How To Throw A Scottish Party 

A Scottish party is something that our family looks forward to every year. It is fun as an adult birthday party or for just an evening of fun and celebrating. The success of this type of party really depends on the guests. Choose your guest list carefully as their enthusiasm, preparation, and participation is key to how much fun is had.

Plan The Perfect Scottish Party Menu For The Best Cultural Experience

Our go-to cookbook is Joy of Cooking.

If the food is simple, it is easier to focus on the Scottish dinner party games. Below is a recipe for the simple side dish of "neeps" and "taddies".

To make the needs, you will need:

•  Turnips (Swede), peeled and cut into slices 1/4 inch thick
• 12 oz of bacon
• 1 large onion, sliced thinly

1. Gently fry the bacon in a large saucepan for two minutes (VERY little oil, if any should be required). 
   
2. Set aside. 
   
3. Build up alternative layers in the saucepan, starting with bacon with a little onion, followed buy a layer of swede (turnip) slices. 
   
4. Repeat process until all ingredients are used up. 
   
5. Salt and pepper each layer.
6. Add a little water (2 tablespoons) simmer gently several hours over a low heat until cooked through. Don't stir but occasionally shake gently to keep from burning.

For the Potatoes:

Boil until soft. Add equal parts butter and sour cream. Salt and pepper and mash adding broth if needed to mash to the right consistency. Sprinkle a liberal amount of fried bacon on both dishes. 

If you want to make a haggis, click here for an Americanized haggis recipe...

Unrolling The Scottish Party Entertainment

One of the best ways to start the party is with dinner.

Having someone play the bagpipes as the meal is presented along with a dram of Scotch definitely adds to the Scottish flair of the party. Reciting the Address to a Haggis at this point is also fun. 

As dinner is wrapping up, you should encourage your guests to recite poems, sing songs, and even dance. The table can be cleared and you can remain around the table or the party can move to the living room. Keeping the performances and entertainment rolling is the key. 

Wrapping Up The Party

If you have a good group, there is no reason to interrupt the creative flow of the party. Sometimes our Scottish parties take a serious Irish tilt because we love Irish music. That's okay. All that matters is that everyone is having a good time. Serve vanilla ice-cream and Scottish shortbread sometime during the recitations but keep everything lighthearted and fun. Sometimes when you stop the show and serve dessert it is hard to start up the fun again. 

This is one of my favorite parties because I love singing and watching others perform. The kids just keep singing and dancing until you tell them its time to call it a night. They like to look up lyrics to their favorite songs on the iPad and surprise us with their next choice.

Your Scottish Party Doesn't Have To Be A Small Get-Together. This Theme Is Also Perfect For 100+ Guests For Anniversaries, Family Reunions And Milestone Birthday Parties.

Although this party is perfect for a small group, it also works really well for very large celebrations: family reunions, anniversaries, weddings, graduation parties, and milestone birthdays. We threw a Scottish party to celebrate our Outlaws of Ravenhurst Premiere. 

Besides hosting a silent auction, which you of course wouldn't have at a normal party, we had a Scottish photo booth, Braveheart faceprinting, and hired a violinist and bagpiper. This would be a great addition to your next big celebration. Of course, still encourage your guests to preform as well!

Watch our Outlaws premiere video above to listen to Jim Morlino's speech as well as see the way we had the party set up to accommodate our 200+ guests with the beautiful Castle Noz backdrop. Castle Noz is located in Snelling, CA and is available as a wedding venue.