World Honey Bee Day initially started in 2009 in America but, due to the global importance of honey bees and their role in pollination, this event has become more of a global celebration, this year falling on August 19.

It’s estimated that one third of the food we consume relies on pollination, mainly by bees. The role of bees in farm crop pollination cannot be underestimated. In Scotland there are around 25 commercial bee farmers, 1400 hobby beekeepers who are members of the Scottish Beekeepers Association (SBA), with an estimated further 1000 hobbyists on top of that. Scotland is renowned for its honey production, and mixing it with key ingredients in the local larder, such as whisky, make for some sweet, sticky treats.

Hood’s Honey has been beekeeping in East Lothian for more than sixty years. George Hood bottled his first jar of honey back in 1950 and now has apiaries in Midlothian and the Scottish Borders.

Hood’s is home to more than twelve million bees called the ‘Smith’ strain of bee, named after the legendary Scottish beekeeper Willie Smith of Innerleithen, who taught George Hood his trade.

Today the hives are cared for by George’s son, Stuart. As well as honey, Hood’s sells a range of scented candles and skincare, but perhaps its most unusual claim to fame is the company’s links with the Scottish Parliament.

Hood’s beeswax has been used to fill the Great Seal of Scotland, and seal every act of the Scottish Parliament since its inception – that’s more than 200 so far. Hood’s also tends the Parliament’s bees. If you didn’t know that the Scottish Parliament had its own hives then you’ll be surprised to hear that they have four hives onsite which produce 80lbs to 120lbs of honey each autumn which is sold in the Scottish Parliament gift shop.

One of the most unique honeys produced in Scotland is Isle of Colonsay Wildflower Honey. Beekeeper Andrew Abrahams has been tending his particularly precious hives for more than three decades. His honey stands out, not only due to its aromatic flavour, created thanks to a combination of nectar from Hebridean wildflowers, but due to the fact that Colonsay is one of the last places where the Native Scottish Black Bee can be found.

The isolation of the bees on Colonsay protects the gene pool from cross breeding and disease. The bees are so important that, since January 2014, they’ve received Government protection through the Bee Keeping (Colonsay and Oronsay) Order which made it an offence to bring any other strains of honey bees onto the islands. This is honey with a real story behind it.

Though based just over the border in Berwick Upon Tweed, Chain Bridge Honey Farm has around 800 hives in Scotland and deserves a mention because the owners, the Robson family, work with their own bees. Whilst many beekeepers import bees from overseas, Chain Bridge has bred their own black bees helping to protect this natural resource.

They also have a free modern visitor centre to encourage knowledge concerning beekeeping and honey production: one of the key attractions is its observation hive where a living colony of bees can be viewed behind glass. Their summer cafe bus, aboard a huge green double decker bus, is a hive of honey flapjacks, heather honey oaties and heather honey ice cream, washed down with a honey latte.

Geography makes a huge difference to the taste and story of each honey. Anderson’s in Turriff produces a popular heather honey, but also a clover honey which taps into Aberdeenshire’s red and white clover, producing a mild flavour. Clover is used to reduce nitrogen levels in the soil, and as such it’s popular with organic farmers who avoid fertilisers and chemicals.

The bees of Cove Honey feast on the bright yellow flowers of oil seed rape at Banchory Devenick. Beans are another crop that bees are keen on, so any changes to bean farming may have an indirect impact on beekeepers.

Many honey producers pride themselves on collecting and extracting honey using traditional practises. Heather Hills Farm was established in 1945 with one humble hive, it’s now grown to 1300 hives which are moved around Perthshire and Deeside. Most beekeepers seem to have their own curious story, and Heather Hills is no different.

Its founder, Athole Kirkwood, was evacuated to Strathardle during WW2 and vowed to set down roots in the area. He acquired his first hive on VE Day in 1945, and in 1955 transported his bees to Blairgowrie and settled at Heather Hills Farm. It wasn’t a particularly successful start, as the first winter of destroyed most of the hives, but perseverance paid off.

Unlike mass produced honey, which is often heated to high temperatures to remove impurities, Heather Hills honey never reaches a heat above the natural temperature of the inside of the hive. This more time-consuming traditional process protects the natural enzymes and proteins, bringing greater subtleties of flavour and health benefits to the resulting honey.

Heather Hills has also come up with some interesting diversification plans. For anyone keen on supporting the work of bees, but from a safe distance from any potential stinging incidents, it’s possible to adopt a bee for £10, and even adopt an entire hive: a quirky gift for any honey fan out there.

For anyone keen to discover more about Scottish Honey, sample it, and perhaps make a few purchases then visit a nearby farm shop. Many hobby beekeepers sell excellent Scottish honey at their local farm. Or head to Dundee for the Scottish National Honey Show. Part of the Dundee Food and Flower Festival, this year it runs from September 1-3 2017, offering sweet flavours of Scotland from hives the length and breadth of the country.

Visit www.hoodshoney.com

www.colonsay.org.uk/LocalProduce/Oysters-and-Honey

www.chainbridgehoney.com

www.scottishhoney.com/honey/

www.covehoneybees.co.uk

www.heatherhills.co.uk