Take the Talisker Skye and Lochalsh Food and Drink Festival for example. Here, the unspoilt environment of the west is the source of much of the produce celebrated in this wide-ranging event (no festival in 2005). Venues range from small tearooms to at least one of the world's top restaurants. Things to do include a seafood cruises, a Gaelic coffee morning, whisky tastings, ceilidhs, farmers market , a tea party, plus lots of opportunities to sample sophisticated cuisine. Other themes range from seafood to mushrooms - plus a ceilidh.

Highland Feast - the Highland Food and Drink Festival is the autumn showcase for all the very best on offer from the Highland kitchen and larder. Once again, visitors can enjoy the skills of the baker, the chef, the distiller, the brewer and the blender. For more than a taste of Highland hospitality and gastronomy, join the celebrations in locations set in a wide radius all around Inverness. Afternoon teas, a celebration of beef, tartan tapas, Scottish produce in Italian style - there are all sorts of themes to explore.