Scottish Blog

Dunlop Cheese is a type of cheese originating from Scotland, and to this day is still produced exclusively in Scotland.

Dunlop Cheese was first recorded in Scotland around the year 1688, in the village of Dunlop, East Ayrshire. The recipe was bought from Ireland by Barbra Gilmour, the wife of John Dunlop, a local farm owner. This allowed Barbra to recreate and refine her recipe for Dunlop Cheese. This story is generally accepted as an accurate account of the inception of Dunlop Cheese, although others throw doubt on the Irish influence on the recipe, or claim that Barbara was burned at the stake because local thought her method of cheese production was akin to witchcraft.

One of the reasons that Dunlop cheese was unique at the time was the design of the press within which it was drained. There are some relics which are claimed at being the original presses, whether they truly does not diminish the fact that they demonstrate the innovation of their design. The Dunlop Cheese presses consisted of an intricately carved stone trough with a number of draining holes and slits. This was covered by a heavy stone on a screw, which would allow the cheese maker to increase the pressure on the cheese when required, this allowed for fuller drainage of the cheese. The other unique aspect of the cheese is its taste, which is best described as mild cheddar with elements of fruit.