Ferry, car, plane or train: our Scottish suggestions for travel food and pit-stops

Scotland’s foodies give us tips on transit treats

Charleton Fruit Farm Pic: Marina D'Ambrosio for The Extra Mile

Ronan Keating sang that life is a rollercoaster.

Instead, we think of it as a constant round of planes, trains and automobiles, especially when it comes to summer holidays. If the thought of travel is filling you with dread, then make your journey a bit more comfortable with our suggestions for transport snacks.

CAR

Jelly babies Pic: David Pimborough/Adobe

Remember those powdered boiled sweets in tins that’d be kept in glove compartments for passengers afflicted by travel sickness? Cue all children feigning illness. Although the brands have changed, this is still the place to keep hypoglycemia-beating mobile morsels. Just be careful in the summer, when they tend to melt and meld into one monstrous Jelly Baby patty.

“I have half a glove compartment full of Haribo, Squashies and - current favourite - Tropical Fruit Gems. Nothing to be proud of but super tasty,” says MasterChef 2012 contestant, Ross Boyce.

Sweets are also easier, when you’re the front seat passenger and have to feed the driver, as if they were a baby bird. It’s much harder to do this with crisps, especially Wotsits, which leave the feeder with orange fingers.

Or, try something slightly more nutritious.

Happy man eating sandwich on train Pic: Adobe

Pamela Carvell, president of the Hotel Marketing Association, says; “For long journeys I make my own energy balls coated in dark chocolate and bite-sized, so no mess. They contain dates, apricots, cashews, pecans, peanut butter, honey, cocoa powder, coconut oil and soy milk - blend and roll into balls. Chill, then coat with melted choc” .

Rob Wannerton, a Glasgow-based food systems researcher, takes a bag of BabyBels on long car journeys. We’re not sure if cheese is the most natural auto snack. However, we do recommend the Scotch egg, which was originally created for travellers, back in 1738.

When it comes to actual pit-stops, Scotland has plenty of options, as detailed in book The Extra Mile Guide: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services. It recommends places including Montrose’s Charleton Fruit Farm and Cocoa Skye.

We would always prefer to vacate the hot car, rather than getting pastry in our lap, or a prawn down the side of the seat, only to be discovered at the next valet.

Raymond Machugh

TRAIN

The Office of Rail and Road is currently investigating food and drink prices in stations. We already have and can confirm that they’re a total rip off. Usually, they involve a last minute visit, three seconds before your train leaves, and there’s no time to argue about your sandwich costing £15.

We make an exception for some station offerings, like the Old Station Restaurant in Spean Bridge, since a visit is a charming experience. Once you’re on board, the food on trains - or the tea and coffee - isn’t much better than what’s served at a Wild Bean Cafe on the platform, even in first class.

If you can plan in advance, find somewhere near, but not in, the station. For instance, if we were travelling from Waverley, we’d get a slice of pizza from Homies, in Waverley Mall. In general, this foodstuff - hot or, even better, cold - is a good bet.

Raymond Machugh, owner of Sano Pizza restaurant and takeaway in Finnieston, Glasgow, says: “We’ve all felt that sense of envy when you spot another group with a pizza on the train, and it’s one of the best foods for travelling. That’s because of the ingredients – particularly cured meats and quality Italian mozzarella – and it can last un-refrigerated for up to 24 hours. If enjoying fresh, the cardboard box your pizza came in is the best way to transport it. It absorbs steam, which helps keep the pizza base from getting too moist and soggy. That said, who doesn’t love cold pizza, in which case a reusable plastic container is perfect. The Italians absolutely love prebaked cold pizza and often hand it out in abundance at every celebration. For Scots it’s also a great cure for the morning after feeling. Arguably the traditional Margherita travels best, however I always take a diavola on my trips. It has the spicy salami from Calabria and a good quality fior di latte”.

We concur, but also think sushi is an excellent option, in the style of a Tokyo bullet train. It’s discrete, so fellow passengers don’t have to watch you nosh a giant picnic. It’s also minimally stinky, and there isn’t too much packaging. Just don’t apply the wasabi as you go through a tunnel.

FERRY

We secretly enjoy Calmac’s school-dinner-style fare. There’s always macaroni, bacon rolls, builder’s brew and chips, which should be drenched in salt and vinegar for seafaring fortitude.

The people at Islay Cocoa, prefer to eat before setting sail, “Our journeys always start with a ferry. We have favourite shops in two directions on the mainland. The Tree Shop Garden Centre & Cafe at Cairndow, for fantastic cake and coffee, and The Real Food Cafe, Tyndrum, for the best fish and chips”.

If you’re travelling from Arran, we suggest a quick trip to Wooley’s before boarding. In Oban, there’s the Seafood Hut on the pier.

PLANE

You’re completely captive, so eat what you’re given. These days, plane meals are rarely as bad as their reputation, though there are some exceptions.

Fliss Freeborn, author of cookbook Do Yourself a Favour (out July 27, Ebury Press, £17.99) says; “Worst airline food was Aeroflot, Russia’s airline. Absolutely no idea what the uniformly rectangular meat chunks in gloopy sauce were, and my teeth couldn’t even get through the croissant-shaped object they gave us for breakfast. Rice was gummy and hard at the edges”.

Sally Miranda, Leith-based nutritionist, has a similarly bad experience, “Went for the vegetarian option when flying Aeroflot to Japan from London via Moscow (circa 1993). Each of the three vegetarian meals was two slices of orange and three slices of cucumber along with a plastic cup of water. The flights took around 27 hours from start to finish”.