These beloved sweeties resulted in countless trips to the dentist.
04:30, 30 Mar 2026
The Daily Record has rounded up eight classic Scottish sweets(Image: Maitland/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)
If there is one thing that can immediately take us right back to our childhood, it is the sweeties we ate when we were young. No matter how old you are, there are bound to be sweets and chocolate bars that you remember picking up from the tuck shop that are no longer sold.
Every country has their own confectionary that it is known for, but it is hard to imagine any of them coming close to the best Scottish sweets. While unfortunately many are not available anymore, or are at least very difficult to find, their memory will live on forever.
The Daily Record taken a look back at some of the most iconic Scottish sweets that many of us will remember from our childhood. From classic treats like Soor plooms and Creamola Foam to more recent favourites such as McCowan’s Highland Toffee and Irn-Bru bars, you are bound to have tried at least one of these over the years.
Read on for a roundup of eight nostalgic sweets in Scotland we all remember getting from the shops as a kid. Let us know your favourite sweet growing up in the comments below!
Irn-Bru bars
Irn-Bru bars(Image: National Records of Scotland)
Irn-Bru bars are without a doubt one of the most iconic Scottish sweets, though dentists were no doubt glad when they were discontinued in the 2000s. While any Scot knows that Irn-Bru is made by Barr’s, the tangy chewy bar based on Scotland’s other national drink was actually made by a different company.
McCowan’s produced Irn-Bru bars until the company went out of business in 2006. It is for this reason that the treat is unlikely to ever make a comeback, as Barr’s do not have the recipe and so could never recreate the bars even if they wanted to.
McCowan’s Highland Toffee bars
McCowan’s Highland Toffee
Speaking of McCowan’s, this is another beloved treat that was sadly lost to time when the company shut its doors in 2006. Just like Irn-Bru bars, anyone who grew up in the 90s or the early noughties will remember seeing McCowan’s Highland Toffee bars on shop shelves.
Perhaps even chewier than Irn-Bru bars somehow, McCowan’s Highland Toffee resulted in many unwanted trips to the dentists over the years. The rich, sweet, buttery flavour was always worth the pain of a loose tooth though.
Creamola Foam
Creamola Foam(Image: Lennox Herald)
This iconic Scottish treat dates all the way back to the 1950s, when it was manufactured in Glasgow. For those who do not remember, Creamola Foam was sold in a small tin with a metal lid, and consisted of effervescent crystals that you would mix with water to create a fizzy drink.
The product originally came in raspberry, orange, and lemon flavours, while cola was later added. Creamola Foam was sadly discontinued in the late 1990s, though it was relaunched in 2019 and is now once again available to purchase for those looking for a taste of their childhood.
Oddfellows
Oddfellows
Oddfellows are a proper throwback sweetie, though many Scots will still remember the yummy cinnamon, lemon, and strawberry scents and tastes of these hard lozenge-style sweets to this day. While each one was yummy on its own, we all remember mixing different flavours together in our mouths.
The sweets were originally manufactured by King’s in Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, before the company shut its doors in 1990. While you can find versions of Oddfellows online, they will never top the original.
Moray Cup
Moray Cup(Image: Moray Cup)
Similar to Creamola Foam, Moray Cup is not technically a sweet but was nonetheless once a mainstay in Scottish tuck shops. Produced in northeast Scotland, the red ‘fruit-flavour’ fizzy drink was created in Macduff in Aberdeenshire and considered a local rival of Irn-Bru.
Following an outcry after Moray Cup was discontinued in 2017, the beloved drink was reintroduced in 2024—before being taken off shelves once again the following year. While another revival seems unlikely anytime soon, there is always hope that the neon red drink may once again return.
Lees of Scotland Macaroon bars
Lees Macaroon bar(Image: Daily Record)
The story goes that John Justice Lees accidentally invented the iconic macaroon bar after messing around with ingredients in his dad’s store in Newlands Street in Coatbridge. The treat originally contained icing sugar, chocolate, coconut and, surprisingly, mashed potatoes.
Many people making their own version of the macaroon bars at home continue to use potatoes to get the authentic consistency. However, most versions you buy in shops swapped out the vegetable for fondant many years ago.
Soor plooms
Soor plooms(Image: Kpedimbourg, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Originating from Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, Soor plooms were a mainstay in pick-and-mix shops across the country for many, many years. Those who have had a Soor ploom before will know that it is hard to describe the flavour of the boiled sweet, but the best way to describe it would be sour, sharp, and slightly acidic.
Unlike many of the other sweeties on this list, Soor plooms actually are still available if you know where to look. You won’t find them at supermarkets, but if you nip into one of the old-fashioned confectionary shops that still sell sweets out of giant jars you might have luck.
Lucky Tatties
Lucky Tatties(Image: Tk420, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Finally, Lucky Tatties were traditional sweets that you can actually still find online if you look hard enough. They are comprised of a white fondant solid core flavoured with cinnamon that is covered with cinnamon powder.
The confection originally got its name because of the small charm or toy that could be found inside them. Unsurprisingly, these were later removed due to health and safety risks.