edinburgh:
- 30+ Best Restaurants In Edinburgh For Tourists And Locals
- 5 Best Thai Restaurants in Edinburgh that Taste Like Thailand
- 5 Best Mexican Restaurants in Edinburgh, By a Local Food Guide
- 25+ Best Coffee Shops and Cafes in Edinburgh
- Where to Find the Best Cullen Skink in Edinburgh
For more information about Edinburgh and Scotland, make sure to check out the rest of my Scotland articles.
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27 Comments
So true, so many theme based tours are happening these days. But my all time favourite is walking tour and food tour. Though now I plan to switch walking tour with bike tours. I love to tag along locals and then go for a secret food tours. I did this in Bangkok and then in Yangon recently. But being a vegetarian, I end up having less option but I go to feel the wibes of a place. You food tour to Edinburgh looks fascinating and some day I would love to explore Beehive at Grassmarket and The Canons’ Gait.
Well, there’s a Secret Food Tour in Bangkok too! If you tell the food guide you’re vegetarian, they will modify the tour appropriately. But I hope you can make it to Edinburgh soon too.
Amen!
Oh the Cheeseboard and oatcakes look to yummy. I must take my vist of Edinburg from completely another perspective, so many great thinks to taste there, wow.
Thanks! It gave me a new perspective of the town too. Never would have thought of the food tour, and now it’s my favorite activity in town.
I’ve lived in Edinburgh for almost nine months and my food experience is sorely lacking. I’ll have to give this a go!
Please do! I’ve been in and out for three years, and I still hadn’t tried some of the meals on this tour. So worth it!
I’ve actually never thought about Scottish food, so reading this article was a complete joy. I’m quite impressed and surprised by the dishes and would love to taste the haggis. The fudge looks delightful…what a fun experience all around!
Thanks. I’m willing to bet you’re going to love the Haggis. When do you think you’ll be able to make it to Edinburgh?
I really want to do this tour. What an amazing idea ????
Thank you! I hope you do someday.
OMG, so wish I had read this blog post before I visit Edinburgh two years ago. I guess I’m going to have to pay another visit. I love a good food tour and the idea of a secret food tour sounds tempting. The food looks great, especially the fudge house!
Well, technically I think you were here just before the food tour started. But definitely a reason to return, aside from the fact that Scotland is the best country in the world. So much to do here.
I must admit that I never really knew what Scottish cuisine was until I read this. A food tour would be a great way for me to get a taste test of a bunch of different options. I was surprised to hear that the goat cheese was hard as I think of goat cheese as being creamy soft. I would definitely finish with fresh fudge or maybe Afternoon Tea! But I am still not sure I want to try haggis!
You actually made me double-check my notes and Google to ensure that was the goat cheese, but yeah, it can be hard too. Please at least try a single bite of haggis…for me. Yeah, I almost want to cry thinking it had been nearly three years of living in Scotland before taking the food tour and finding even more incredible dishes.
Food tours are such a great way to get to know a city. I love that fudge and whiskey are included in this tour! Not so sure about the haggis…
Hahaha. But you don’t know what you’re missing out on. Seriously, haggis is honestly delicious. At least try a bite. If you must, there’s a vegetarian version, but the real stuff is simply the best.
I actually never expected Scotland to have such a good food scene! I’ve wanted to visit Scotland for the outdoors but now I want to go for the food too 🙂
The food here is surprisingly good quality, and also wonderfully diverse. There must be a few dozen sushi restaurants alone to choose from, let alone all the Scottish food. Just another part of why Scotland is my favorite country in the world.
Always captivated by the concept of a food tour. Unfortunately as vegetarians there aren’t too many that cater to our taste 🙁
Oh, you’d be surprised with Edinburgh. This is the most vegetarian and vegan friendly city I know of, with almost every restaurant and cafe offering alternatives. Just let the guide know. You can even try the vegetarian haggis!
Well – secret food tour is no longer a secret I guess with taking us on it virtually. It looks like you get to taste the traditional flavors of Scotland on this tour. I would have loved that high tea while talking to fellow travelers.
Yeah, it was really nice having a big crowd of fellow travelers on the tour. I actually had an Indian family from London on my tour. Hope you can make it someday.
This sounds like a great excursion! I think my fave Scottish foods to try would be shortbread cookies (yum) and Scotch, obviously! haha.
You certainly can’t go wrong with those!
That’s really reasonable. I’d love to do that, especially if it involves visiting a fudge house. 🙂
I hope you can soon. Are you in Edinburgh now?