Do you like food as much as I do? Scottish food is one of my favorite cuisines, so soon after I arrived in the country, I joined the Secret Edinburgh Food Tour, but now there’s a better option. If you’re planning to visit the capital of Scotland, I must recommend taking a traditional Scottish food tour as one of your first activities.
Why You Should Consider a Food Tour
I joined my first food tour in Sweden in July 2016. Before that, I had only experienced walking tours in most 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, not to mention the 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.
Secret Food Tours
When I started traveling in 2015, I wasn’t aware of many food tours. In 2013, Secret Food Tours launched its first tour in London. Since then, they’ve expanded to over 60 cities. Their current cities include several capital cities around Europe, some cultural hotspots in the USA, and Hong Kong and Bangkok in SE Asia.
I booked the Secret Food Tour of Edinburgh when my traveling friend Bonny met up with me. We arrived at St Giles Cathedral just before noon with empty stomachs. I was excited to see what delicious Scottish food I was missing, and Bonny had absolutely no clue what was in store. I managed to keep the tour a surprise for her right up to the point when the guide arrived with his company umbrella.
The tour led us to several stops, including Howies to try the secret dish – Cullen skink. The food was good, but I’ve since learned that far better quality can be had, especially as the tour uses restaurants that microwave their food.
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 dozens of dishes unique to or originating in Scotland. In three and a half hours, the tour only covers a few items. Scotch broth, Scotch pie, scotch egg (not Scottish), Lorne (square) sausage, and shortbread are some other items to try after the tour. Here’s what we experienced on our tour.
Cullin Skink – Howies Restaurant
I honestly can’t figure out why I’d never had Cullin Skink before the tour! It’s smoked haddock, potatoes, and leeks in a cream or milk base, and it’s delicious! At least, it can be…but not the portion we had. I’d walked past Howies countless times but never really noticed them. I usually avoid the touristy restaurants near the Royal Mile, and sadly, Howies is in the category of a tourist trip. I’ve since found far better places for the same dishes.
Haggis, Neeps, and Tatties – The Beehive Inn
Our second stop on the tour was a place I’d not only seen often but once lived across the street from! The Grassmarket is where cows used to be sold, and is now lined with chain pubs, quasi-Italian restaurants, and souvenir shops. Our tour guide pointed out that pubs in Edinburgh serve some of the best food in town. I couldn’t agree more…if you know what pub to enter.
The dish we had at the Beehive was haggis, neeps, and tatties, which is how haggis is traditionally served. Neeps (a.k.a. rutabaga in U.S., swede in England, yellow turnip, etc), is a cross between a cabbage and a turnip. Tatties are potatoes, mashed in this case. Haggis is ground (minced) lamb meat with oats, onions, and spices. 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.”
Sadly, The Beehive Inn is not one of the good pubs. They’re part of the Belhaven Pubs, a subsidiary of Greene King, and often serve microwaved food. Having tried this quintessential Scottish dish all around the country, I can say that you can find far better haggis than at The Beehive Inn.
Fudge – The Fudge Kitchen
There’s something about pulling a blob of fresh fudge off the scraper as soon as it’s been made which makes it so much more delicious. The Fudge Kitchen makes its fudge daily and free samples are always available. There are well over a dozen flavors, including dairy-free options for Bonny. Well, fudge might be generic worldwide, but tablet is very definitely Scottish. You could call it a “butter fudge” with its own unique flavor. Our guide gave us each a sample along with the fudge.
Auchentoshan Whisky – The Whiski Rooms
No trip to Scotland would be complete without trying Whisky. I’d taken a few distillery tours, but before the food tour, somehow I’d never made it to the various whisky showrooms in Edinburgh. The Whiski Rooms are perhaps a little less touristy than the Scottish Whisky Experience on the Royal Mile, and they have a decent restaurant too.
We got to try an Auchentoshan 12-year single malt whisky. For those not familiar with whisky, Scotch whisky legally has to be aged for 3 years to classify, although some are aged much longer. Single malt means it’s a single distillery, rather than a blend of different distilleries; almost like a varietal versus a generic wine.
David described this as we all polished off our dram…except for the teenager who tried Scotland’s Irn Bru, one of the only soft drinks in the world that currently outsells Coca-Cola in its own country.
Cheeseboard and Oatcakes – The Canons’ Gait
For a lighter course to follow our whisky, we went to another pub on the Royal Mile. You might be getting the idea now that pubs in Edinburgh are popular places. At the Canons’ Gait, we had a cheeseboard with samples of Strathdon Blue, Inverloch goat’s cheese, Applewood cheese, and Clabber Brie, served with Scottish oatcakes. I’m not usually the biggest fan of blue cheeses, but this one wasn’t that strong. The goat’s cheese was a harder cheese, but I liked it too. Brie is something I eat on a regular basis, and the applewood is the one that really stood out for me. It’s a smoked cheddar made in the UK and reminded me of the smoked gouda I grew up loving.
Quality-wise, this might have been the best stop on the tour. Sadly, the original The Canons’ Gait closed around 2019, although it was purchased and refurbished by the Old Town Pub Co in 2021, a group with good quality food.
English Tea, Scones, Jam, and Clotted Cream – Edinburgh Press Club
We ended the tour with an afternoon tea at a hip cafe right in the center of town. The Edinburgh Press Club is in an old printing house. It was full of university students on their laptops when we went, and the kind of place I’d happily spend my time working at as a digital nomad. As to tea, Scotland has many tea companies, and many are delicious. I never truly appreciated tea growing up in the US, and I prefer coffee, hot chocolate, or perhaps a chai latte.
Booking the Best Edinburgh Food Tour
While my first food tour in Edinburgh was with Secret Food Tours, I’ve since learned they have a proclivity to use chain restaurants and tourist traps, and not focus on providing the highest quality food. If you’d like a food tour with the best restaurants and dishes and the most experienced guides, take an Edinburgh food tour with Skye Class Tours!
Additional Activities in Edinburgh
For good Scottish food, 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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31 Comments
So great to see this article! Thanks so much for sharing your experience! We hope you can join us again and to all your followers, we are giving away 20% discount to our new food tours! Check out our FB page! =) More power to your blog!
Thanks! I hope to be in another city soon that has a Secret Food Tour. Any plans for Amsterdam soon? I can be your guide!
Well, we’re not sure when will we put up a food tour in Amsterdam, but that city is on our list. Hopefully soon.
Looking forward to it! Hopefully while I’m still in the Netherlands.
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 Canonsā 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 Iām 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 š
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 š
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. š
I hope you can soon. Are you in Edinburgh now?