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.

Crappit Heid is best described as the fish version of Haggis.

Crappit Heid easily belongs to the list of Scottish food which are thought to sound strange throughout the world. Although this list is headed by the world infamous (yet highly regarded by many) Haggis, Crappit Heid can be though to be thought of as the sea food analogue of Haggis.

In essence Crappit Heid consists of the head of a large cod (or similar sized fish, if available), which is then stuffed with oats, onions, beef fat and white pepper. The opening in the fish head is then blocked with the fish’s own liver, which is skewered into place. This is then boiled in seawater and generally served with potatoes and other seasonal root vegetables. Naturally there might be variations to this basic recipe to suit individual tastes. Some of the most popular include using fish stock and wine instead of seawater.

Crappit Heid is a surprisingly nutritious meal, it is said to be rich in carbohydrates, proteins and fats, not to mention a large amount of cod liver oil. Yet in the modern day it is rare to see Crappit Heid, this is largely attributed to changing tastes and palates of present day diners.

With the relative low cost and nutrisious value of Crappit Heid, it is easy to appreciate that its history hails from a poor fisherman background. Specifically the North or North-Eastern section of Scotland during the 18th century. This dish allowed the fisher folk to sell the expensive fillet of cod at the market, while still eating what they caught.

Lanark Blue is a unique artisan made Scottish blue sheep’s milk cheese.

Lanark Blue cheese is produced at the Walston Brahead farm near Carnworth, Scotland. The sale of Lanark Blue cheese began in 1985 and was limited to Edinburgh, by 1986 the demand had grown so much that it was also sold in England.

Although the official sale of Lanark Blue began in 1985, the idea and test production of it was born three years earlier in the mind of Humphrey Errington. This man settled at the Walston Brahead farm in 1982, after working in shipping. He turned to Jane Galloway for help in bearing his idea of cheese making to fruition.

Lanark Blue is said to be the first British blue sheep’s milk in a number of centuries. As a similar was historically produced in France centuries earlier, Lanark Blue does not hold the honor of being the first. Beyond this, Lanark Blue is unique for a number of other reasons.

The production and ingredients in the Lanark Blue make it suitable for consumption by vegetarians. The entire Lanark Blue production process is done completely by hand. The production, packing, brine dipping and aging takes approximately three months. Lanark Blue is also said to vary greatly at different times of the year. As the Lanark Blue sheep flock consists of only 400 sheep divided into two groups, and the grounds on which they graze are rich in various seasonal herbs, it is understandable that the final cheese is highly influenced by diet. To counter this problem, Lanark Blue is released in two different time frames, one for each the group of sheep, who lamb at different times of the year.