Memorable Meals in Scotland

For every trip you decide to take, it's important to make great memories, as well as meals. Gen and I believe that we've mastered meal prepping, as well as selecting certain restaurant, cafés and establishments that will best suit our tastebuds. Just like for our domestic adventures, our international expeditions have a good balance that reflects our budgets. 

When we spent two weeks in Scotland, we wanted to make sure that we could take advantage of some local delicacies without breaking the bank. Part of our careful planning consisted of which meals we'd make in our Airbnbs', which meals we'd picnic on the road, and which meals we'd eat out. 

Thanks to our extensive research, we knew that curry was a big part of Scottish cuisine. It's a little bit sweeter than Asian curry, but it is often used as a sauce or gravy for fish and chicken, or even for vegetables. We discovered a restaurant called Anstruther Fish Bar which serves up some of Scotland's best fish and chips along with hearty curry gravy and a warm cup of tea. 


We also had vegetable curry in a restaurant-style cafeteria that served up home-made food and amazing pie. It's is near the Fyrish monument, which is a good hike with an amazing view. If you plan on eating before the hike, pick something lighter but if you want to take full advantage of your meal, complete the hike first and then grab yourself a decent lunch and a slice of luscious lemon meringue pie!

Other local delicacies included haggis. Gen had it cold with some oatcakes (like paté) and I had it warm along with some chicken and whiskey gravy. That is also known as St.Andrews chicken. Though we did have the opportunity to try blood pudding, we opted for our homemade pasta dishes. 

When we stay in hostels and Airbnbs', it is practically paramount that we make ourselves pasta dishes. We mix it up between tomato-based sauces and cream-based sauces. We add a few vegetables that preserve and last well, and add protein to it; often it's tuna or chicken (a cost-efficient option). It's the kind of meal that gives us the most bang for our buck. In addition to that, we often try making a small salad to accompany our pasta dishes because it's not every country that has an affinity to provide a variety of fresh vegetables with each meal. Some of our culinary masterpieces came out delicious and others nutritious. 

And every trip is not successful without one complete day of café hopping. During our trip to Scotland, we had chosen this day as our last day, and so we selected Edinburgh as our destination. We started early on in the morning with coffee as we made our way from our apartment all the way to the famous Elephant House café, where J.K. Rowling was said to have written Harry Potter. As the day grew, so did our appetites. We found Turkish cafés, traditional pubs and quaint bakeries. We even waited in line behind a couple of dogs to get some well-deserved and refreshing ice cream. 

As much as we love to try new things and make our own way, one of the little things that makes travelling abroad easier is getting to see little glimpses of home wherever you go. For us, that was stopping for a snack in Glasgow's very own Tim Hortons; the first in the country. We found out about that little treasure thanks to the gate-keeper at Urquhart castle at Loch Ness who loved to see Canadian travellers enjoying his home as much as he did. 

Food, like travel, is just one of those things where I could write and write and write about for hours on end because it allows you the opportunity to enjoy your life a little bit more. Meals are an occasion for new discoveries and travelling lets you get a taste of new cultures, so it only makes sense for us to mash the two up together for one wonderfully delicious article. We invite you to share with us some of the strangest local cuisines you've tried during your trips as well as one of your favourite go-to snacks to have when you hit the road for a new adventure. Because food fuels your body and travel fuels your soul!

Kyla