Fynes Moryson, an educated traveller from Lincolnshire who had been in Asia Minor and Palestine as well as all over Europe, offers his unflattering view of Scottish food and eating habits.
Touching their diet: They eate much red Colewort and Cabbage, but little fresh meate, using to salt their Mutton and Geese, which made me more wonder, that they used to eate Beefe without salting. The Gentlemen reckon their revenewes, not by rents of monie, but by chauldrons of victuals, and keepe many people in the Families, yet living most on Corne and Rootes, not spending any great quantity on fleshe. My selfe was at a Knights House, who had many servants to attend him, that brought in his meate with their heads covered with blew [blue] caps, the Table being more then halfe furnished with great platters of porredge, each having a little peece of sodden meate: And when the Table was served, the servants did sit downe with us, but the upper messe in steede of porredge, had a Pullet with some prunes in the broth. And I observed no Art of Cookery, or furniture of Houshold stuffe, but rather rude neglect of both … They vulgarly eate harth Cakes of Oates, but in Cities have also wheaten bread, which for the most part was bought by Courtiers, Gentlemen, and the best sort of Citizens … They drinke pure Wines, not with sugar as the English, yet at Feasts they put Comfits in the Wine … Their bedsteads were then like Cubbards in the wall, with doores to be opened and shut at pleasure, so as we climbed up to our beds. They used but one sheete, open at the sides and top, but close at the feete, and so doubled …