Scotland’s bakery sector is stepping into the spotlight with the launch of The Ultimate Scottish Bakers Trail 2026, a first-of-its-kind interactive digital resource celebrating the craft, community, and the faces behind the nation’s favourite bakes.
Curated by Scottish Bakers, the trade association championing the sector, this innovative digital trail will officially launch at Carr’s Flour Mill. This location has been specifically chosen as Carr’s Flour celebrates its landmark 200th anniversary this year.
As a business that has supplied flour to generations of Scottish bakeries, the mill represents the very foundation of the heritage and craftsmanship featured throughout the trail.
The trail serves as an immersive storytelling hub, allowing users to explore bakery locations across the country while watching exclusive video interviews with the bakery owners themselves.
Fronted by Julia Bryce and Rosalind Erskine, the campaign sees the pair travel across Scotland meeting the bakers behind some of the nation’s most iconic breads, pastries and sweet treats.
From the Highlands to the Borders, the trail will showcase both Scotland’s Industry Icons, larger bakers who combine tradition and craft with modern technology to produce quality baked treats, and the Local Heroes, small to medium artisan bakeries who are at the heart of their communities.
Featured bakeries on the trail include:
- Highlands: Harry Gow Bakery and Maclean’s Highland Bakery
- Northeast: The Bread Guy Bakery
- Lowlands: Clarks Bakery
- Central Belt: Babyfaced Baker and Carr’s Flour Mills
- Borders: T.A. Francis
Lesley Cameron, CEO at Scottish Bakers, said: “Scotland has an extraordinary baking industry, built on generations of skill, innovation and pride. We want people to see the passion, talent, and hard work that exists in bakeries right across the country. Behind every loaf, pastry and biscuit is a baker who has risen early, honed their craft and dedicated themselves to providing the best bakes for their community.”
The campaign also taps into the growing trend of food tourism, with travellers increasingly seeking authentic culinary experiences when visiting new destinations. Insights from VisitScotland highlight the rise of so-called “scran seekers”, visitors who use social media and food creators to discover local produce and hidden culinary gems.
VisitScotland’s Director of Strategy and Competitive Intelligence, Cat Leaver, said: “We welcome this mouth-watering initiative which seeks to celebrate bakeries who make their communities so special and help to support a vibrant visitor economy.
“Our latest trends report shows that food and drink are front of mind for visitors this year, with ‘Scran seekers’ looking for authentic experiences, packed with real local flavour.
“Visitors will ‘knead’ no excuses to treat themselves on The Ultimate Scottish Bakers Trail, which is jam-packed with some tasty destinations.”
