The best five new bakeries in Scotland

This is our round up of cake and bread destinations

Blackwater Bakehouse

Okay, so it’s not new, but our favourite Isle of Arran bakery has recently moved from a small premises beside the Kinloch Hotel in Blackwaterfoot to a glossy big building in Brodick. They’re offering their usual sturdy loaves, as well as gorgeous tarts, Danishes and other Viennoiserie, which are on offer Tuesday to Saturday from 9.30am until 3pm. If you’re not local, it’s well worth braving a Calmac ferry to come here.

Home Farm, Brodick: Instagram @blackwaterbakehouse

Maple Leaf Bakery

Formerly a micro-bakery, this place opened a sit-in and takeaway premises in Glasgow’s Govan back in February this year. Their classic croissant is perfection, and they are previous winners of Scotland’s Best Croissant Award, with Maple Leaf owner Rebecca Slade acting as a judge last year. They do a mean Basque cheesecake and a lovely white chocolate and pistachio cookie, but their Danishes are particularly pretty, with a potato dauphinoise number and a seasonal strawberry and cream version that’s grabbed our eye.

16 Water Row, Instagram @mapleleaf.bakery

Machair Bakery

Sisters Francesca and Emily Purves opened their first shop at Dundee’s 125b Nethergate back in March. Now that it’s summer, they’ve got into their stride and the cakes are selling like, well, hot cakes. The current flavours include lemon curd olive oil mini cake, Earl Grey and vanilla bean and their ever popular vegan chai spiced carrot cake. Alternatively, go for a cookie in varieties including stroopwafel with Speculoos, or their “everything but the kitchen sink” biccie, with salted crisps, pretzels, toffee pieces and dark chocolate chips.

Instagram @machairbakery

Gorse

This Northern Irish bakery opened in May, and was promptly overwhelmed with queues. They offer bakes including a craic-ing Guinness and gorse (the yellow flowers are picked freshly on nearby Arhur’s Seat) cake that’s big enough to feed two, as well as a fifteen traybake, and savoury goodies such as a Tayto’s Cheese and Onion crispy inspired pastry. There are seats outside now and room to sit-in, too, if you want to take a moment and sample one of their coffees made from Belfast’s Established Coffee beans.

207 Pleasance, Edinburgh: Instagram @gorseedinburgh

Damsel Bakery

Here’s another favourite that’s recently moved to a bigger premises, just along the road. Their favourites include a seeded sourdough, cardamom swirls, lemon and pistachio fingers and the new morning bun - aka a croissant pastry with cinnamon sugar - is proving a draw. As it’s peak berry season in Perthshire, expect to see raspberry custard buns and strawberry sable tarts under the counter. For savoury fans, there’s plenty, including fennel and spring green pastries.

4 James Square, Crieff (01764 219 276; Instagram @damselbakery)