Whisky & Food

Sweet, heavy, packed with raisins: that's how the Selkirk Bannock comes to the table. This traditional bake from the Scottish Borders was invented in 1859. As the story goes, it was the only thing Queen Victoria ate during her 1867 visit to Sir Walter Scott.

Its buttery sweetness pairs well with Auchentoshan 12's honeyed vanilla and banana notes. A peaty whisky, on the other hand, would simply overwhelm the delicate bake.

The Border Tart from Eyemouth on the east coast is a shortcrust tart with a fruit filling and lattice top. It finds a natural match in Glenkinchie's lemon peel and apple blossom, both citrus-fresh and never heavy.

Further south, around Wigtown and Galloway, venison and beef from the pastures shape the cuisine, alongside a reputation for regional cheese and ice cream. With hearty venison, Bladnoch's grassy sweetness pairs better than you might expect, cutting through the fat without ever feeling heavy itself.

On the coast near Eyemouth, fish and chips is an everyday staple, simple fare. A light Lowland dram with a splash of water suits it better than a high-strength cask-strength whisky, which would overpower the delicate batter.

Whether sweet bake, savoury tart, or fish fresh from the sea off Eyemouth: in the Lowlands, the whisky accompanies the food rather than drowning it out. This is exactly what sets the region's cuisine apart from the smoky farewell dram that closes many an evening on Islay.

This leaves one guiding principle for the whole region: whether bake, tart, or fish, a light, floral dram always meets equally light food, never the punch of a peaty whisky.