Leslie Anne Tarabella Southern With a Gulf Coast Accent

Haggis, black pudding, square sausage, Scotch pies, Neeps and tatties. I ate it all. 

Proving those of us from Alabama will eat just about anything if you pour gravy over it. 

Haggis Neeps and Tatties

(Scroll down to see the Haggis definition at the bottom of this post)

After spending a week in Ireland to celebrate our 30^th wedding anniversary, Bob and I celebrated for another week in Scotland. We visited both Glasgow, Stirling and Edinburgh. 

It was all delicious and I ate every bit of it, except for the square sausage and their strange idea of bacon., 

But then again, I’m coming from a home where Alabama Conecuh Sausage and Bill-E’s Small Batch Bacon  have spoiled me for the rest of the world’s idea of sausage and bacon.

I loved Ireland, but Scotland was really my cup of tea – hot with a splash of milk, like the Queen. 

If Ireland was dreamy green, Scotland was wide-awake red. It was louder, busier and much harder to traverse.

We pushed against cold rainy wind, up and down steep cobblestone hills where many were dressed in Harry Potter costumes and writers were celebrated with statues.

Dolly, the sheep that was famously cloned in the National Museum of Scotland.

Bagpipes played outside my window in Edinburgh for 12 hours each day without pause, except for one morning when I awoke to a Tenor singing old Scottish folksongs. We toured Holyrood Palace and St. Giles Cathedral, where Queen Elizabeth laid in state last year. King Charles had visited a few months before. 

While touring Her Majesty’s Royal Yacht Britannia, I actually sniffed away a wee tear when I walked into the formal dining room where many historical figures, including Ronald Reagan, dined. The inside scoop is; The room is available for private parties, (in case anyone is planning a birthday surprise for me). 

Full Scottish Breakfast – Back Bacon, Square Sausage, Potato Scone, Baked Beans, Blistered Tomatoes and Fried Egg.

 Our anniversary seemed like the perfect excuse to take off, and I’m so glad we did. Bob is a darling and we have fun when we travel – even though we finally had a little meeting in the streets of Dublin about who has the best sense of direction – at times, even better than Google. Bless his heart. It only took 30 years for him to admit it. 

At the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow. There was a midday concert on a gorgeous pipe organ while we toured the museum. – Magical! 

The Piper Pub – Glasgow

Memorial for Scottish American Soldiers featuring Abraham Lincoln in a cemetery in Edinburgh

Haggis – the national dish of Scotland, composed of the internal parts of animals including heart, kidney, liver and tongue, minced and mixed with beef or mutton, suet and oatmeal and seasoned with onion, cayenne pepper and other spices. The mixture is packed into a sheep’s stomach and boiled. 

Neeps and Tatties –  the ‘neeps’ means swede or turnip and the ‘tatties’ refer to potatoes. Traditionally they’re served mashed separately alongside haggis, although some recipes suggest mashing them together with some butter, salt and pepper.

Here’s the recap of Ireland.

Thanks for following along on Instagram to see more travel photos and book updates!

 Are you an adventurous eater when you travel?