Visitors' growing interest in fine dining - News

Interest in eating at upscale establishments among visitors to Scotland is on the rise, with online searches for "Michelin star Scotland" having increased by over 50% in the last three years.

Scotland has a total of 13 Michelin star restaurants, with two new Edinburgh restaurants, Lyla and Avery, having been awarded one star earlier this year.

Trying local food and drink is generally a high priority for visitors with it consistently sitting in the top two activities people plan to do on holiday; the other being "walking, hiking, or rambling".

"Tucking into Scottish dishes" is the most important activity amongst families, retirees, and older independents.

Key statistics

58%

increase in search for "Michelin restaurant Scotland" in the last three years

36%

of domestic trip to Scotland planners had "dining on our rich larder" at the top of their to-do list

46%

of visitors to Scotland took part in at least one food and drink activity (other than eating out)

19%

of long-haul visitors named food and drink as a reason for choosing Scotland as a destination

Sources: Domestic Sentiment Tracker (2025), Scotland Visitor Survey (2023)

Browse our latest domestic sentiment tracker

Read our 2023 Scotland visitor survey

Sample of Michelin-star restaurants

Check out some of the Michelin-starred restaurants Scotland has to offer.

Andrew Fairlie

andrewfairlie.co.uk

A two Michelin-star restaurant located in the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, combining French and Scottish cooking.

Cail Bruich

cailbruich.co.uk

A one Michelin-star restaurant in Glasgow, offering seasonal menus formed around local, sustainable ingredients.

Glenturret Lalique

theglenturretrestaurant.com

A two Michelin-star restaurant set within Scotland’s oldest working distillery, offering creative and eclectic dishes.

Heron

heron.scot

A one Michelin-star restaurant with a constantly changing menu to offer the best local produce and seasonal ingredients.

Lyla

lylaedinburgh.co.uk

A one Michelin-star restaurant, specialising in line-caught fish and sustainable shellfish from the Scottish Isles.

The Peat Inn

thepeatinn.co.uk

A one Michelin-star restaurant, exhibiting contemporary cooking of seasonal dishes with the finest Scottish ingredients.

Explore more Michelin-star restaurants on visitscotland.com

Scotland’s landscape, extensive coastline and history have shaped our incredible larder, growing our reputation as a culinary destination.

Trying our local food and drink is frequently one of the top activities people want to do while in Scotland.

We are seeing a particular interest in luxury dining and our traditional breakfast items emerging.

It is encouraging to see as it is important to engage with local food and drink producers and businesses.

Doing so strengthens our traditional skills and food heritage, lessens food miles, and helps boost the economies of the communities in which these kinds of businesses are based.

Jacqui Souter, Acting Head of Insight, VisitScotland

We have seen first-hand the growing desire from visitors to immerse themselves in truly authentic, luxury dining experiences.

Today’s guests seek more than just exceptional food; they want to connect with the landscape, the heritage, and the people behind the produce, all while discovering something uniquely Scottish.

At The Glenturret, we are proud to work with Glasgow-born Executive Chef Mark Donald and his exceptional team to position us as a world-class fine dining destination.

Our restaurant works hand-in-hand with our renowned distillery production team, delivering award-winning experiences that complement the story we tell on the plate.

Holding two Michelin stars, our dining experience is a celebration of Scotland’s rich natural larder; refined, genuine, and deeply rooted in provenance.

By working closely with local farmers, fishers, and artisans, we not only honour the integrity of our ingredients, but also champion the communities that shape Scotland’s vibrant food and drink landscape.

John Laurie, Managing Director, Glenturret Lalique

Scotland has a wealth of great produce, from both the sea and land, and our dining scene has been benefiting from this for years.

Now more than ever, there is an increased number of fine dining restaurants that are building on this and highlighting the abundance of Scottish produce, making Scotland an exciting place to dine.

Historically, trade increases during the summer months with holidays and the Fringe Festival, but it is important to maintain momentum throughout the year.

The current culinary spotlight means that we are seeing more visitors throughout the year, which is important to keep business going.

Luxury dining supports hospitality and food production sectors as a whole; it’s about bringing more visitors to Scotland who will then spend money and invest in our economy.

Stuart Ralston, Chef-owner, Lyla