You’ll never be stuck for hearty food in Scotland. Thanks to our unique climate and terrain, Scotland is home to some of the finest produce available to eat anywhere in the world. From the rugged mountains, lakes, sea lochs and fertile moorlands our home-reared meat, fish and dairy products are not only intrinsically linked to the landscapes, but also to Scotland’s heritage and folklore. Sure, Irn-Bru and deep-fried Mars bars also have a place in Scotland’s food scene but for some real culinary clout you’ll want to add these to your must-try list.
Haggis
Surely no trip to Scotland is complete without sampling the much-celebrated national dish? Firmly put on the map by Robert Burns in his poem, Address to A Haggis, the traditional combination of minced sheep heart, liver and lung meat bulked out with oatmeal, onions, suet, seasoning and spices might not sound like a dish for the faint-hearted. Keep an open mind though as Haggis is popular for good reason. Served with neeps and tatties (swede and potatoes) and a creamy whisky sauce there are few dishes that deliver more comfort. Haggis is shrouded in myth – so much so that many believe that the haggis is an actual animal. The truth is that there’s no such thing.
Scottish Salmon
Scottish seafood is amongst the best in the world, renowned by acclaimed chefs globally, but best appreciated in Scotland. Scottish salmon swims from the North Atlantic into Scotland’s rivers and thrives in water that is as fresh as can be. Recognisable by its eye-catching rosy colour and firm, smooth texture it needs no elaborate cooking – serve simply.
Cullen Skink
A creamy and delicious Scottish soup, Cullen Skink combines smoked salmon, onions and potatoes. It’s a veritable warm hug in a bowl.
Clootie Dumpling
Clootie gets its name from the cloth it is boiled in – cloot being Scottish for cloth – and this is giant steamed spiced pudding follows a traditional recipe that’s been unchanged in almost 300 years. Best served warm with custard, the fruit-spice laden suet pudding is a firm favourite at Hogmanay or a Burn’s night supper.
Cranachan
Described as the king of Scottish desserts, cranachan is a magical mixture of cream, tart raspberries, oats and a wee splash of whisky – and topped with honey. It’s often served in a tall glass and presented in a similar way to an Eton Mess – with the meringue substituted for oats.
Shortbread
Once a treat reserved only for special occasions, this buttery beauty is now a Scottish staple and the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea. Shortbread has been attributed to Mary, Queen of Scots, but it’s thought that the origins of the humble biscuit may go back beyond the 12th century. The custom of eating shortbread at Hogmanay, as a gift presented at ‘first footing’ still continues today.
Porridge
Porridge oats are one of the Scots best-loved ingredients finding their way into many of the nation’s favourites dishes. Eat porridge for breakfast for a healthy start to the day and you’ll have enough energy to climb a few mountains or skirt a loch before lunchtime!
Full Scottish Breakfast
If porridge isn’t your thing, a full Scottish breakfast will give you a hearty, if not such a heart-healthy, start to your day. Much like a full English breakfast, a full Scottish comprises eggs, bacon, lorne sausage, black pudding, a fried tomato and tattie scones – and will leave you feeling gloriously satisfied. If you’re a little squeamish then black pudding (blood – usually pork – mixed with fat and oatmeal, then fried or grilled) may not be for you – but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
Tattie Scone
The tattie scone – or potato scone – is a beloved part of any full Scottish fry-up combining just mashed potatoes, butter and flour. For maximum comfort factor, serve it grilled or fried with lashings of butter or dunk it in your poached egg.
Scottish Tablet
Thought to date back to the 1700s, Scottish tablet has been keeping dentists in business for centuries! A heavenly mix of sugar, condensed milk and butter (and sometimes a wee bit of whisky) cooked together until crystallised, tablet is fudge’s better-looking older brother –naughty but ever so nice!
If you’re still working your way through this list then you have an enjoyable journey ahead of you! The Dalhousie Dungeon and Orangery restaurants are open daily serving breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Please contact us to reserve your table.
What could be more magical than a winter wedding in the fairy-tale surrounds of a castle?
A celebration with friends and family cocooned inside the thick walls of an historic building, with flickering candlelight, rich tapestries and the possibility of a sprinkling of snow outside. It’s a picture of warmth. Grand, yet cosy. But there are other, often taken for granted, advantages to marrying in the winter months.
