With the weather heating up, this the season for treating yourself to an ice cream treat. And while 99 cones from a van are nice enough, there are plenty of great quality ice cream parlours out there if you know where to look.
1. Nardini’s Cafe, Largs
Greenock Road, Largs
Open Monday-Friday, 9am-8pm and Saturday-Sunday 9am-9pm
01475 675000
One of Scotland’s most famous ice cream parlours, the distinctive Art Deco features of Nardini’s are recognisable to many. Built in 1935, Nardini’s re-opened in 2008 after a multimillion-pound refurbishment but the rich and creamy recipes are unchanged. If you fancy a challenge, order the Clyde Coast Extravaganza: a gargantuan 12 scoops of ice cream to be shared between two.
2. Jannettas Gelateria, St Andrews
South Street, St Andrews
Open Monday-Saturday, 9am -10.00pm and Sunday, 10am- 10pm
01334 473285
A St Andrew’s institution, locals are used to seeing queues out the door of Jannettas as soon as the sun shines. They have an impressive 54 varieties: vanilla for traditionalists, or chilli chocolate and key lime pie for the adventurous. They have even been known to make a malt whisky flavour for special occasions.
3. Casa di Gelato, Aberdeen
King Street, Aberdeen
Open Tuesday-Wednesday, 9am-4pm, Thursday-Saturday 9am-9pm, and Sunday 10am-5pm
01224 632855
Sundaes are a speciality in Casa di Gelato, with authentic, smooth ice cream that isn’t skimped on portion sizes. You can choose your own flavours for the scoops: but you might struggle to narrow it down to just three (though the crème egg comes highly recommended).
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4. The Derby Cafe, Glasgow
Clarkston Rd, Glasgow,
Open every day 10am-10pm
0141 637 2311
This homely, cosy cafe has been one of the best-kept secrets in Glasgow for decades. Tucked away in the south side, it is well worth a visit for its velvety ice cream and tasty cakes. And if that wasn’t enough, they have just started offering take-away sundaes (strawberry, knickerbocker glory and chocolate fudge). Convinced?
5. Milk Barn Falkirk
Glen Farm, Glen Village, Falkirk
Open every day 10am-5pm
01324 630703
Set in the middle of Stirlingshire hills, this artisan ice cream parlour is fast becoming a popular foodie visitor attraction. The ice cream is certainly fresh – coming straight from the milk of the cows in the surrounding fields and then churned at the farm. The flavours are adventurous too, with Toffee Crisp, Birthday Cake and even Bubblegum Smurf to pick from.
6. Miele's Gelateria, Inverness
92 Church Street, Inverness
Open Sunday–Thursday, 12pm- 9pm, Friday 10am-10pm and Saturday 11am-10pm
01463 717864
Considered to offer some of the best ice cream in the Highlands, Miele's has a great wee shop in Inverness (and Aviemore too). It has a whole host of flavours to entice you, but none are more appropriately summery than the luscious Pina Colada sorbet.
7. S. Luca’s Ice Cream, Musselburgh
32-38 High Street, Musselburgh
Open Monday-Saturday 9am-10pm, Sunday 10am-10pm
0131 665 2237
First opened by Luca Scappaticcio in 1908, this cafe has become one of the best-known destinations in Musselburgh (with a shop in Edinburgh’s Morningside, too). There is a good mix of traditional and modern flavours, but their authentic Italian stracciatella is particularly tasty.
8. Dino’s Cafe, Helensburgh
West Clyde Street, Helensburgh
Open every day, 9am-9pm
01436 674667
With homemade, reasonably priced ice cream and plenty of seats outside, Dino’s is a great destination for a sunny day. Fans of coconut will particularly enjoy the bounty flavour, and their classic, creamy vanilla is also a winner. The tablet on sale is also delicious.
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9. Visocchi's, Broughty Ferry
Gray Street, Broughty Ferry, Dundee
Open Sunday, 9.30 am–8pm, Tuesday 9.30am-5pm, Wednesday– Thursday, 9.30am–8pm
Friday–Saturday, 9.30am-10pm
01382 779297
This Italian institution has some of the most indulgent ice cream flavours in Dundee. Choose from snowball, raspberry jelly donut and cookie dough, along with traditional ‘Scottish’ varieties of tablet and Irn Bru.
