Next to its weather, Scotland's food is not its greatest asset. However, I did find interesting dishes.

This is not one ►.

It's me at Camera Obscura, one of Edinburgh’s attractions dedicated to interactive optical illusions.

Just across the Royal Mile from “The Scotch Whiskey Experience,” it’s much more kid-oriented, to say the least.

I did the scotch first, which may explain this unadulterated fun.

   Head on platter gimmick


What's more Scot than haggis? Although menus feature it, it's not the real thing. Evidently, you have to be invited to someone's home or a private party where someone has spent considerable time assembling sheep entrails (heart, liver, lungs), suet, oatmeal, onion and spices to be encased in an animal's stomach and stewed for hours. Restaurants serve ground lamb and mashed potatoes with varied sauces.

haggis

 

 

haggis

  

Authentic haggis is banned in the U.S. A 1971 law outlaws anything made with sheep lung.

My advice to the Scots would be to curtail the amount of peas and carrots served with it.

 

Scotch eggs – boiled eggs in a nest of sausage coated with bread crumbs and deep fried

 

 Scottish eggs
blood pudding  

 

 

Blood pudding with scallops and asperagus
Unable to eat all the sumptuous breakfasts at our bed 'n breakfast (the Dunborrodale in Portree, Isle of Skye), I often brought along the blood pudding and thick bacon to go with something like this fish chowder for lunch.   fish chowder

 

salmon with puff pastry   Of course, on an island you expect a lot of fish. This is salmon with puff pastry.

 

I rarely eat fried foods, but had to settle for this fish platter when needing sustenance at an off-hour for serving lunch. Fortunately, a tour mate took half.   fish platter

 

duck salad   This salad of duck, bacon, blue cheese and veggies was considerably more upscale. This was in the Tea Room at the top of Edinburgh castle.

 

pumpkin pudding   Vegetarian dishes are not plentiful, but findable for the finicky. This pumpkin pudding was a nice surprise.

 

 

 

Grilled avocado with eggs, tomato chutney, potato patty and fried cheese.

   grilled avocado

Despite the weather and its food, Scotland has much to like. The warmth and welcoming of its people shined brightly
– aided and abetted by abundent ale and scotch whiskeys.

Isle of Skye | Elsewhere in Scotland | Edinburgh

See other of Linda's travels