Local Produce

7 Scottish Cheeses That Deserve to Be Famous

Scotland makes extraordinary cheese and almost nobody outside Scotland knows it. Here are seven that belong on any serious cheeseboard — where to buy them, what they taste like, and what to eat them with.

By Gary·24 April 2026·6 min read

France has 400 cheeses and a national identity built on them. Scotland has perhaps 50 artisan cheeses and almost no international recognition for any of them. This is ridiculous. Several Scottish cheeses are genuinely world-class — they win international awards, they hold their own against French and Italian equivalents, and they cost less. The only thing missing is the reputation.

Here are seven I'd put on any cheeseboard. All are available from Scottish cheesemongers, farm shops, and some farmers markets. A few have crept into supermarkets.

1. Isle of Mull Cheddar

Maker: Sgriob-Ruadh Farm, Isle of Mull · Type: Hard, clothbound · Price: £25–35/kg

The most distinctive cheddar made in Scotland. Produced from the milk of a single herd that grazes on Tobermory's brewery grain — which sounds like a gimmick but genuinely affects the flavour. The cheese is tangy, deeply savoury, with a crystalline crunch at full maturity that good cheddar develops after 12+ months. It tastes nothing like a supermarket cheddar and holds its own against Montgomery's or Kirkham's from England.

Only made in small batches. Available from specialist cheesemongers (I.J. Mellis in Edinburgh and Glasgow stocks it regularly), and occasionally from Waitrose and the Royal Highland Show food hall.

Eat with: Oatcakes and a glass of Talisker.

2. Lanark Blue

Maker: Humphrey Errington, Carnwath, Lanarkshire · Type: Blue, sheep's milk · Price: £30–40/kg

Scotland's answer to Roquefort. Made from raw sheep's milk by Humphrey Errington, who has been fighting the Scottish food establishment for decades to keep making raw milk cheese (a battle he's won). Lanark Blue is creamy, salty, and sharp — less aggressive than Roquefort but more complex than Stilton. It's a polarising cheese: people either love the sheepy, pungent character or they don't. There's no middle ground.

The Errington family also makes Dunsyre Blue (cow's milk, milder) and Maisie's Kebbuck (hard sheep's milk). All three are worth trying.

Eat with: Honey, walnuts, and a glass of Sauternes or a sherried whisky.

3. Loch Arthur Farmhouse

Maker: Loch Arthur Creamery, Beeswing, Dumfries · Type: Hard, organic · Price: £20–28/kg

A Camphill community in Dumfries making genuinely outstanding organic cheddar. Loch Arthur has a depth of flavour that comes from the combination of organic milk, traditional cloth-binding, and long maturation in their own farm cellar. It's nuttier and less acidic than most Scottish cheddars, with a smooth, almost buttery paste.

Available at the farm shop (worth the visit if you're in Dumfries and Galloway), by mail order, and from specialist cheesemongers across Scotland.

Eat with: Chutney, sourdough, cold cider.

4. Crowdie

Maker: Various, traditionally Highland · Type: Soft, fresh · Price: £3–5 for a tub

The oldest Scottish cheese — a simple fresh curd cheese that's been made in the Highlands for centuries. Crowdie is light, tangy, slightly crumbly, and has no equivalent on a standard supermarket cheese counter. It's traditionally eaten on oatcakes with a pinch of salt, or rolled in oats (cranachan-style).

Highland Fine Cheeses makes a widely available version. Smaller creameries produce seasonal batches that are worth seeking out at farmers markets. It's the most affordable cheese on this list and one of the most Scottish.

Eat with: Oatcakes, smoked salmon, fresh herbs.

5. Strathdon Blue

Maker: Highland Fine Cheeses, Tain, Ross-shire · Type: Blue, cow's milk · Price: £25–32/kg

A Highland blue cheese that's creamier and milder than Lanark Blue, making it more accessible as a starting point for people who think they don't like blue cheese. Made with pasteurised cow's milk in Tain (the same town as Glenmorangie distillery — an excellent day trip combination). The texture is smooth and spreadable at room temperature.

Available at Waitrose (one of the few Scottish blues in a supermarket), specialist cheesemongers, and the Highland Fine Cheeses website.

Eat with: Pear, crackers, a glass of port or a Highland single malt.

6. Anster

Maker: St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company, Anstruther, Fife · Type: Hard, cow's milk · Price: £22–30/kg

Named after the local name for Anstruther (the same Fife fishing town as the famous fish bar). Anster is a crumbly, tangy, Cheshire-style cheese made from the milk of a single herd in the East Neuk. It has a lactic sharpness that's different from cheddar — less dense, more crumbly, with a clean finish.

The connection to Anstruther makes it a good pairing: buy the cheese from a Fife cheesemonger and the fish from the harbour. A Scottish surf-and-turf of sorts.

Eat with: Celery, apple, a dry white wine.

7. Caboc

Maker: Highland Fine Cheeses, Tain · Type: Soft, double cream, rolled in oats · Price: £3–4 for a log

Another ancient Scottish cheese — a double-cream cheese rolled in toasted pinhead oatmeal. The story goes that it was first made in the 15th century by Mariota de Ile, daughter of a MacDonald chieftain. The modern version is rich, buttery, and the oatmeal coating adds a nutty crunch.

Caboc is widely available in Scottish supermarkets (usually in the specialty cheese section). It's mild, approachable, and distinctly Scottish in a way that nothing else on a cheese counter matches.

Eat with: Bannocks, honey, a dram of something light (Auchentoshan, Glenkinchie).

Where to buy Scottish cheese

I.J. Mellis (Edinburgh — Victoria Street, Stockbridge, Morningside; Glasgow — Great Western Road) — the best cheesemonger in Scotland. They mature many cheeses in their own cellars and the staff know everything. If you're buying one cheese from this list, go to Mellis.

George Mewes Cheese (Glasgow, Byres Road) — excellent West End cheesemonger with a strong Scottish selection.

Farm shops — Belhaven, Fenton Barns, Pillars of Hercules, and House of Bruar all stock good Scottish cheese. See our farm shop guide.

Farmers markets — Edinburgh Farmers' Market (Saturdays, Castle Terrace) regularly has artisan cheese stalls. Use our Market Finder.

Online — I.J. Mellis and Highland Fine Cheeses both offer mail order with next-day delivery.

The running theme: Scotland makes cheese that competes with the best in Europe, sells it at lower prices than French equivalents, and barely anyone outside the country knows about it. Sound familiar? See also: the seafood export paradox.

TasteSCOT is an independent editorial site. We are not affiliated with any distillery, brewery, producer, or tourism body. All opinions are our own. Prices, availability, and opening hours are checked at the time of writing but may change — always verify with the retailer or venue before visiting or purchasing. If you drink, please drink responsibly.