Where to Eat the Best Gluten Free Haggis in Edinburgh

Are you a celiac, or gluten intolerant, person traveling to Edinburgh? If so, you CANNOT miss out on this delicious, gluten free Haggis in Edinburgh!

One of the best ways travel deeper into a country’s culture, is through the cuisine. If you’re visiting Edinburgh, trying the Haggis, Scotland’s national dish, is simply a must. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this restaurant also has a vegan haggis for you to enjoy.

Without further ado, here is the best gluten free haggis in Edinburgh!😍👇

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Table of Contents

What is Haggis?

The star of traditional Haggis is offal, a mix of minced sheep’s internal organs. The offal includes sheep’s heart, liver, and lungs. In addition to the offal, Haggis contains oats, onions, suet and several spices.

The mixture is usually encased in the sheep’s stomach, and then boiled until cooked. The Haggis is served with Neeps (turnips) and Tatties (mash potatoes) and whiskey sauce.

Eat The Best Gluten Free Haggis in Edinburgh: A Must-Try!

The Haggis Box

📍 Location: Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1SR, United Kingdom

The Haggis Box is a tiny restaurant with an even tinier menu – but here, one thing is for sure. You will eat and drink only local produce and the food quality is stellar. Here they have a Food Provenance poster that explains where each locally produced and Scottish foods come from. For example, the Haggis comes from the butcher, Findlays of Portobello.

Their haggis is naturally gluten free, as it’s prepared with non-gluten-containing-ingredients. When I announced I was ordering my first Haggis ever, the staff told me the Whiskey-Mustard sauce was the best and most traditional sauce.

Served on a bed of Neeps and Tatties, this dish offers the perfect balance of flavors and textures. The Neeps and Tatties offer a soft and smooth texture, along with a neutral and sweeter flavor. They balance out the “graininess” of the Haggis and stronger flavors of both the Haggis and Whiskey-Mustard sauce.

Being someone who doesn’t necessarily enjoy gamey flavors or lamb, I can confirm this dish had neither of those flavors. If you are sensitive to those flavors, definitely give Haggis a shot!

Travel blogger eating the best gluten free haggis in Edinburgh, Scotland. Gluten Free Haggis with Neeps and Tatties from The Haggis Box.

Findlay’s of Portobello

📍 Location: Findlay’s of Portobello, 116 Portobello High Street, EDINBURGH, EH15 1AL

Findlay’s The Butcher is where The Haggis Box gets their delicious gluten free haggis. If you are looking to buy Haggis to prepare at home, or at your AirBnB, this is the best place to buy gluten free haggis in Edinburgh!

About Scotland’s National Dish

Officially Scotland’s national dish since 1826, Haggis is a historic dish without a specific, unknown, origin. The first known written recipe is from 1390, and the writer was one of King Richard II’s cooks.

Haggis comes from the practice of using every part of an animal. Due to this, every ancient culture is likely to have a version of Haggis – including the Romans, Vikings, and so forth.

As a fun cultural fact, every January 25th, the Scots celebrate Burns Night – a night dedicated to Robert Burns, a famous Scottish poet. One of Robert’s many poems is dedicated to Haggis, “Address to Haggis“. Due to this, the night is celebrated with Haggis and the host reciting the poem.

What does Haggis taste like?

As someone who isn’t a fan of gamey flavor or lamb, I was pleasantly surprised with the taste of Haggis. Haggis has an earthy and nutty taste due to the oats, and the flavor of the offal, in my experience, isn’t too strong. The whisky-mustard sauce was a phenomenal addition to the Haggis.

In my opinion, Haggis has a similar taste to Black Pudding and Morcilla. The texture of Haggis is a bit more grainy compared to the two foods, as it contains oats and minced offal.

This goes to say, if you’re worried of a gamey flavor, give the Haggis a chance – whether you order the full dish for yourself or split it with someone.

Is Haggis Gluten Free?

Haggis is NOT always gluten free. Haggis may contain gluten due to oats or ingredients that bind the haggis together. Other times, it may be ingredients such as breadcrumbs, to change up the texture. Furthermore, there may be a gluten-containing sauce added on top.

With that said, make sure to always request a gluten free haggis or check the labels if you’re buying it at a store.

The Haggis Animal

The Haggis Box in Edinburgh, Scotland. Haggis stuffed animals.

The Haggis is not only a food, but a fun imaginative character of Scotland! Can we take a moment to appreciate the cuteness of these Haggises?🥹

To confirm, Haggis is NOT a real animal! What started off as a fun Scottish story, turned into people believing this is an actual animal in the Highlands.

Gluten Free Haggis FAQ

What does Haggis taste similar to?

Haggis tastes similar to Black Pudding and Morcilla. To my pleasant surprise, Haggis is not gamey at all and does not have a strong lamb flavor. Haggis, besides tasting like Black Pudding, has a nutty and earthy flavor from the oats.

Does Tesco sell gluten free haggis?

Yes! Tesco sells Simon Howie’s gluten free haggis – which has great reviews!

Is Edinburgh Celiac friendly?

Yes! To my surprise, Edinburgh was very celiac friendly and full of amazing, gluten free restaurants. It turns out that Scotland has an increasing celiac population,

Can you get authentic Haggis in the US?

Enjoyed Haggis so much you wish you could eat in the US? Well, I have some unfortunate news. Traditional Haggis is illegal in the US due to the use of sheep lungs – which the USDA and FDA prohibit. With that said, in the US you can get variations of Haggis that do not use sheep’s lung.

More information on Edinburgh, Scotland

Here are some additional Edinburgh blog posts to help you out with your upcoming travels!

Do you Have More Upcoming Celiac Travels?

If you have more upcoming gluten free travels, here are some the best gluten free restaurants in Rome and Florence, Italy and in Granada, Spain!

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Do you want customized recommendations for your Edinburgh trip? If so, I am here for you! Check out my Thatch page and book my services.

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