Before you shudder, you need to know there's more than haggis on Scottish tables! That said, haggis is nutritious - and tasty - especially with its traditional partners of neeps (turnips of swede) and tatties (potato) as seen above.

A number of Scottish foods have been granted European protected status, a designation that identifies high-quality products, unique to a particular region.

Scottish delicacies with protected status include: 

• Scotch beef
• Scottish wild salmon 
• Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop cheese (pictured above)
• Arbroath Smokies (pictured below)
• Scottish Farmed Salmon
• Scotch Lamb
• Shetland Lamb
• Orkney Beef
• Orkney Lamb
• Stornoway Black Pudding
• Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar

You can buy these fantastic products throughout the world, but what could be better than trying them in the place where they are produced? 

Most importantly not every place to eat is a chippery or an Indian restaurant,. There are 12 Michelin star restaurants in Scotland. It is a very cosmopolitan country and you'll find restaurants specialising in food from many different cultures. 

Eating local is very important in Scotland and you'll find lots of restaurants that proudly serve dishes made from locally sourced ingredients. What could be better than trying a mouth-watering new dish in the place where the ingredients were farmed? 

Locally made alcoholic drinks include whisky (of course!), gin, beer, wine and cider, as well as soft drinks including IRN BRU and Scottish fruit juices. 

You already know that Scotland's national drink is Whisky! Although IRN BRU likes to think of itself as Scotland's 'other national drink' too. 

There are over 100 working whisky distilleries in Scotland. Check out the free guide to Scotland's whisky distilleries to find one you can visit. 

You'll find them in pubs, bars and restaurants throughout the country - just ask when you're there! You could also sample some at the source by visiting a brewery first hand. 

What kinds of locally produced non-alcoholic drinks can visitors try?  

• Sparkling presse 
• Apple juice
• Scottish milk
• Scottish spring water
• IRN BRU
• Red Kola
• Hot Velvet Shot, a richly indulgent hot chocolate shot
• Crabbies non-alcoholic ginger beers

Scots have an ultra-sweet tooth. Forget the deep-fried Mars Bars everyone talks about. Find a 'sweetie-shop' and start tasting. Tablet (above) is the local fudge of choice - and is addictive. Be warned!

With a huge coastline (if you count all the bays and coves and islands) and the world's freshest, chilliest northern waters, Scotland is blessed with a wide range of foods from the sea. Fishing is a large industry and every menu will feature the freshest items from the latest local haul.

Want to experience even more?

Local farmers' markets and farm shops are terrific places to find quality local produce and to meet the people behind the products. Some supermarkets offer local choices too. 

There are a number of cheese makers, ice cream makers and smokehouses you can visit - you can find many of them in Visit Scotland's downloadable Foodie Trails eBook.

Some farmers markets also offer cooking demonstrations, so you can see the produce being turned into a tasty meal and pick up recipe tips. 

More about Scottish food....