Food Lover's Guide to Edinburgh

Once known for foods such as deep-fried chocolate bars, Scotland now has plenty of eateries that serve high-quality Scottish fare made from the nation’s excellent fresh meat, fish, and produce. Following are some recommended culinary favorites.

Must-Try Dishes

• Considered the quintessential Scottish dish, haggis combines ground beef with oats, spices, and salt to make a savory comfort food.

• Other sausages such as black pudding (blood sausage) get rave reviews, along with the Scottish salmon and other seafood.

• Look for fish supper (fish and chips) for a casual meal at any time of day.

• Top off a meal with sweet treats such as shortbread and Scottish tablet, a delectable crystallized fudge.

Must-Do Experiences

• Scotland produces some of the best whisky in the world, thanks in part to the purity of its water.

• Day trips from Edinburgh offer a closer look at the traditional methods used at whisky distilleries such as Famous Grouse, Glengoyne, or Deanston, followed by tastings of their spirits.

• Choose to combine a whisky tasting with sightseeing on a full-day tour to destinations such as Loch Ness, the Rosslyn Chapel, or the Scottish Borders.

• See more on a multi-day tour to regions like Speyside or the Isle of Islay, where you can visit several whisky distilleries and small towns, all set in a spectacular landscape.