Lanarkshire has been a pioneer in food production in Scotland, yet few people could point it out on a map. So, what can food tourists visiting this region expect?
The oldest bakery in Scotland for starters. In 2020, Alexander Taylor Bakery, which has been run at the same site by the Taylor family for six generations, marked 200 years in business. It’s fair to say they know a thing or two about baking a loaf a bread.
What’s more, it’s stop number three on Lanarkshire Larder’s new food trail alongside 26 other food and drink producers, each with their own fascinating stories.
At the other end of the 48-mile trail, at stop number 20, is The Crown Inn, a 17th-century coaching inn where the local ale has been flowing since the 1600s.
Midway on the route is a Saturday market with a difference, housed in a Unesco World Heritage Site. The New Lanark market sells, among other locally-made artisan delights, its own award-winning ice cream – a marked shift from its origins as Robert Owen’s social utopian mill village.
These stops alone add up to a good day out but there are many more equally appealing food and drink gems to tick off the list, including farms shops, butchers, delis, distilleries, cafés, and restaurants. Or why not stay overnight at one of the six hotels on the trail, including a restored castle?
You’ll pass waterfalls, lochs and brooding Tinto Hill to continue past artist Ian Hamilton Finlay’s Little Sparta before reaching The Wee Farm Distillery, the final destination on the trail. The farm’s well-stocked shop sells small-batch gins, perfect for sipping in the hot tub at its luxury holiday cottage.
Lanarkshire boasts a long and proud heritage with the sheltered, fertile soil of the Clyde Valley providing rich pickings since the 12th century. Today, the area remains a major force in Scotland’s food and drink industry, its fertile pastures helping to produce some of the country’s best beef, venison, lamb, dairy, and cured meats.
This new food trail is a true celebration of Lanarkshire and the entrepreneurial artisan producers, farm shops, cafés, breweries, distilleries, and hospitality venues committed to using local produce.
The Lanarkshire Larder food and drink trail encourages visitors to the region to explore the diverse range of food and drink on offer, putting Lanarkshire firmly on the food tourism map, at the same time giving them an insight into where their food comes from.
Lanarkshire Larder founder member Selina Cairns, owner of Errington Cheese, said: “Nowadays there’s a real demand for quality food and drink with provenance, alongside real and memorable experiences that capture the essence of the region.
“I believe the food trail will help small businesses, the local economy, and help to create pride in the region.”
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