Scottish people have a lot of pride for their culture and especially for Scottish food. During my first week in Edinburgh, I had the pleasure of trying a traditional Scottish breakfast. The Scottish breakfast is a hearty meal that includes tattie scones, sausage, sliced haggis, fried egg, toast, fried tomato slices, baked beans, and fried mushrooms. You may not recognize two of the items in that list: tattie scones and haggis. A tattie scone is a sort of pancake made from mashed potatoes, butter, and flour. You mix these ingredients together and then cook the dough on a griddle. This was my favorite part of the breakfast – you can’t go wrong with a potato pancake! Haggis is one of Scotland’s famous meat dishes. It is made from sheep’s liver with minced onion, oatmeal, and spices. It is traditionally cooked by encasing the ingredients in the sheep’s stomach and then boiling the stomach with the ingredients inside. I know it doesn’t sound very appetizing, but most cafes have a vegetarian version, which is what I had, and it was very good. After having breakfast in Old Town Edinburgh, we climbed Arthur’s Seat, a large hill that has a great view of the city at the top.

This breakfast was the perfect fuel for a hike, because it was filling but not overly heavy. The Scottish breakfast is delicious, and if you’re ever in Scotland, you must try it! It is the perfect way to experience Scottish culture and get a great start to your day.

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Heriot-Watt University