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Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary

cooking up a storm at the edge of the world

  • The Food
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Scotland

A West Coast of Scotland Boat Tour on the Agnes Kay II

September 5, 2019 by Elizabeth

Read about our epic West Coast of Scotland adventure on a liveaboard renovated 1961 wooden fishing boat built for Scottish waters. A West Coast of Scotland Boat Tour In June 2019, I joined Shetland skipper Ewan Anderson of Agnes Kay Charters and a motley crew of other passengers for an epic West Coast Scotland tour. …

Read moreA West Coast of Scotland Boat Tour on the Agnes Kay II
Mackies 19.2 ice cream cone Aberdeen

Things to do in Aberdeen: A Travel Guide

July 1, 2019 by Elizabeth

I recently spent a rather beautiful summer’s day in Aberdeen, on the east coast of Scotland, exploring the city on foot. These are the adventures I got up to. With thanks to Visit Aberdeenshire and Mackie’s of Scotland for sponsoring this trip, although all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. How to Spend a …

Read moreThings to do in Aberdeen: A Travel Guide
Aberdeenshire Highland Beef

Aberdeenshire Highland Beef: A Farm to Fork Experience

February 23, 2019 by Elizabeth

Meet Grace Noble, a solo female entrepreneur in the beautiful Scottish countryside of Deeside, in rural Aberdeenshire. She is on a mission to put a second local beef product on the map alongside Aberdeen Angus – Aberdeenshire Highland Beef. This post was written in collaboration with Visit Aberdeenshire. A Visit to Aberdeenshire Highland Beef What are …

Read moreAberdeenshire Highland Beef: A Farm to Fork Experience
Craigievar Castle - Scotland's Pink Castle in Aberdeenshire Scotland

Craigievar Castle – Scotland’s Pink Fairy-tale Castle

November 10, 2018 by Elizabeth

  This seven-story castle with its pink-tinted facade, finely sculpted multiple turrets, ornate corbels and carved stonework is said to have been an inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle. It is currently run by the National Trust for Scotland. This post is in collaboration with Visit Aberdeenshire. Nestled on a picturesque hillside in the eastern …

Read moreCraigievar Castle – Scotland’s Pink Fairy-tale Castle
Trio Vein - Aberdeen Jazz Festival

Aberdeen Jazz Festival 2017

March 25, 2017 by Elizabeth

The Scottish city of Aberdeen, to me, has always been a place you pass through en route to more interesting holiday destinations, or the place you reach and heave a sigh a relief after you’ve been away adventuring because you are nearly home. You start recognising Shetland faces in the crowd as you make your …

Read moreAberdeen Jazz Festival 2017
Climbing Ben Nevis via the Mountain Path

An Adventure to the Summit of Ben Nevis – The Climb

January 6, 2017 by Elizabeth

An epic bikepacking adventure through Scotland to the summit of Ben Nevis: Part 3 In the summer of 2016 my friend and I undertook a rather grand adventure. Regular readers will know all about it, but if you’re new to my blog here’s a quick recap: I turned 40 at the end of 2016, and …

Read moreAn Adventure to the Summit of Ben Nevis – The Climb

Mountain Biking [Most of] The Great Glen Way

November 27, 2016 by Elizabeth

An epic bikepacking adventure through Scotland to the summit of Ben Nevis: Part 2 In June of 2016 I set off, with a friend, on an epic bikepacking fundraising cycle from Britain’s most northerly RNLI lifeboat station in Aith, on the west side of Shetland. Our destination: the summit of Ben Nevis. You can read …

Read moreMountain Biking [Most of] The Great Glen Way
Cycling the Strath Naver, Scotland

Bikepacking through the Highlands of Scotland

October 22, 2016 by Elizabeth

An epic bikepacking adventure through Scotland to the summit of Ben Nevis: Part 1.  In June of this year I embarked on the most grand adventure I have ever been on (so far). The reason? I’m turning 40 soon and I wanted to make my 40th year something memorable; something I could look back on …

