Good Stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – in this case all yummy findings from my recent trip to Scotland’s Speyside that I thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy.
Royan of Elgin, Traditional Butcher
This traditional butcher shop was founded in 1850 by the grandfather of present owner, Jim Royan. I didn’t actually make it to the shop (or to Elgin for that matter), but had a taste of Royan’s amazing sausages while at dining at the Copper Dog Restaurant at the Craigellachie Hotel. The top quality sausages were mostly pork shoulder with small chunks of black pudding blended in. I loved it and wish I had some stashed away in the freezer.
My unsuspecting palate was wowed by this super creamy and very blue sheep’s milk cheese. Good luck finding much more mention than this of it online … but if you do please let me know.
Although I was visiting the Speyside for its famous whisky, I was impressed by a couple of beers I had while there. One of them was Wildcat Ale. I had this malty amber ale at the riverside Mash Tun pub in Aberlour. Brewed by Cairngorm Brewery in Aviemore, proceeds from each bottle sold go to support the Highland Tiger Project and the Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Plan.
The other beer that had me jotting down a note from the bar was a cloudy and banana-y hefeweizen from Windswept Brewing Co. It’s a “special seasonal brew to celebrate Oktoberfest in Moray,” but I thought it was a perfect quencher for a sunny summer’s day.
