The best ice creams in Scotland - including national champion
The 2026 Golden Scoop Awards took place in April and these Scottish businesses took home awards and five star ratings, including the top accolade.
As we are finally enjoying some warm and sunny weather, many of us will treat ourselves to an ice cream. But which are some of the best in Scotland?
We’re lucky to have a range of ice cream businesses here in Scotland, with many of them family-run for generations. Scottish businesses took home accolades at this year’s Golden Scoop Awards, which was held in early April.
Catherine McNeil, Director of Operations at the Ice Cream Alliance, said: “The Golden Scoop Awards represent the highest standards of judging in our industry and achieving a 5-Star rating is a significant accomplishment.
“With entries needing to reach at least 95% of the top score in their class, these awards recognise products that truly excel in flavour, texture and overall quality.
“As the inaugural year of the Golden Scoop Awards, results like this help set the benchmark for ice cream excellence across the UK, and Equi’s success across multiple categories is a fantastic example of that standard in action.”
Here are four award-winning businesses and their ice creams which won awards - including the National Champion.
Oscar's Gelato, Edinburgh
The ultimate accolade of the night, the Golden Scoop National Champion, went to Oscar’s Gelato, which outperformed all other entrants across multiple categories to achieve the highest overall score.
Based in Portobello, Edinburgh’s seaside district, Oscar’s Gelato has quickly built a reputation for authentic artisan gelato since launching in summer 2020.
Backed by decades of experience from one of Edinburgh’s most respected gelatiere families, the business offers a constantly evolving menu of more than 30 flavours, ranging from classics to playful favourites such as Biscoff and Bubblegum.
Speaking about their win, the Oscar’s Gelato team said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be named National Champion.
“It’s incredible to see our hard work recognised, and we’re proud to share our passion for authentic gelato with everyone. This motivates us to keep innovating and creating flavours that delight our customers.”
Arran Ice Cream, Isle of Arran
Among the most popular and fiercely contested categories was Best Vanilla Ice Cream, which went this year to Arran Ice Cream, a 4th-generation family business based on the Isle of Arran, Scotland.
Arran Ice Cream has been delighting locals and visitors alike on Arran since 1999, when the family first started producing ice cream at their small dairy on the shores of Brodick Bay.
Two decades on, the ice cream is still handmade by a skilled and dedicated team, using only milk from dairy herds grazing on Arran’s lush green pastures, giving their products a distinctively creamy taste, and is enjoyed by many throughout the UK and internationally.
Speaking about the win, a spokesperson for Arran Ice Cream said: “We’re delighted. We’ve been entering the Golden Scoop Awards for over 15 years, sometimes placing second or third. Finally winning is amazing.
“Our team has a passionate focus on continuous improvement,having been in our new factory for two years now, we’re also starting to reap the benefits of new equipment and processes.”
Lower Mill of Tynet Farm, Buckie
The award for Most Innovative Ice Cream went to Lower Mill of Tynet Farm for their ‘daring’ Toots Beer Ice Cream.
Based in Speyside, Lower Mill of Tynet Farm is a mixed organic farm producing award-winning eggs, fresh pasteurised milk, ice cream, beef, and a variety of local seasonal products from their 24/7 farm shop.
Founded in 2012 by June and Gordon, the farm expanded from an egg business into a micro-dairy farm in 2020, now producing milk and ice cream on-site. Their commitment to sustainable farming was recognised with Sustainable Farm of the Year 2024.
All ice cream is made using their own milk, cream, and egg yolks as a natural emulsifier, and flavoured with natural ingredients. Their range spans classics like vanilla and chocolate, unique flavours such as Cranachan and Biscoff, refreshing sorbets, and ice cream cakes.
The award-winning Toots Beer Ice Cream is an exciting collaboration with Rothes Brewery, using locally sourced Speyside water and grains to create a beer that is then churned into ice cream. The result is a bold flavour that delighted the judges.
Speaking about the win, the team at Lower Mill said: “We’ve been making ice cream on the farm for about 18 months now.
“Our chef said to experiment with using beer in our ice cream and it exceeded all our expectations.”
Equi’s Ice Cream
Equi’s Ice Cream’s range of flavours gained 5-Star triumphs at the Golden Scoop Awards, with four of its handcrafted flavours achieving 5-Star status, the highest possible rating.
The highly recommended flavours to look out for are: Strawberry Ripple – Best Strawberry Class; Belgian Chocolate – Best Chocolate Class; Vegan Oat Milk Pistachio – Best Innovative Class and White Chocolate, Pomegranate & Pistachio – Best Open Flavour Class.
David Equi, CEO of Equi’s Ice Cream, said: “To achieve four 5-Star ratings at the new Golden Scoop awards is an incredible honour.
“A 5-Star award represents ice cream performing at 95% or more of the top score in its class, so to do that four times in one year and across different flavour categories is testament to the passion and precision our team brings to every batch.
“We are especially proud that our Vegan Pistachio, made using Brose Scottish oat milk, stood shoulder to shoulder with our dairy ranges. It reflects how seriously we take flavour, texture and locally sourced ingredients across every recipe we develop.”
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