Not Just Haggis—These 14 Scottish Recipes Show the Cuisine's Diversity (2024)

Recipes By Region
European Food

Elaine Lemm

Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.

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Updated on 09/11/20

Watch Now: Traditional All-Butter Scottish Shortbread

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All About Haggis
Haggis is not merely for Burns Night (a celebration in January commemorating the life of a Scottish poet)but is a true traditional dish of Scotland loved and eaten there as well as in many other parts of the world.
Haggis is made from sheep pluck (the often-discarded parts such as lungs, heart, etc.), which is minced and mixed with oatmeal, suet, and seasonings and then stuffed into the sheep's stomach, sewn, and cooked. The meat and the method may sound off-putting, but the combination of ingredients is delicious—you simply must try it.Haggis is the meat in that most famous of Scottish recipeshaggis, tatties, and neeps.
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A Bowl of Scottish Porridge
Discover the healthy and nutritious Scottish breakfast dish of porridge, a long-standing recipe that was originally cooked in a pan and stirred with a woodenspurtle(stick). The use of oatmeal in this recipe makes this dish a healthy start to the day. Slow-release carbohydrates will sustain you from breakfast through lunchtime.
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Tattie Scones
Tattie scones are a traditional part of a full Scottish breakfast and are sometimes also called potato scones; you may also hear them referred to as fadge or potato bread in Ireland. They are quick and easy to make and are a useful way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.Perfect fora breakfast plate—or any other time of day!
04 of 14
Cullen Skink
Cullen is a small town in Northeast Scotland and the home of one of Scotland’s most famous dishes,Cullen skink. It is a hearty soup and traditionally made with Finnan haddock (smoked haddock), potatoes, and onions. Cullen skink is also known as smoked haddock chowder in other parts of Britain. You can also useArbroath smokies—haddock that have been smoked over hardwood in and around the seaside town of Arbroath (hence the name)—a very traditional Scottish smoked fish.
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05 of 14
co*ck-a-Leekie Soup
co*ck-a-Leekie soupis essentially a peasant dish and has many regional variations—some going back centuries, revealing just how important this dish is to Scottish food. There are recipes with chopped grilled bacon, others withbeef stockor Jamaican pepper, someeven with stewed prunes in the finished dish thanks to French gourmet,Talleyrand. Whichever way you make this easy recipe, it is sure to be a winner.
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Scottish Stovies
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Ask 100 Scots for a traditional stovies recipe and you will get 100 different answers—everyone has their own version (and of course theirs will be the best).
Stovie means "bits from the stove," which essentially means all the leftover bits from a Sunday roast. Not that you have to be restricted to the pickings from your Sunday lunch—stovies—which is basically a meat and potato stew—can also be made using a tin of corned beef or some cooked minced beef or sausages.
07 of 14
Rumbledethumps
You just have to love this silly-soundingname which in no way explains what it is, but it is still fun. A dish of Rumbledethumps is the Scottish way of using up the leftover mashed potatoesand other vegetables to create a hearty, sustaining casserole-like side dish (or you can eat this on its own). So easy to make, you will fall in love with it.
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Scottish Oatcakes
Oatcakes are to Scotland what a baguette is to the French. The flat cakes made mainly from oats have for centuries been considered the Scottish national bread. They are quick and easy to make and are a delicious snack or accompaniment to cheese.
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09 of 14
Scottish Shortbread
Though Scottish shortbreadis traditionally eaten on NewYear'sEve, this shortbread recipe is too good to save for just one night! The all-butter recipe makes for a melt-in-your-mouth cookie. Be sure to handle the dough as little as possible and to use cold hands and tools to achieve the "shortie's" signature light and crumbly texture.
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Tipsy Laird
Tipsy laird is essentially the same astrifle, the pudding that has graced British tables for centuries. Also a traditional part of Burn's Night, this dessert is not only delicious but also pretty to look at. Layers of sponge cake, raspberries, custard, and whipped cream are flavored with a bit of whiskey (instead of the British sherry), which can be eliminated if serving the dish to children.
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Scottish Cranachan
The traditional Scottish Cranachanis a dessert that is often served at celebrations. The red raspberry puree layered with whipped cream flavored with whiskey and honey create a festive treat that is bursting with flavor. Toasted oats add a nutty taste and crunchy texture.
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Scottish Tablet
Scottish tabletis for those with a sweet tooth—this fudge-like candy is exceptionally sweet. The recipe here calls for four pounds of sugar! But the good thing is just a little bite should satisfy your craving. Feel free to add flavorings such as peppermint.
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Clootie Dumpling
Clootie dumplingsare very different from what Americans know as dumplings—either the pouch-like Asian appetizer or the biscuit-style topping for a Southern stew. The Scottish dessert is more of a fruitcake, combining oats with currents and spices, as well as suet—animal organ fat.This hearty pudding is very much at the heart of Scottish celebrations including both HogmanayandBurn's Night supper.
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Dundee Cake
Dundee cake can also be called a Scottish Christmas cake (though it is eaten year round) and iseasily identified by the almond decoration around the top. It is essentially a fruitcake traditionally including almonds, whiskey, and orange peel.