Dumfries and Galloway is one of Scotland’s most popular regions to visit due to its proximity to England and excellent attractions like the Galloway Forest Park, Dalcairney Falls, Threave Garden and many more. Dumfries and Galloway cheese tasting is also a superb way to indulge in Scottish culture, and there are plenty of iconic cheeses to try made in this part of Scotland.
Many of the stores we mention either have their own dairy cows or use major companies like the Caledonian Cheese Company to supply their stock of excellent cheese to the rest of the country, but nothing beats cheese tasting from the source!
Whether it’s for a quick picnic, a snack along with a glass of wine, or to indulge by itself, we’ve noted the most prominent cheeses you can find in Dumfries and Galloway as well the best places in the region to pick up these deliciously moreish cheeses.
Prominent Cheeses in Dumfries & Galloway
While less famous than the Isle of Mull or Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway has excellent cheese, from smooth textured cheddar cheese to sheep’s milk cheese. If you want to know what to look out for when you’re perusing the farm markets and cheese stores in Dumfries and Galloway, keep these in mind:
Cairnsmore
Cairnsmore is made from unpasteurised sheep’s milk in Sorbie and is the perfect cheddar to enjoy with some crackers and wine. You can spot this delicious cheese by its brown-red rind that hides an ivory cream cheddar cheese.
The Cairnsmore is wonderfully aromatic and has a nutty and sweet taste you want to try repeatedly. Scottish milk from sheep has been used to make cheese food products for centuries, and the Cairnsmore is the pinnacle.
Crowdie
In contrast to the hard cheddar cheese of the Cairnsmore, the Crowdie is an irresistibly soft cheese made from pasteurised cow’s milk, although some still use unpasteurised cow’s milk.
This deliciously smooth and soft cheese is perfect for spreading onto a cracker or piece of artisanal bread. If you love cottage cheese, then the taste of Crowdie will appeal to you. Crowdie soft cheese is the definitive tasty meal inspiration; visit one of these shops to grab a quick picture for your Instagram pages and tuck into it!
The Damn Fine Cheese Company
You can find the Damn Fine Cheese Company in the centre of Dumfries and Galloway, which lives up to its name. The store is located a few miles above Dumfries and features an expansive collection of delectable cheeses – all with the company’s adorable mouse logo. Everything from your family’s favourite Scottish cheddar, chilli cheeses to spice up the night, or even the adventurous whisky and orange cheddar cheese are available.
These cheeses are excellent standalone options but also work as great ingredients. Cheddar cheese is their speciality, and you should ask for their recommendations or check their website – it’s regularly updated.
Cream o’ Galloway
While Cream o’ Galloway is primarily an ice cream store, they have a wide range of other dairy products, including cheese from the Ethical Dairy (which we’ll discuss later). The cheeses also feature heavily on the restaurant’s menu so that you can indulge in the Cream o’ Galloway’s favourite hot dish recipe.
You can also try Cream o’ Galloway’s Cheese Making Course if you want a more hands-on approach to making Galloway cheddar. This is a full-day event, so be ready to set aside a day to learn and create!
Loch Arthur Farm Shop
If you love nothing more than walking through a farm shop and choosing loaves of bread, deli meats, and fruit to pair with that creamy cheddar, then you’ll love the Local Arthur Farm Shop in Beeswing, Dumfries.
This farmers market has an excellent atmosphere to go along with it, and you’ll regularly see Scottish families picking their go-to medium-coloured cheddar cheese to bring home for lunch. The selection of cheeses here is only matched by its cosy, small-town vibe.
Are there any more reasons to go to a farmer’s market?
The Ethical Dairy
One of the large local cheese suppliers in Dumfries and Galloway, the Ethical Dairy is committed to providing excellent cheeses and doing so ethically.
The Ethical Dairy has plenty of delicious choices for turophiles and people who want to try cheeses for the first time. You can choose from the selection of cheeses to buy all at once, which is perfect if you want a sample of diverse cheeses. Otherwise, you can rely solely on a delicious pack or wheel of your favourite one to take with you.
The Ethical Dairy has versatile coloured cheddars crafted from their herd of cows.
Galloway Smokehouse
South of Newton Stewart, the Galloway Smokehouse is one of the best places in Dumfries and Galloway to enjoy delicious smoked cheddar. If you want the well-rounded flavour of cheddar cheese, we bet you’ll love the delightful smokey texture that smoking it will reveal.
Choose between Cheddar, Goat’s Cheese, Brie, or Gouda, and sink your teeth into cheese unlike you’ve ever had before. The Brie is outstanding, as its creamy texture, loved by many, is heightened by the smoking process.
While you can get some spreadable formats for your crackers, there are also smoked meats to pair with your cheese. You will want more of this smokehouse.
Other Cheese Shops & Cheese Tastings in Scotland
- Ayrshire Cheese Shops & Tastings
- Edinburgh Cheese Shops & Tastings
- Isle of Arran Cheese Shops & Tastings
- Isle of Mull Cheese Shops & Tastings
- Isle of Skye Cheese Shops & Tastings
- St Andrew Cheese Shops & Tastings
