Itineraries

Edinburgh Explorations

Upon arrival to Edinburgh (the easiest gateway from the U.S.), head directly for the top choice in the city— Balmoral, a Rocco Forte Hotel. Perfectly positioned on Prince’s Street, just moments from Waverly Station, the Victorian-era hotel evokes a castle—complete with turrets and moody stone. The iconic clocktower dome that’s visible from both the Old City and the New is a bonus way to find your bearings as you explore. We’d suggest at least two nights, but if you wish to sightsee at a leisurely pace, three is ideal.

Complimentary Amenities for LpL Guests at The Balmoral:

Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Full Scottish breakfast daily for two guests per bedroom served in the restaurant
$100 USD equivalent Food & Beverage credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
Complimentary Wi-Fi

A mix of classic and contemporary, the recently-renovated rooms boast a chicly-natural palette of greys and soft pastels by Olga Polizzi (sis to Sir Rocco, for whom the brand is named), with pops of green, brown and grey, meant to evoke the Scottish landscape, plus cheeky modern photos featuring Sean Connery as James Bond, and touches like luxe marble baths with heated towel bars and Asprey amenities.

Ask for a peek behind the purple door and owl-shaped knocker into the J.K. Rowling Suite, so named because the author finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in the hotel. There's even a bust of Hermes signed by Rowling herself in the room.

View from Camera Obscura on my tour with Ian Black.

Don’t linger too long—although it’s tempting, either over afternoon tea in the Palm Court or in the well-appointed spa, the largest in the city—as there’s much to explore. While a guide is certainly a great way to see the historic sites, we loved a slightly different take. Book top photographer and Insta influencer Ian Black for a two-hour photo safari (from GPB 150 for a half-day), and hit everything from aforementioned Calton Hill (a UNESCO World Heritage Site that boasts everything from Parliament to the unfinished National Monument, plus great views) to a stroll up the Royal Mile, an aptly named stretch of the Old City that stretches between the two royal residences, Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. While pointing out the best vistas (Camera Obscura, the highest point in the city and the town’s oldest tourist attraction) to historic facts (like a peek inside the Thistle Chapel, where the Queen bestows Scotland’s highest honor at St. Giles Cathedral) we found ourselves stopping for photographs along the rainbow-colored Victoria Street, pausing at various alleyways and walkways (known to the Scottish as “closes”) and ending at The Vennel, where you’ll be just below the famed Castle.

By afternoon, pick your poison – we’d opt for lunch at a spot near the hotel like Café Royal, a great spot for local oysters and seafood that’s been in business since 1826, before heading out to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, a working palace still houses the Queen and other members of the Royal Family during the annual “Royal Week” in Scotland each summer. The self-guided audio tour takes 60 to 90 minutes, mixing everything from the majestic (yes, the Queen still receives in these rooms) to the macabre (bloodstains from a 16th-century murder). Then, head to Edinburgh Castle, which once served as the city’s primary fortress, as well as a royal residence until 1633. Today, it’s best utilized during the annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which takes place each August during the city’s robust festival period.

A view of the Balmoral Hotel from Princes Street.

Should you wish to take a break from the history books, Princes Street, where the hotel is located, offers a wealth of options for shopping, but we’d bypass the expected tourist destinations peddling tartan scarves and mass-market shortbread for a pop-into nearby Hamilton & Inches, a top jeweler in Edinburgh and the only place in the world where Scottish gold jewelry is available, as well as intricate silverworks made locally by a father and son team. For something a bit less precious, hit up Strathberry, beloved by the Duchess of Sussex, amongst others. Their bags feature Spanish leather, but all of these understated accessories are manufactured right in Edinburgh. For a bit of tweed to take your Scots style up a notch, hit Walker Slater (there are two, one for men and one for women) in the Old City, where you can outfit for a made-to-measure look or purchase off-the-rack.

Complimentary for LpL Guests at The Fife Arms:

Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Daily Full Scottish Breakfast for two guests per bedroom
$100 USD equivalent Food & Beverage credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
Dean's Angus McCoo Shortbread
Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
Complimentary Wi-Fi

But for a real taste of Scottish handicraft, we’d ask the Balmoral to arrange a private session down in Leith (a trendy waterside neighborhood) with Araminta Campbell. The 30-year-old boasts her own studio with two 19th century looms, making alpaca and cashmere-based textiles ranging from luxe blanket wraps to custom-designed tartans and bedding. You can see the process at work or create a tweed or tartan for yourself (from 1500 GBP for the design session). Like what you see? If you head to the Highlands, you’ll catch her fabrics at the over-the-top Victorian coaching inn turned haute hotel The Fife Arms in Braemar, home of the famous Highland Games, an annual test of strength and stamina attended by the royal family.

