Stoney’s Epicurean delights

Sometimes, it’s just possible that we take our lives in Scotland for granted, we fail to take a step back and think, “you know, this ain’t half bad”.

Doubtless, many people have sat on Stonehaven beach with a can of Irn-bru and a fish supper, maybe remarking on how good it tasted, but without thinking it was a worldbeating experience.

But, according to the leading travel guide Lonely Planet, Stonehaven’s Bay Fish and Chips just might be the best chippie in the world. And they have ranked the excellent food, when combined with Scotland’s national drink and the stunning scenery, as the 31st best culinary experience in the world. And this was no half-hearted top 10 or even 100. The list contains no less than 500 entries, including several other Scottish delights.

While we must keep our feet on the ground and be honest about any failings and injustices, we should also remember there are many worse places in the world to live. And, if we are to shake off the suffocating, self-defeating blanket of the ‘Scottish cultural cringe’, we should celebrate the good things about living in Scotland a little bit more.