Lanarkshire was a pioneer of Scottish food production, but few can point it out on a map. So what can tourists visiting the region expect?
Scotland’s oldest bakery for starters. In 2020, Alexander His Taylor His Bakery, which has been run on the same property by the Taylor family for six generations, celebrates its 200th anniversary. It’s safe to say they know a thing or two about baking a loaf of bread.
Additionally, it is the third location on the new Lanarkshire Larder food trail, alongside 26 other food and beverage producers, each with their own fascinating story to tell.
At the other end of the 48-mile trail, at Stop 20, is the Crown Inn, a 17th-century coaching inn that has served local ale since the 1600s.
Along the route you’ll find the Saturday Market with a difference, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. New Lanark Market sells its own award-winning ice cream, among other locally made artisanal delights. This is a notable change from Robert Owen’s origins as a gregarious utopian mill village.
These stops alone are enough to fill a fun-filled day, but there are plenty of equally fascinating food and drink gems, including farm shops, butchers, delis, distilleries, cafes and restaurants. Or why not stay at one of the trail’s six hotels, including a restored castle?
You’ll pass waterfalls, lakes, and brooding Tinto Hills past artist Ian Hamilton Finlay’s Little Sparta before reaching the trail’s final destination, The Wee Farm Distillery. The farm’s well-stocked shop sells small-batch gins perfect for sipping in the hot tubs of luxury vacation homes.
Lanarkshire boasts a long and proud heritage, with the protected and fertile soils of the Clyde Valley providing bountiful harvests since the 12th century. Today, the region continues to be a major force in Scotland’s food and beverage industry, with its fertile pastures producing some of the best beef, venison, lamb, dairy and cured meats in the country. It helps in production.
This new food trail is a true celebration of Lanarkshire and its entrepreneurial artisan producers, farmer’s shops, cafes, breweries, distilleries and hospitality establishments dedicated to using local ingredients. .
The Lanarkshire Larder Food and Drink Trail encourages visitors to the region to explore the variety of food and drink on offer, putting Lanarkshire firmly on the food tourism map as well as highlighting their food gives insight into where the is coming from.
Serena Cairns, founder of Lanarkshire Larders and owner of Ellington Cheeses, said:
“We believe food trails can help small businesses and local economies and help create pride in the community.”
www.lanarkshirelarder.com/food-trail