While down in Leith, plan a quick tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia, which served as Queen Elizabeth’s royal yacht from 1954 to 1997 and hosted everyone from Nelson Mandela to Ronald Reagan.

Whiskey lovers will also want to pause for a dram at the Malt Whiskey Society. While it’s technically a private member’s club, the Vaults at Leith offers private tastings of limited-edition single malts – many of which can’t be found elsewhere. Find a flavor profile you love? Head back to Balmoral’s hotel bar, Scotch, for a sampling of 500+ rare and top-notch whiskeys to further refine your palate.

For dinner, don’t miss tried but true The Witchery by the Castle, which earns its name from the hundreds of “witches” burned at the stake in the 16th and 17th centuries on nearby Castlehill. Today, it’s a romantic, candlelit fine dining experience located in a historic Old City close. For a post-dinner nightcap or more casual yet still elevated pub fare, stop by The Devil’s Advocate, a dimly lit cocktail bar in an old Victorian pump house.

Other options for a top-notch stay include The Caledonian, a Waldorf-Astoria hotel with great views of the Edinburgh Castle from more rooms than any other hotel in the city. For boutique options, we love The Scotsman, located in the original home of the newspaper bearing the same name, as well as Fingal, a luxury yacht turned 23 room floating hotel in Leith.

As lovely as Edinburgh is, don’t make the mistake of thinking that you’re done. You can certainly pair with another city – Glasgow makes an easy secondary addition – but we’d recommend heading a bit further afield and exploring.

Pair another three to four nights with your chosen activities, including:

The Greatest Game

Invented in Scotland and documented as far back as the Middle Ages, and today, the country boasts more golf courses per population head than anywhere else in the world.

Complimentary for LpL Guests at Gleneagles:

Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Full buffet Breakfast
$100 USD equivalent Food & Beverage credit to be utilized during stay (not available in Restaurant Andrew Fairlie or in-room minibar, not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
Complimentary Wi-Fi

While the Old Course at St. Andrews, which dates to 1574, is by far the country’s most famous, there’s great golf to be had almost anywhere you wish to go. For luxury that even a non-golfer can get behind, don’t miss a stay at Gleneagles, about an hour each from Glasgow and Edinburgh by car. The grand resort (which hosted the 2014 Ryder Cup and boasts four unique courses) dates to 1924 and still has a Roaring Twenties meets Scotland vibe. Dubbed “Riviera in the Highlands,” it’s a meticulously renovated grand resort in the very best sense of the word.

Perfect for couples or the whole family, let the team of “playground planner” concierges fit you in Hunter boots and Barbour jackets to take part in an array of outdoor pursuits from clay shooting and fly fishing to off-roading in a custom-outfitted fleet of Land Rovers before unwinding in the ESPA-branded spa or indulging in a perfect gin martini prepped via table-side trolley at The American Bar. After all that activity, you’ll want to recap the day over a candlelit dinner at The Strathearn restaurant, where you’ll indulge in a tasting flight of smoked salmon or a theatrical table-side flambé of filet mignon, retiring sated and full to newly-renovated rooms done in thoughtfully muted earth tones with pops of brass, leather, and tweed. Book one of the Estate Rooms for the best views over the scenic Ochil Hills and grounds. It’s easy to fill your days with activities on the property, linger leisurely over afternoon tea (yes, they have an entire restaurant dedicated to it) or use the hotel as a home base for further explorations.

Whiskey Wanderings

There’s no shortage of whiskey in Scotland with more than 120 active distilleries producing across five major regions. For a connoisseur, the country can’t be beaten. But for the rest of us, if you’ve seen one or two distilleries, you’ve seen them all. If you can head up north, one to make time to see is the newish Macallan distillery, in the heart of the country’s Speyside region. It took six years and more than $186 million to build, and today boasts 36 copper stills as well as nearly 1000 bottles of The Macallan dating back as far as 1936. Pair the visit with a base in Inverness (we love the newish Ness Walk hotel) and a bit of sightseeing like the famed Culloden Battlefield and of course, a trip to see if you can catch Nessie along the Loch Ness, the largest lake in the UK.

Can’t stand the smoky stuff? Not a problem. Gin is the country’s second-most-loved drink, with many local varieties offered in the form of spritzes, martinis and tonics, and local vodka (we loved Ogilvy) is also a treat. Gin elevates everything, from tea to happy hour, as does elderflower, another local herb often used in liqueurs.