- Cost
Many venues will offer special rates for winter weddings, saving you a sizeable chunk off your wedding budget. You may be in a position to invite more guests, take that longed-for honeymoon in a far-flung paradise or spend more on your suppliers. At Dalhousie Castle we offer a reduced venue hire charge in the winter months. - Venue & supplier availability
There’s little more frustrating than finally finding your dream venue only to realise that it’s fully booked on your chosen date. The peak summer months are notoriously popular but if you’re looking to wed in winter you’ll more likely find plenty of venue options that work for you. The same too goes for your suppliers. Photographers, make-up artists, florists, DJs and bands often have more availability during the winter months so you’ll up your chances of snapping up your full ‘dream team’. - Photography
The days are shorter and the vanishing winter light can be a challenge for external photography, but so long as you choose an experienced photographer you’ll be rewarded with timeless and flattering pictures in the more muted light. Candlelit venues make for cosy and atmospheric images, and black and white images can be stunning. You may also take advantage of the earlier darkness to capture a fun group sparkler shot without having to ask your photographer to stay late in the evening – and before your guests have really hit the alcohol! - Honeymoon destinations
November to February offer some of the best choices for travel – whether you want a break in the snow or an exotic beach retreat outside of monsoon or hurricane season. A honeymoon during the northern hemisphere’s winter also is free from school holiday supplements (and, in turn, fewer screaming children!). - The After Party
The colder it is outside, the warmer the emotions. With darkness falling earlier, you’ll have an extended evening to party – perfect for a themed wedding, or a ceilidh. You may also like to add some fireworks for extra wow factor. - Family travels
If you’re planning a big bash, you may find it hard to dovetail the diaries of your nearest and dearest in the summer months as friends and family head off on holiday (or to other weddings). Winter is a great time to get people together and December in particular is a popular time for families to share time together – so why not at your wedding? - Theming
When it comes to styling a winter wedding, there’s a lot of fun to be had. Bring the outside in with pine cones, evergreens or ornamental trees festooned with fairy lights. Kit the bridal party out in faux fur, capes or feathers. Treat guests to boozy hot chocolate or mulled wine. The opportunities are endless and the atmosphere is full on ‘party’. Marry in December and you’ll add Christmas trees and decorations into the mix. - The weather
As Brits, we know that when it comes to the weather there are no guarantees. A summer wedding always comes with the possibility of a deluge derailing your plans for al fresco canapes. Not so with a winter wedding where plans tend to be firmly focussed on the indoors and winter sunshine is merely a bonus.
For more information on our castle weddings and prices please contact weddings@dalhouisecastle.co.uk
Edinburgh’s a city that doesn’t need any embellishment but bathed in autumn light and adorned with the yellows, reds and orange hues of the season it’s a real feast for the eyes.
Pack your big coat and a sense of adventure and savour Scotland’s capital in low season, away from the masses. Stay at Dalhousie Castle and you can be in the city centre in under 30 minutes* from the local train station. Explore the capital by day and return to the comfort of the castle, away from the hum of city life. Here are some suggestions for your visit.
Local Haunts
As one of the most haunted cities in Europe a trip to Edinburgh at this time of year can be hair-raisingly spectacular. There are myriad ways to discover Edinburgh’s eeriest legends if you dare. Mercat Tours, City of the Dead Tours and Auld Reekie Tours all offer highly regarded walking tours where you’ll learn and (possibly encounter) the darker side of the city. Be warned – they are not for the faint-hearted!
If you’re saving your legs why not try a spine-tingling journey through the city on a Ghost Bus Tour. Lasting around 1 hour 15 minutes this is a ‘comedy-horror theatre experience on wheels’ taking you through Edinburgh’s gory past.
Alternatively, head to the Edinburgh Dungeons for a fully immersive underground journey through the city’s darkest history: think live professional actors, theatrical sets, thrilling rides and audience participation. It’s dark, dingy and frankly terrifying!
Beneath the City Chambers on the Royal Mile lies Edinburgh’s deepest secret, a warren of hidden streets where real people lived, worked and died between the 17th and the 19th centuries: The Real Mary King Close. With a costumed character tour guide based on a one-time resident you can uncover the myths and mysteries surrounding the hidden closes in Edinburgh’s Old Town in an hour-long guided tour.
