Date Published: 5th August 2025

Today is World Oyster Day, the perfect date to celebrate some folk’s favourite seafood. Not everyone is tempted by the humble oyster of course but it tends to be that if you love them, you REALLY LOVE THEM. Whether you prefer yours raw with a citrus vinaigrette, as part of a luxurious cocktail (An Affair to Remember), fire roasted, or simply on ice – today is the day to indulge. OR if you prefer not to take life too seriously, sit back this evening with a glass of champagne and read Alexander’s recently published, The Lost Language of Oysters instead. It is very, very funny.

And here in Edinburgh, we have to give a shout out to the White Horse Oyster Bar on the city’s High Street – where delightfully-fresh oysters are shucked at the bar, served over ice and enjoyed with a dry martini or a glass of bubbles. An evening to be cherished, even when it is not World Oyster Day!

‘Of all the characters Alexander McCall Smith has dreamed up over the years, the German academic Professor Moritz-maria von Igelfeld is my favourite… an irresistible figure of fun‘ Roger Cox, writing in The Scotsman