Scotland's Cheeses - a brief introduction

Scotland's climate and geography are well suited to cheese-making. A short production season in Scotland meant that traditional cheeses usually required to be capable of being stored (matured) through the winter - hence the traditional predominance of hard (matured) cheese in Scotland and Britain. However, modern manufacturing techniques have enables a range of new cheeses to become available - including soft brie and dolcelatte style cheeses.

Today there are more than two dozen cheese-makers across Scotland, ranging from the industrial cheddar creameries to much smaller-scale cheese producers.

Modern temperature controlled facilities and refrigerated transport has helped revived artisan cheesemaking in small creameries and farms across the Scotland.

Many of them have small retail outlets, farm shops and the creameries are open to visitors. A number have online outlets and web sites which can be accessed via our Scottish Cheese Directory..

The last two decades have seen a huge revival in traditional farmhouse cheeses and new versions inspired in some cases by growing demand for soft and favourful version of those cheeses found in Europe and elsewhere.

Scottish Cheddar accounts for 70-80% of total output at the main creameries are located at Locherbie, Stranraer and Campbeltown and on the islands of Bute, Arran, Mull, Gigha and Orkney.

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A pioneer in the supply of gourmet cheeses is Ian J Mellis cheesemongers. Mellis cheese shops in Glasgow and Edinburgh stocking a wide range of cheeses from Scotland and from abroad. Owner Ian Mellis has been quoted as saying: "There's a growing awareness of Scottish cheeses abroad and the 'Taste of Scotland' brand is very strong, especially in North America. Not a huge amount of Scottish cheese has been exported but that may well change in the future."

Scottish cheddar remains a firm favourite with the Scots and our visitors. The Seriously Strong Cheddar brand from the Caledonian Cheese Company has helped raise the profile of Scottish cheese on the supermarket shelves while smaller producers are creating a delicious and ever increasing bonanza of distinct cheeses on the mainland and in the Island of Scotland.

Crowdie, a soft cheese also known as 'gruth' in Gaelic is the result of traditional methods dating back to Scotland's Viking occupation. Coated in toasted pinhead oats and black pepper 'Gruth Dhu' also known as black crowdie is a nice twist on the traditional product. Caboc from Ross-shire in the western Highlands is made from cows' milk, rolled into small logs and covered on a bed of toasted oats.

Strathkinness is Scotland's answer to Gruyere, rich in protein it tastes great with crusty bread or oatcakes and Dundee firm Howgate produces top quality brie and camembert styles which are best sellers in the gourmet cheese stores throughout the UK and overseas.

Bishop Kennedy is an unpasteurised Scottish Cheese named after a 15th century bishop from St Andrews. A soft runny cheese with an subtle earthy character when ripe - the rind being washed in whisky during the final maturing stage giving the final product a distinct Scottish flavour.

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Some of the Scottish Cheese you should look out for include:

Bishop Kennedy: A 'trappist' cheese originating in the medieval monasteries of France but still relatively unknown in Scotland. Full fat soft cheese, rind washed in malt whisky to produce a distinctive orangey red crust and a strong creamy taste. Runny when ripe.

Bonnet: Amid, pressed goats milk cheese from small Ayrshire dairy. Similar to Inverloch (and Sanday).

Brie: Howgate Scottish Brie, traditionally made, matures to a runny sticky texture. Also Howgate Camembert.

Brodick Blue: Ewes milk blue cheese from Brodick.

Brodick: Arran blue is the cows milk version.

Caboc: (see cream cheese)

Caithness: a new mild, Danish style wax coated cheese. Also available smoked.

Cream Cheese: several versions, mostly based on revived traditional Highland recipes and rolled in oatmeal, including Caboc (Ross-shire), Howgate (Perthshire) and Lochaber-smoked. Available plain or with peppercorns, garlic or herbs.

Crowdie: a soft fresh cheese, several versions, mainly available only locally. Originally made using milk left after the cream had separated naturally. Plain or flavoured with peppercorns, garlic or herbs(Hramsa, Crannog, Gruth Dhu etc.)

Dunlop: resembles Scottish cheddar with soft texture. Mostly creamery-made in blocks on Arran and Islay but also traditionally in Ayrshire (Burns), near Dumfries and at Perth (Gowrie).

Dunsyre Blue: cows milk farmhouse blue cheese made on the same firm is Lanark Blue, with vegetarian rennet and unpasteurised milk.

Highlands and Islands:
'Drunileish' is produced on the Isle of Bute. A three month old mild cheese with a buttery flavour, uneven texture and piquant taste.

'Isle of Bute' (also produced on Bute) is a hard medium cheese with all the characteristics of a good cheddar.

'Mull of Kintyre', from the Campbeltown Creamery, is a mature cheddar with a nutty aroma and rounded taste.

'Highland', a mature cheese also from Campbeltown, has a unique, soft texture with a smooth flavour and strong aftertaste.

'Arran' cheddar, made by traditional methods, is a deliciously mellow medium to mature cheddar with a creamy soft texture.

Inverloch: Pasteurised pressed goats cheese from Isle of Gigha. Coated in red wax. Also popular fruit shaped waxed cheeses.

Isle of Mull: traditional unpasteurised farmhouse cheddar from Tobermory. Cloth-bound.

Kelsae: unpasteurised pressed cheese made near Kelso from Jersey milk. Like Wenslensdale but creamier in texture and taste.

Lanark Blue: unpasteurised ewes milk cheese in the style of Roquefort.

Loch Arthur: traditional farmhouse organic cheddar from Loch Arthur near Dumfries. mull of Kintyre: small truckle of mature Scottish cheddar coated in black wax. A smoked version is also available.

The Orkney Isles: distinctive cheddar whose history goes back nearly two centuries, made in two creameries on Orkney. Several seasonal crofting cheeses sometimes available locally.

Pentland: white moulded soft cheese made in small quantities and not widely available.

St Andrews: award winning full fat, wished rind soft cheese, mild creamy, full flavoured with characteristic golden rind.

Scottish Cheddar: creamery produced cheddar now made in Galloway (Stranraer), Lockerbie, Rothesay and Campbeltown.

Stichill: unpasteurised creamy Jersey milk Cheshire style, from the Scottish Borders.

Strathkinness: award winning Scottish version of Gruyere, nearly 50 gallons of milk goes into a cheese! Matured 6-12 months. Limited availability.

Swinzie: pasteurised, pressed, ewes milk cheese from Ayrshire.

Teviotdate: vignotte style, white moulded unpasteurised cheese.

 

NOTE: Our SCOTTISH FOOD PRODUCTS DIRECTORY
featuring a wide range of Scottish Cheese Producers and Suppliers

EXTRA: For cheese enthusiasts - check out www.ilovecheese.co.uk

And our Amercan Cousins should check out: www.artisanalcheese.com