Every celebrity chef from last year asked to return. That alone tells you something about Stranraer Oyster Festival. Now, with Sam Heughan joining Matt Tebbutt, Tony Singh and Rosemary Shrager for 2026, Scotland’s wildest and most unexpected food festival is becoming one of the UK’s defining culinary weekends, all built around 23 million native oysters beneath the waters of Loch Ryan.

“If I didn’t do this now, I’m not sure I ever would.” Chef Orry Shand speaks candidly to The Knife about opening his first independent restaurant, blending Scottish ingredients with Nordic inspiration, the lessons of Andrew Fairlie, and why Royal Deeside deserves a serious dining destination.

At Edinburgh’s intimate Michelin starred Condita, Chef Tyler King is crafting tasting menus built on Scotland’s exceptional produce, bold flavours and a larder rich in ferments and preserves. In this conversation with The Knife, he reveals how unexpected flavour pairings, global techniques and close chef-to-guest interaction shape one of the city’s most distinctive dining experiences.

Fresh langoustines landed on the pier. Oysters farmed just along the loch. A dining room where wetsuited paddleboarders lunch beside Bentley owners. In this exclusive interview, Scotland’s Chef of the Year Michael Leathley reveals how life on Loch Linnhe shapes his cooking at The Pierhouse, why simplicity leaves nowhere to hide, and how hospitality, sustainability and community are inseparable on Scotland’s west coast.