City Sightseeing Bus
If you’d prefer to stay above ground and discover the heritage and more wholesome characters of the capital, we’d recommend an open top City Sightseeing bus ride. If you’re short on time, it’s a great way to see the famous landmarks and tourist sites in 60 minutes, although you can hop on and off as many times as you like and make a day of it. It’s a fantastic way to capture your best holiday snaps of the cityscapes and architecture and it’s accompanied by informative audio commentaries (in 9 languages).
Royal Botanic Gardens
Crunch through the grounds of Edinburgh’s magnificent botanical gardens, cloaked in their picture-perfect autumn finery. It’s the perfect time to stroll around the 70 acres of beautiful landscaping taking in autumn’s vibrant colours. It’s free to visit and offers panoramic views of the city’s skyline. Stroll around the Rock Garden, the Alpine Houses, Chinese Hillside and the Arboretum and then try some seasonal offerings from the kitchen garden in one of the on-site dining spaces.
Christmas at the Botanics
Running on selected evenings from 16th November to 30th December this is an after-dark festival of flora at the capital’s Royal Botanical Gardens. Follow a trail of colourful light projections and dazzling displays of colour and grab yourself warming seasonal treats from the street food vendors onsite.
The National Museum of Scotland
The National Museum of Scotland houses over 776,000 artefacts that take you on a journey through the history of Scotland, taking in nature, art, design and fashion and science and technology in multiple galleries housed on multiple levels. It’s the UK’s most popular tourist attraction outside of London – visit and you’ll see why. Open daily and free of charge to enter it’s the perfect way to spend a rainy day.
Scottish International Storytelling Festival
This annual festival runs in October and celebrates the Scot’s “proud tradition of oral storytelling handed down through the generations, with audience involvement and shared experience”. Expect engaging expert storytellers, with a mix of music in various venues across the city.
Edinburgh Castle
Dominating the city’s skyline, ‘the fort on the hill’ also gives the city its old Gaelic name. Given its prominence it’s no surprise that Edinburgh Castle is one of the UK’s busiest attractions. Visiting in the quieter season is a bonus. Take in 1,000 years of Scottish history on a self-guided audio tour to uncover the castle’s past and view the Scottish Crown Jewels, the National War Museum, Great Hall and the One O’Clock Gun. You can also visit the small antechamber where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James VI of Scotland.
Castle of Light
Not to be missed, the Castle of Light festival takes place within Edinburgh Castle’s walls from 24th November to 3rd January. Now in its fourth year this is an outdoor spectacle of extraordinary light displays and projections cloaking the castle grounds in a veil of twinkling lights and colour. Sure to give you all the Christmassy feels, it’s the perfect run-up to Christmas event. Advance tickets only.
Whisky Tasting
If whisky is your poison, you’ve come to the right place! And if you’re no aficionado you’ve still come to the right place! Whisky is soaked into the fabric of Scotland and there are whisky tasting bars all over the city (as well as our hotel) with carefully curated collections including single malts, rare and vintage, local and coastal, from distilleries around the country. Whilst in the capital make a beeline for The Scotch Whisky Experience on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile or pull up a stool in one of the many whisky tasting bars such as Amber Bar Scotch Whisky Experience and Teuchters Landing. A perfect way to while away an hour or two or dodge a rainstorm.
Howies
You’ve pounded the pavements and shopped ‘til you dropped and now it’s time for a lunch break. Whilst there are many cafes and eateries dotted around the city, you may want to pre-book a table at a Howies restaurant. There are three in the capital serving seasonal, authentically Scottish food. We recommend starting with dish of haggis, neeps and tatties and a dram of whisky on the side to keep away the winter chills!
Edinburgh Farmer’s Market
The city’s original award-wining farmers’ market takes place in Castle Terrace every Saturday from 9am to 2pm. Bring a shopping bag and stock up on fresh, home-grown produce, seasonal handcrafts and local delicacies.
Visiting Us
For the best rooms, the best rates and the best perks, remember to book direct with us. View our current offers or give us a call on
01875 820153
*The easiest way to get to the city centre is by train.
The nearest train station: Newtongrange Station, 23 Murderdean Road, Midlothian, EH22 4PE, is a 5-minute drive (1.7 miles) from Dalhousie Castle. Turn left onto the B704 and then left again onto the A7.
Trains to the city centre stop at Edinburgh Waverley station. Journey time approximately 22 minutes, trains run every 30 minutes.