Highland Highlights

From the magnificent Ben Nevis, the country’s highest peak, to Cairngorms National Park, which offers some of the world’s best dark sky stargazing, to the iconic “Harry Potter” Jacobite Steam Train along the country’s western coast, it’s hard to head to Scotland feel like you’ve really seen it if you skip the Highlands.

Don’t miss a few days in the countryside, blending luxury hospitality at a spot like Inverlochy Castle, The Fife Arms or Cameron House (re-opening later this year) and take a few days time to see the country’s many castles, ruins, parks and more.

Speaking of castles, it’s hard to drive what feels like more than a mile without seeing a ruin or historic marker sign. While it’s tempting to pause at every spot, make time for a few major sites to avoid castle fatigue. We’d suggest Stirling Castle, about 30 minutes outside of Edinburgh, childhood home of Mary, Queen of Scots and yes, a fixture in movies like Braveheart. While you’re nearby, hit up Linlithgow Palace, her birthplace and a magnificent ruin, as well as Doune Castle, another Outlander filming site that also doubled as the setting for Winterfell in the pilot of Game of Thrones, as well as the famed castle in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Culzean Castle made a fun day trip during our visit to Glenapp.

Today, many castles and noble homes are available for visiting. Glenapp Castle, a Relais & Chateaux gem in the south, is one of our favorites, both for its gorgeous views of Alisa Craig island and for its quiet beauty, with 36 acres of landscaped gardens and activities like falconry and even a glamping program available in warmer weather. While there, plan a day trip to Culzean Castle, a cliff-top masterpiece with a country park, miles of trails, and a home that once housed private apartments of General Eisenhower.

Perfectly Planned:

But, Will it Rain?

Will it rain during your visit to Scotland? Most certainly. The Highlands get measurable rainfall more than 250 days each year, and other areas get rain up to 175. As the locals say, however, if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute and it will likely change. Just pack layers.

Peak spring break months top out, generally, in the mid or upper 50s, while summer stretches in to the 60s and 70s, with lovely long days, that, towards the north, areas like Orkney, Skye and Loch Ness, may mean as many as four hours more daylight than London. It’s light up until almost midnight in most areas, allowing you to see and explore into and past the early evening in most cities.

August is a particularly good month, crammed with a festival nearly every weekend that infuses the city with a buzzy vibe. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a mix of art, music and theater events held at locations around the city, is one of the largest of its kind in the world. Hotels will rise to premium rates at this time, so be sure to book early.

Fall is also lovely—particularly if you fancy catching the heather in bloom across the Highlands or want a leisurely round of golf before a roaring fire and whiskey come the evening. Winter isn’t the optimal time to visit, but it does offer one bright spot— the festive period of Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve, known as ‘Hogmanay’ in Scotland, are packed with great three-, four- and five-night activity packages for the whole family at most resorts, ideal for an alternative to skiing or the Caribbean for adventurous families.

Getting There:

Scotland is a relatively inexpensive option for European travel, with tickets often below $600 in Economy from major East Coast gateways.

Getting Around:

Yes, you’ll drive on the “wrong” side of the road in Scotland, but roads are well-marked and in miles, making, for the most part, driving a relatively simple task. Uber works in major cities, but private drivers are an easy fix for avoiding any hassle. Use a reputable tour planner like yours truly and we’ll get you all set up.

A Double or Triple Feature:

While Scotland certainly makes for an easy enough trip by itself, it’s easier than ever to add Scotland to a larger UK trip or a European Grand tour. Make it a 5-hour train from London to Gleneagles, or a quick nonstop from Heathrow into Glasgow, Edinburgh, or even Inverness. From Edinburgh or Glasgow, most major European cities are within a two or three-hour flight at most.

The most logical pairing would be to start or finish with London or Dublin, adding in 4 or so nights to visit London and then pairing with a few nights in major cities or a week or more in Scotland. Ireland is another easy combo; we’d suggest just two nights in Dublin plus any additional driving you wish to do around the country or mixing a week in each destination for a true taste of the UK.

If you’ve visited the major tourist sites previously, Amsterdam is a well-considered addition, particularly it offers a direct flight back to JFK.

One thing is for certain, however. One visit to Scotland and you’ll have the urge, as all road signs point to as you leave a city, to “haste ye back” as soon as possible.

This piece originally appeared in the Spring 2020 issue of Woodbury Magazine, written by yours truly.

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