For instance, don't assume it will take you to the towns. There are plenty of innovative companies producing fine foods within sight of wild and spectacular countryside. And also don't assume it's just, say, haggis! There's a huge and imaginative range of foods originating here.

You can find the best and sweetest Highland lamb or the leanest venison off the moor at a range of game butchers. In the north-west you may even encounter a range of scrumptious pies from Lochinver. The finest fresh, sustainably caught shellfish can be found on the north-west coast, with Lossiemouth recognised in particular as a source of award-winning langoustines. There are delicatessens in some of the larger towns and smokeries where trout, salmon, game or cheese gets the smoke treatment. (There's even a smokery at Glenuig near the Road to the Isles offering heather smoked tea amongst their range of products.)

Highland produce is full of surprises - you can watch luxury handmade chocolates being made within sight of the peaks of Glencoe (at Ballachulish) or you can visit a brewery in the shadow of the Cairngorms (at Aviemore). Much of this Highland produce is available on the spot to take home as a gift or souvenir. From clootie dumplings to Caithness cheese, the food is definitely a part of the Highland experience.