Haggis is considered the national dish of Scotland. You’ve not lived unless you’ve tasted haggis, neeps, and tatties, one of the most quintessentially Scottish dishes.
We will admit that it isn’t for everyone, especially if you know the contents of it. But the rich, deep flavour is a far cry from the bare ingredients inside. The crumbly, mince-like spiced texture is one you’ll definitely never forget. And, no, if you’re from England, it’s not the same as black pudding. Haggis is so much better.
Even if you don’t like the sound of it or how it looks, we know your curiosity will lead you to tasting this traditional Scottish food. And we want you to try the best of the best. Read on for a foodies guide to the best places to eat haggis in Scotland.
What is Haggis?
Put anything you’re about to read aside and focus on the flavours that come from it.
The ingredients of haggis are:
- Sheep’s offal (the internal organs, such as liver, kidneys, heart, and lungs, and other parts, such as the stomach and feet).
- Oats
- Suet
- Onion
- Beef or lamb mince or trimmings
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Nutmeg
- Coriander
We hope we didn’t lose you on the first bullet point, because the rest of them are pretty standard ingredients. And if we did lose you at the first bullet point, this will be no better. All of that is mixed to form a mince texture and cooked inside a sheep’s stomach that has been replaced with artificial casings. A vegetarian/vegan’s nightmare.
Fear not, most of the time, haggis isn’t actually prepared in a sheep’s stomach anymore. That was a more traditional method.
Haggis is traditional, and we think it should be prepared and eaten the traditional way. Not that you shouldn’t try it in a restaurant, but you will find some bistro restaurants ‘re-imagining’ haggis into something far from its traditional roots.
What Does Haggis Taste Like?
We don’t doubt that you’re wondering what it tastes like. We will admit that it is a flavour and texture to get used to.
There’s actually a lot of flavourings happening at once. You might find it surprisingly peppery, but with the sheep’s offal and beef or lamb trimmings combined with the spices, it is a rich, meaty, yet slightly earthy-tasting meal. And despite all of that going on, it isn’t necessarily a strong and overpowering taste. It’s balanced and delicious (if you like this sort of thing).
Some of the closest comparisons are English pork faggots and black pudding, but even those are distinctly different from a proper haggis in Scotland.
It’s actually harder than you think to describe; it’s a flavour you have to learn from yourself.
The Best Places in Scotland to Try Haggis
There’s no exact known origin of Haggis, but some say the Scottish Highlands are the closest link to its heritage.
As it’s such an iconic Scottish dish, you will find plenty of places serving haggis. In our opinion, not everyone gets it right, but these restaurants definitely do:
The Scran & Scallie (Edinburgh)
The Scran & Scallie is one of the best bistro pubs you’ll find in Edinburgh. It serves the most delicious traditional Scottish dishes but with a modern twist. Unlike most places, that modern twist doesn’t take away the heritage of the dish. And they stay true to that by putting haggis, neeps & tatties on the menu.
Essentially, it’s savory haggis, mashed swede (turnip), and mashed potatoes. Simple, but so comforting and tasty. It’s perfect for eating anytime of the year, but especially on a cold winter’s day like now.
Makars Gourmet Mash Bar (Edinburgh)
Makars Mash Bar is one of the most famous, if not the most famous, places to eat in Edinburgh. It’s constantly full, so we would recommend booking in advance.
It might be famous for its mash, but as any good restaurant should have, they’ve got mouthwatering haggis dishes (with mash, of course). For starters, you can have a mini haggis, neeps, and tatties taster. And for the main, one of their most popular options is the Makar’s own homemade beef-lamb haggis with heather honey and turnip puree. You can only imagine how good this tastes.
Edinburgh has some of the best food in Scotland.
Scott Brothers (Dundee)
If you’ve gone for motorhome hire and are travelling around Scotland, Scotts Brothers is a butcher’s in Dundee that’s famous for serving deep-fried haggis. And you just know that when a butcher in Dundee has anything to do with haggis, it’s going to be incredible. They use premium meat sourced locally from farms in Dundee, and the unique take on haggis by frying it (Scots love to fry things) is simply divine.
Obviously, you can also get other incredible cuts of meat to take away with you.
You’re either going to love it or hate it, and we hope you love it. There are plenty of other great places in Scotland to try the dish, but we think if you’re going to be a lover, you have to try it from one of those three places.