Read moreBikepacking through the Highlands of Scotland
Orkney Islands map - image via Shutterstock

Five Things to See & Do in Orkney in a Day

June 27, 2016 by Elizabeth

Five things you could see and do in Orkney in a day, or two, if you’re really slow cyclist* like me. (*Fast forward to 2021, when I cycled through Orkney again and left with quite a few of the Strava Queen of the Mountains!) I have lived in Shetland for nearly 18 years and never …

Read moreFive Things to See & Do in Orkney in a Day
Ben Nevis, image via Shutterstock

An Epic Adventure to the Summit of Ben Nevis – The Plans

March 13, 2016 by Elizabeth

Planning an adventure of a lifetime and fundraising for the RNLI. Ok, it’s time for the big reveal! I’ve been hinting at something big in the pipeline for the last few months. Something I’ve been training for, something that means I’ve been consuming an extraordinary amount of protein, and subsequently, I’ve been sharing fewer cake …

Read moreAn Epic Adventure to the Summit of Ben Nevis – The Plans
Cullen Skink

Cullen Skink

November 22, 2015 by Elizabeth

Cullen skink is a traditional Scottish soup made from smoked haddock, potatoes, and onions. Originating from the town of Cullen in Moray, Scotland, the dish’s distinct flavour comes from the use of smoked haddock, which imparts a rich, smoky taste to the creamy soup. It’s popular in Scottish cuisine, particularly in the colder months. Prep …

Read moreCullen Skink
Mountain Biking in the Cairngorms

Mountain Biking in the Cairngorms

November 13, 2015 by Elizabeth

As Storm Abigail bashes and batters the outside of our house on this windy, wet, cold Shetland winter’s day, and the flickering lights mean the electricity is still holding on, I am daydreaming of warmer temperatures and the family adventures of times gone by.

Read moreMountain Biking in the Cairngorms
Largs, Scotland

Spring Break on the West Coast of Scotland

June 6, 2015 by Elizabeth

Road trip! Caravans, vikings and a food festival! Living on a remote island archipelago, travelling to the mainland is not something we do very often. Travel costs to get off the island, especially for our whole family, tend to be rather on the dear extortionate side, so we tend to spend our holidays exploring Shetland. …

Read moreSpring Break on the West Coast of Scotland
Robert the Bruce Monument, Bannockburn, in progress sculpted by Thomas Taylor Bowie

Thomas Taylor Bowie & the Robert the Bruce Monument, Bannockburn

September 17, 2014 by Elizabeth

This post was updated April 25, 2018, with photographs of my great-grandfather next to the Robert the Bruce monument in progress. Photos are from hard copies owned by my grandfather, David Bowie, in Canada. Look at the detail in this sculpture, isn’t it stunning? This is the sculpture of Robert de Bruce located in Bannockburn, …

Read moreThomas Taylor Bowie & the Robert the Bruce Monument, Bannockburn

Unst: An Island Above Them All

July 25, 2013 by Elizabeth

Great Britain is in the grip of a heatwave. With temperatures on the mainland soaring to over 30 degrees Celsius, Shetlanders (well, my friends, anyway) are flocking south in their droves to soak up some summer rays. Our family, on the other hand, hid from the sun and travelled north for our summer holiday to the …

Read moreUnst: An Island Above Them All
Ackergill Tower, Wick

A Story of Porridge, a Scottish Castle and a Ghost

January 25, 2013 by Elizabeth

This week is Farmhouse Breakfast Week, “an annual celebration championing the importance of breakfast which aims to get the nation to Shake Up Their Wake Up!” It is designed to raise awareness of the importance of breakfast and to encourage people to regularly eat a healthy breakfast.

Read moreA Story of Porridge, a Scottish Castle and a Ghost

“Never underestimate the power of your own story. Life may have taken unexpected turns, but it’s never too late to weave new threads of adventure into your tapestry. Keep spinning those yarns, my friend.

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