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Celiac Disease
Marnie51
Member ✭
Since my last trip to Scotland in 1996, I have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease and am resigned to a very strict gluten free diet.
The States are not up to date on much of anything and GF has become a fad for the unenlightened. Are the local pubs safe eateries for a Celiac? I enjoyed the pubs in 1996, once I won my argument with my travel companions that pubs are not like U.S. bars or taverns. f
thank you for any and all helpful info.
Mary Ann (Marnie) Warfield
The States are not up to date on much of anything and GF has become a fad for the unenlightened. Are the local pubs safe eateries for a Celiac? I enjoyed the pubs in 1996, once I won my argument with my travel companions that pubs are not like U.S. bars or taverns. f
thank you for any and all helpful info.
Mary Ann (Marnie) Warfield
0
Best Answers
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Marnie51
Member ✭
Thank you fishypro.
I have traveled to Germany, Italy, Switzerland and France, several times since diagnosis, and always enjoyed far better GF fare than anywhere in the States. Still have issues here because of "crazy know it alls" that demand to eat GF, then order a regular beer or a huge dessert. And even now our wonderful Admin. is turning back the labeling laws that so many of us fought hard to get. So please, forgive my rather naive question but I need to be as safe as possible. As a last laugh...the McDonald's here says they have GF then give you a list....Ketchup, Mustard, Salt, Pepper, Coke products etc. It is laughable---have not been to one since 1998.1 -
VisitScotlandAmanda
Member, Administrator, Moderator, VisitScotland Staff ✪
Hello @Marnie51 - you'll have no trouble at all in Scotland! Not only are our "free from" sections in supermarkets incredible - with wide ranges of gluten free items (all your basics like pasta, bread, pizza bases etc as well as fun stuff like pies, cakes, pastries and so on) but also our restaurants and pubs are fantastic at making sure dietary requirements are catered to. Let us know what places you're planning to visit and we can help suggest some specific restaurants for you as well!6 -
Marnie51
Member ✭
Thank you Amanda, We (2) are making a circular route starting in Glasgow June 11 and ending in Glasgow June 25. I am skipping Edinburgh this trip having spent many day there in 1996. I am also not a typical tourist and hate group tours. So still planning, but it looks like our overnights will be Glasgow, Oban (Isles of Mull and Skye) Up to Inverness for several days, Perth, Falkirk ( I am mesmerized by the Falkirk Wheel) and Stirling and back to Glasgow for flight home, (all points in between will also be excitedly examined).
I am booking accommodations for arrival and for final night....all else I will be going to the Icentres for booking a room as I did in 1996, (wish the states had those). We plan on getting the 15 day Scotrail pass but I am still reading up and plotting the 8 travel days. I know that some days will be ferry and bus as well. I have wanted to return since I first visited in 1996 and I am so excited. As an introvert, who loves to travel, I do prefer quiet venues, so probably will not be doing any distilleries but who knows, I may get brave.0 -
VisitScotlandAmanda
Member, Administrator, Moderator, VisitScotland Staff ✪
Sounds like a fantastic trip Marnie!
I would encourage you to book your Skye accommodation as soon as you're able as it's a very popular location over the summer months and you don't want to run into issues.
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VisitScotlandCarol
Member, Moderator ✩
Hi @Marnie51,
As others have said, you shouldn't have difficulty finding GF meals in our eateries. For your Perth stop you might like to consider Kisa, Everest Inn or The Venue. Cafe Kisa is a Scottish bistro with a dedicated gluten free menu, The Everest Inn is an excellent Nepalese/Indian restaurant which has particularly detailed dietary information on its menu and The Venue is a quirky pub with lots of GF menu options.
Our iCentres still offer an accommodation booking service and the staff will be very please to help. Things have change a bit since 1996 however and I would caution against leaving booking until the last minute, particularly as you have a fairly fixed itinerary and plan to use public transport. Booking a few more nights in advance (especially in Inverness and Oban) should ensure you have a greater choice and do not end up paying more than you need to.
Hope you have a great trip.6 -
LochNessPhotography
Member ✭✭✭
Hi @Marnie51
If you're coming next month then you really, really should book before you arrive. It tends to get booked up really quickly nowadays and I think you'd struggle to find anywhere if you didn't book in advance. Airbnb may still have some vacancies on the day, it's not a risk I would take though.
Mull is easy enough from Oban, the ferry from the town takes you to Craignure on Mull. It's easier if you have your own transport to get around the island but I think public transport is ok. Skye is nearly a three hour drive from Oban so you'd be in for a long day whichever way you do it.
If you're coming up past Drumnadrochit on your way to Inverness then Cafe82 has a fantastic choice of gluten free food.5
Answers
Thank you for the heads up on Oban, Inverness and Skye. If we stayed in Oban for 2- 3 nights can we cover Mull and Skye from Oban?
Are we being too ambitious? In 1996, my girlfriends and I relied solely on
i-centres. I dropped Edinburgh to include more of the middle highland area. I'd love to get further north but that will have to be another trip.
I am a cultural historian and have written the historic significance of properties for the National Register of Historic Places here in the US for nearly 20 years. I have researched and written on industrial buildings, bridges, water towers, early military facilities, including an old Pratt and Whitney WWII aircraft engine plant. This is why I am starting in Glasgow for the architecture, and wanting to visit Falkirk for the Wheel. I also love the canal system and hope to see more of them.
I really appreciate the marvelous help on your site.
Thank you all
Marnie