Edinburgh nostalgia: 11 sweets you'll remember if you grew up in Edinburgh in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s

By Gary Flockhart

Lifestyle Editor

Published 14th Aug 2024, 14:30 BST

The local sweet shop was always a great place to go with pocket money in hand – and many who grew up in Edinburgh will have fond memories of spending their pennies on little paper bags full of sugary delights.

Scroll through our photo gallery to see 11 sweets you might remember if you grew up in Scotland's capital city in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. And before you go, please let us know which sweeties were you favourite growing up in the comments section.

Scroll through our gallery to see 11 sweets you might remember if you grew up in Edinburgh during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

1. 11 sweets to make you feel notsalgic

Scroll through our gallery to see 11 sweets you might remember if you grew up in Edinburgh during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Photo: Pixabay

McCowan's Highland Toffee is one of the most famous Scottish sweets around and is still remembered fondly by many people of a certain age. The sweet toffee bars were soft and chewy unlike regular toffee - and so sticky they could take your teeth out if you weren't careful.

2. Highland Toffee bar

McCowan's Highland Toffee is one of the most famous Scottish sweets around and is still remembered fondly by many people of a certain age. The sweet toffee bars were soft and chewy unlike regular toffee - and so sticky they could take your teeth out if you weren't careful. Photo: Third Party

Edinburgh Rock – that mysterious substance somewhere between candy and chalk, looming large in the memories of every Scottish child who ever made a dash for the gift shop on a school trip and named as a play on Castle Rock, which Edinburgh's most visible monument sits atop – is a stalwart of the Scottish experience for tourists and locals alike. The pastel-hued sweet, with its distinctive crumbly texture differentiating it from lettered Blackpool Rock, was first concocted in the 19th century by Alexander Ferguson – also known as “Sweetie Sandy” – who taught himself to make confectionery in his parents' Doune outhouse.

3. Edinburgh Rock

Edinburgh Rock – that mysterious substance somewhere between candy and chalk, looming large in the memories of every Scottish child who ever made a dash for the gift shop on a school trip and named as a play on Castle Rock, which Edinburgh's most visible monument sits atop – is a stalwart of the Scottish experience for tourists and locals alike. The pastel-hued sweet, with its distinctive crumbly texture differentiating it from lettered Blackpool Rock, was first concocted in the 19th century by Alexander Ferguson – also known as “Sweetie Sandy” – who taught himself to make confectionery in his parents' Doune outhouse. Photo: Third Party

Pineapple Chunks, sometimes known as Pineapple Cubes, were just like Kola Cubes, but pineapple-flavoured obviously.

4. Pineapple Chunks

Pineapple Chunks, sometimes known as Pineapple Cubes, were just like Kola Cubes, but pineapple-flavoured obviously. Photo: Third Party

Edinburgh Scotland

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