10. Alanda’s Gelateria, North Berwick
Quality St, North Berwick
Open every day, 11am- 8pm
01620 894444
This small, family-run business use local ingredients in their creamy gelato, with this summer seeing the introduction of four new flavours: rhubarb crumble, walnut and fudge, Belgian chocolate and elderflower and raspberry. And if you still need persuading, the fact that it’s on Quality Street is surely a good omen.
11. The Ice Cream Shop, Cullen
Seafield Street, Cullen, Moray
Open every day 10am-6pm
01542 840484
This town might be best known for Cullen Skink soup, but it also hides an impressive ice cream parlour up its metaphorical sleeve. It might be unassuming from the outside, but inside it’s a nostalgic-looking sweet shop with both creamy and whippy ice cream- which you can eat from wafers, cones and oysters.
12. Big Licks, Glasgow
Finnieston Street
Open every day 1pm-11pm
The ice cream itself is tasty, but once you combine it with their special cookie dough it becomes even better. This half-baked, warm dough is the Big Licks speciality, and is great compliment to the ice cream- especially with caramel or Nutella sauce added on top.
13. Giacopazzi's Eyemouth
Harbour Road, Eyemouth
Open Sunday- Tuesday, 9am-8.30pm, Wednesday-Saturday 9am-9pm
01890 750317
In an ideal location beside the harbour, Giacopazzi’s ice cream is made in the shop every day, then enjoyed in a cone or waffle cone. For children (or big kids), their Knickerbocker Glory does not disappoint.
14. Drummuir Farm, Dumfries
Clarencefield Road, Collin, Dumfries
Open every day, 10.30am-5.30pm
01387 750 599
Particularly good for children, this family-run farm produces its own ice cream and has an outside play area to let kids run around in. There is an array of flavours to choose from – the slightly obscure liquorice or ginger – with a service where you can phone in advance to check if your favourite flavour is available.
15. Aunt Betty's, Stonehaven
The Promenade, Stonehaven
Open Monday-Thursday, 10am-9pm, and Friday-Sunday, 10am-10pm
01569 763656
This shop might be tiny, but what it is missing in size it makes up for in taste. There is often a queue out the door when its sunny, but the wait is worth it for the choice of flavours and the thoughtful sweeties added on top. As an extra bonus, they provide a useful hand wipe to avoid sticky fingers.
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16. Stewart Tower Dairy, Perthshire
Stewart Tower Dairy, Stanley, Perthshire
Open every day, 10am-4.30pm
01738 710044
With their motto being From Cow to Cone, you can’t get much fresher than Stewart Tower Dairy. The ice-cream comes direct from the milk of the cows grazing outside, and then enjoyed as a scoop to take away or an indulgent sundae.
17. Mary’s Milk Bar, Edinburgh
Grassmarket, Edinburgh
Open Tuesday- Saturday, 11am-7pm and Sunday 12pm-7pm
Not just a trendy name, in this cafe there is a real-life chocolatier called Mary making all their ice cream from scratch every morning. She trained at the Gelato University in Bologna so it’s fair to say she knows what she is doing – making a roster of creamy flavours that change every day to avoid people getting bored.
18. Redberry, Dundee
Crichton St, Dundee
Open Monday- Friday, 1-11pm, and Saturday- Sunday, 12-11pm
01382 293384
Open until late, Redberry is a great place to stop buy for a sweet treat if you have been out for dinner – it’s almost like you are in Italy. The ice cream is pretty good too, with eye-catching blue bubble-gum and mango on offer.
19. Vanilla Joes, Irvine
Montgomery St, Irvine
Open every day, 11am-9pm
01294 271100
Good news for vegans – Vanilla Joes has dairy free flavours, tasting so creamy that you would be forgiven for thinking it’s the real thing. But don’t worry if you aren’t a vegan, there are plenty of traditional dairy options to enjoy.
20. Gelato Ullapool, Ullapool
West Argyle St, Ullapool
Open every day, 9am-5pm
01854 612228
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can have your ice cream served up in a brioche bun -Sicilian style. The flavours in Gelato Ullapool change throughout the week so you can keep coming back without getting bored- although their creme brulee is always a winner.
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