Scottish Highlights: Top 8 vegetarian restaurants in Scotland

written by Julia 22. August 2018
Scottish Highlights: Top 8 vegetarian restaurants in Scotland

Thinking about my Scotland Trip, I was really nervous first: Haggis here, Haggis there. My veggie soul was really frightened to starve in this country of meat lovers. Luckily, it was quite the contrary.

The following places are not specially veggie or vegan, but all of them offer a huge amount of pretty good and creative veggie meals. What a treat. Of course, meat lovers will also be satisfied as all of those pubs etc. offer different meat dishes. The best for everyone, I would say. Let’s start our foodie journey in Edinburgh. We stayed there for 4 days, enough time to discover and check out several places for maaaany dishes.

Afterwards we drove up to the Isle of Skye, also exploring really special places we want to share with you.

To be fair, we didn’t have one bad meal, this was the biggest surprise. We had so many different varieties of healthy, well-seasoned and new veggie meals, that really inspired us to try new things at home.

That’s how it should be, right? Well – follow us on our amazing veggie food journey.

Edinburgh – the ultimate food heaven

The Breakfast Places.

  • Let them eat too

As I am a real brekkie person, I very much need a proper breakfast to recharge my batteries and start the day. This place was located next to our hostel and we were really impressed by the huge variety of veggie and vegan paninis and sandwiches. They also offer variable smoothie options freshly squeezed and pressed in the shop. The restaurant is a nice place to sit-in and relax – crazy, shabby chic furniture makes it even a pretty cool place to stay and chill a little longer. The portions of the wraps and the paninis are huge and the prizes quite fair. They also offer all their food option to take away. The bottom line is: they sell fairly cheap and tasty food, and are very quick for takeaway orders. We highly recommend that place for veggies and especially breakfast lovers!

  • The fig tree bistro

Delicious cakes, awesome fresh juices, smoothies and coffees. They also serve oat, soy and coconut milk for the vegan guests. In addition to that, they serve a good range of paninis, sandwiches and cookies. The extra goodie: The product range also includes gluten free products – a huge plus for gluten intolerant people as it is not that easy to find healthy, yummy and gluten free meals to go. We loved it!

Lunch & Dinner. 

  • El Toro Loco

We really got a little bit LOCO over this place. After a long shopping and exploring day, we were nearly starving and looking for nice, fast food. We found this place by walking by. They serve awesome Mexican food to go and sit-in, with various veggie options. The food was really tasty, portions were generous and it was great value for money. They only use fresh and healthy ingredients, and the Guacamole was heaven on earth. El Toro Loco is situated directly next to Cowgate, so you can’t really miss it. They also offer a huge collection of the hottest salsas in town. There was also a great selection of imported bottles of beer. These were slightly expensive (£4.50 a bottle) but there was also corona available which was slightly cheaper.  Deco is cool and staff lovely. They even offer breakfast options: From huevos rancheros up to breakfast burritos or spicy omelets. Would definitely return!

Dinner & Drinks. 

  • Under the stairs

A lovely little bar/restaurant tucked away below ground level. It’s a very Non-touristic, cosy place –with huge variety of creative cocktails and long drinks. This place with an almost ghostly atmosphere with only candles providing some light is the perfect spot for calming down and having an amazing drink or two – the cocktail menu ranges from Pisco Sour up to classic Gin Tonics and fancy mules. A good selection of reasonably priced small to large dished is the real add on.  There are numerous vegetarian and vegan options, including vegan desserts. Some dishes are really inventive, and the flavors are well-balanced. The staff was more than friendly and helpful.

This place is very close to the major tourist areas but seemed to be quieter than most places and full of locals, no tourists at all (except us). Well worth a visit. We would definitely come back when in Edinburgh. It’s a real keeper.

  • The last drop

The first highlight about this place: We got a table. It took us 35 minutes waiting at the bar, but we finally made it. Our friend who is a real Edinburgh insider recommended this place as a “true Scottish” place with many veggie options. It’s a lovely, cozy, very well located little pub. The service was a bit slow and it took us a while to get our beers, but the place was, as mentioned above, really packed. Food was really quite good and there were vegan and vegetarian options on the menu: I had a quinoa salad –  that was excellent! By the way, the place disposes many historical myths. One is the story about the naming: Last drop is said to be a reference to the last drink taken by prisoners before they were hanged but likely to be a rather more grim reference to their own last drop through the scaffold trapdoor.

The Highlands & The Isle of Skye

  • The Drovers Inn

First things first: If you are going up to the highlands or visit the Isle of Skye as we did, do not miss this amazing place. It’s the combination of cozy and spooky at the same time. The whole place gave me goosebumps because there are so many stories that want to be told. The last thing we expected when we entered this amazing, 300 years old house was an amazing veggie menu. And in the end, it turned out to be the hidden veggie sensation – they offer a broad range of veggie food: From veggie haggis to goat cheese salad. You will find everything your veggie heart desires. It was fresh, delish and tasted absolutely great. We loved it! In addition to the great food, the place is equipped with a crazy mixture of taxidermy, spooky, historical furniture and an open fireplace. There are many stories to find, secret corners with truly spooky animals. For me, it was the most Scottish and authentic place we have been to during our trip.

The conclusion: Rustic, authentic atmosphere – but also very creepy. Plus: Most friendly service and they even take credit card – in the middle of nowhere. Yes, yes, yes to this place!

  • The Old Inn

When you are going to visit the Talisker Distillery you will be hungry before or afterwars. The village is very tiny and does not offer many options. So we were very glad about the recommendation of the old Inn: Situated next to the Distillery, you can actually walk there. Of course, the place was very crowded, but still cosy. The menu offers many choices for meat, fish and veggie lovers. Our non-veggie recommendation: langoustines with butter, salad and lemon vinaigrette. For our beloved veggies: Go for the veggie burger – fresh bread, filled with salad, sprouts and cheddar cheese and homemade fries. The sour cream was an absolute highlight. Simple, but really delish.

  • Café Eighty2

WHAT A TREAT! People call this place “Drumnadrochit’s best kept secret” – and we are sharing this awesomeness with you. Various teas, especially with real flowers blooming in your glass, several vegan and veggie options. A good little spot with a cute ambiance  to stop for some grub on our way to Lochness. Lots of fresh, vegan/vegetarian and even gluten free options like smoothies, cakes or breakfast option. They offer a vegetarian highland breakfast complete with vegetarian haggis. The food was good with modest portions. This spot really gives you a homey feel, the furniture is a mixture of Swedish shabby chic and real vintage. The place is always busy but the staff is super friendly. The real highlight is the avocado toast here! Conclusion: Special little cafe, easy to park, delicious homemade cakes and good coffee and tea! Awesome!

We wish you a pleasant trip and we are looking forward to hearing your feedback!

xoxo, your Rast.Los.Gelöst Team

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