Haggis love

WITH Hogmanay behind us, attention is now turning to another occasion at which Scots like to eat, drink and be merry.

Scots butcher Simon Howie has teamed up with Masterchef champion Gary Maclean to devise three new ways for fans of the National Bard to enjoy haggis on Burns’ Night, January 25. It comes after Maclean’s show-stopping haggis dish helped him reached the final of the professional edition of the popular television series.

The three recipes which are said to reinvent the Scottish staple are: crispy fried haggis, the haggis burger, and the haggis Yorkshire pudding.

Mr Howie said: “We know families up and down the country will be celebrating Robert Burns’ birthday with haggis on or around 25 January, and we wanted to offer some new ideas on how to enjoy our national dish beyond the well-loved classic of haggis, neeps and tatties.

“And who could be better than Scotland’s very own national chef to come up with some inspiring new ideas for our national dish? We hope people have fun creating and sharing the dishes.”

Whisky journey

SCOTCH whisky veteran Billy Walker has pretty much seen it all and done it all over his long career in the sector. But, as he prepares to launch the first single malts from his latest venture, the GlenAllachie Distillery in Speyside, this spring, even he admits he is not sure how it is all going to pan out.

Mr Walker told The Bottom Line: “We’ve bought a ticket. We just don’t know whether it will be an express or the scenic route!”