Porridge holidays where porridge pilgrims (tourists) eat porridge for breakfast, lunch and dinner are a thing!  VisitScotland have created the Porridge Grand Tour: ideas for porridge-themed trips in Scotland where oat enthusiasts can indulge their love of porridge and even eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner – Appropriately launched on St Andrews Day.

The Porridge Grand Tour of Scotland provides inspiration for a number of breaks where tourists can enjoy sweet and savoury porridge dishes, possibly for all meals of the day, in a variety of Scotland’s restaurants, hotels and eateries

The recommended routes bring to life porridge recipes from some of Scotland’s most talented chefs, which includes a porridge dinner served with pigeon, one with Italian inspired cannelloni and even a whisky jelly option

In between porridge meal times, porridge pilgrims can take in the dramatic landscapes of Ballintaggart Farm near Grandtully; Lerwick in Shetland and the vibrant cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as have the opportunity to visit porridge-related places, shops and experiences.

If 2016 was all about kale. This year you couldn’t move without hearing people discussing the best avo on toast or Instagramming their turmeric latte; but what faithful dish has been there for us through thick and thin? Porridge of course! In fact, the tag #porridge pops up almost two million times on any given day on Instagram with an array of toppings. But porridge isn’t just for breakfast anymore. Nowadays it can also be a delicious lunch, dinner and dessert, with chefs and foodies creating ever more imaginative sweet and savoury porridge options suitable for any hour of the day.

To celebrate this VisitScotland, working together with Scotland Food & Drink, has today launched The Porridge Grand Tour of Scotland: a range of unique porridge-themed adventure recommendations where oat enthusiasts can indulge their love of porridge and even enjoy porridge for breakfast, lunch and dinner whilst admiring the view of rolling hills, lochs or castles.

Fiona Richmond, Head of Regional Food at Scotland Food & Drink, said: “Porridge is becoming more fashionable than ever, with many chefs and food fanatics getting creative with this staple Scottish dish. Whether you like it the traditional way, topped with something sweet or prefer a more savoury offering, The Porridge Grand Tour of Scotland highlights just some of the best places across Scotland to enjoy this iconic dish in a new, fun and exciting way.”

Neal Robertson, Double World Porridge Making Champion and owner of Tannochbrae Tearooms – which is a destination on the tour – said: “It’s amazing to see how much fun people are having with porridge across Scotland and around the world. The possibilities are endless with the humble oat and I can’t wait to show people how to make the perfect bowl of porridge on this Porridge Grand Tour.  If I’m feeling generous I might even lend them my winning spurtle invention – the double backed ‘spon’ spoon to try out.”

Visitors who might not want to eat porridge for every meal, can of course dip in and out of oaty experiences as they see fit. The six Porridge Grand Tour of Scotland itinerary suggestions can be adapted and tweaked to suit individual appetites and offer lots of great recommendations for things to do and places to see.

A map and suggested itineraries for The Porridge Grand Tour of Scotland will be available to download from www.visitscotland.com/porridge

Who’d have thought…..