The year was 2020, and it was the first Christmas I spent away from my family ever. Feeling too unsafe to travel because of COVID, my husband and I spent the holiday in our Brooklyn apartment with our new puppy, but that couldn’t stop the transfer of gifts across state lines. We FaceTimed as we opened presents on Christmas morning, and I got something very curious from my sister Vanessa: a framed certificate stating that I, one Amanda Gabriele, had been established with the title of “lady,” “by virtue of the ownership of land in Scotland.”
“I know you can’t travel right now, so you can live vicariously through this,” she said. “I bought one for myself, too. Maybe we can go visit our land one day.”
Does buying of a souvenir plot of land actually grant you ownership of that land? No, but it’s a fun gag gift all the same. (And it’s definitely been amusing to call my dog “Lord Spaghetti” because of it.) But that idea of “visiting our land” never really left our minds. My sister and I have always been close, but we hadn’t traveled together since a family wedding brought us to Italy and Greece the summer of 2003. We were both teenagers back then, on someone else’s itinerary, barely even laying a hand on our own luggage (sorry, Dad). A sisters’ trip was long overdue.
Noble titles aside, Scotland was a perfect destination for our sibling trip. We both love whisky. Scotland is an English-speaking country and not a super long flight from the East Coast, making it an easier lift for two people traveling internationally together. Scotland is full of really old, really beautiful architecture, and Vanessa works in historical preservation. Wins all around.
As a food and drinks writer, I did most of the bar and restaurant research. Vanessa made a map of all the best sights throughout Edinburgh and Inverness, the two cities we’d be visiting in addition to the Highlands. A couple of planning phone calls, and we were in business — we had a rough itinerary with some anchor reservations but plenty of open space to be spontaneous or have a couple hours of rest.
I am definitely more go-go-go than Vanessa, but when I’m on vacation, I don’t want to be hurried or sightseeing from sunup to sundown. I need time in the morning before leaving my accommodations for the day and an afternoon break to rest and get ready for dinner. Our travel style matched up perfectly. As I took forever to get my shit together, she maybe took a nap or just rested and chatted with me. Once or twice I went shopping while she hung back and relaxed. There was no pressure to jam-pack every day.
After syncing up the same comedy special on our seatback screens, enjoying a few glasses of wine and staying absolutely wide awake for the duration of the overnight flight (she can’t sleep on planes either), we landed in Edinburgh. What ensued was 10 days of eating, drinking, sightseeing, shopping and hopping on trains, boats and automobiles for a proper tour of Scotland herself. We ate well together (we shared almost every plate at every restaurant), got along famously in close quarters and left the U.K. with our arsenal of inside jokes filled to the brim.
Because Vanessa lives in Ohio, she spent the night at my apartment in NYC to break up her travel. I’m so thankful she did because I think it would have been way too hard to say goodbye in the airport after such an epic journey. We needed some takeout Greek food, rosé wine and mindless TV to ease out of things.
We’re already thinking about where we should go together next. In the meantime, here’s everything we did in Scotland so you can plan your trip accordingly.
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If our trip was a sandwich, Edinburgh was the bread — we stayed there for two nights on the front end and two nights on the back end of our trip. Four days felt like a great amount of time to explore the city, but there’s so much to do and see, you could easily spend a week.
Where to Eat and Drink
We ate so well in Edinburgh. Cafe St Honorė is a charming French spot that utilizes a lot of local ingredients, and Baba has a ton of sharable plates, all inspired by the foodways of the Levant (the mixed grill is a must). Hula has the nicest staff and is a great place to pop in for a ginger shot or fresh juice. After a morning exploring the Royal Mile, we had a lovely lunch at Wedgwood, which changes its menu with the seasons and champions Scottish produce. Skua may have been the coolest place we dined. The food was ridiculously beautiful and flavorful, and the playlist was so great — I caught myself dancing in my chair a couple of times. Dulse is a must for seafood. I especially loved their oysters and St. Abbs lobster.
It’s difficult to get a bad drink in Edinburgh. Panda & Sons was our favorite spot, so nice we went there twice. I think both Vanessa and I would buy burial plots there if we could, the vibes were that immaculate. While every cocktail we had was amazing, the Ambassador — a riff on a Grasshopper — was my favorite; I ordered it both times we went. The Spence might be the most beautiful bar in all of Edinburgh. Tucked inside Gleneagles Townhouse, the opulent room calls to mind the grandeur of a time gone by while delivering impeccably-executed food and bev. Even if you’re not staying at The Glasshouse, make your way there for a dram at The Snug, a cozy lounge that boasts more than 200 Scotch whiskies and a great Martini. Pop into Paradise Palms for fun, dancy vibes and an excellent Buckfast Daiquiri (if you know, you know).
What to See and Do
You can’t go to Edinburgh without visiting Edinburgh Castle, where you’ll learn a lot about the history of the city and see some stunning bejeweled regalia. St. Giles’ Cathedral is also a must for its dramatic Gothic architecture and pipe organ. I love an old cemetery, and Greyfriars Kirkyard is one of the best I’ve ever seen. Find the Bobby statue on your way out, and pet his nose for good luck. You could spend all day at the National, but it’s worth a pop-in even if you only have an hour or two.
Where to Stay
Wilde, Edinburgh, Grassmarket is a really lovely property with the best staff ever — they were so nice and accommodating and had recommendations for our every need. Our room had a nice set-up with two twin beds, a small table and chairs, and a fully-equipped kitchen. The breakfast was phenomenal, with everything from eggs and haggis to pastries, fruit and yogurt. The location is great, in walking distance of restaurants, bars, shops and sights. Note that the rooms are not serviced every day, so that’s something you should take into account if it’s a dealbreaker.
Inverness
Where to Eat and Drink
If you’re looking for classic pub fare, The Castle Tavern is an excellent choice. Order the fish and chips and make a reservation if you want a seat in the dining room (or a seat at all — this place is popular!). The Victorian Market is a nice place to grab lunch, especially because the food hall portion has something for everyone. Hop in a taxi and make your way to Culloden House, a gorgeous 16th century mansion-turned-inn that’s supposedly haunted. Grab a drink in the bar before sitting down to dinner in the dining room. Afterwards, go visit the “Heiland coos” out back and take a turn around the secret garden. One afternoon, Vanessa and I stumbled upon The Malt Room, which was actually named one of InsideHook’s best whisky bars in the world. It’s a charming, cozy space with a huge selection of drams.
What to See and Do
After checking into your hotel, take a stroll down Church Street, which is lined with shops and pubs. Pop into Leakey’s Bookshop, which still has a wood-burning stove, and Young’s Auld Sweetie Shop for all the candy and chocolate you can stomach.
Sadly, Inverness Castle was under construction when we visited, but supposedly it’s a must-see if it’s open. Being the historic preservationist she is, Vanessa wanted to see some very old buildings in Inverness, so we made the trip to Urquhart Castle, perched on the shore of Loch Ness (her nickname is also Nessie, so this was a win-win situation). She booked a great tour with GetYourGuide, so we boarded a coach in Inverness, which took us to a boat for an hour sail. No, we didn’t see Nessie, but the boat did drop us at Urquhart where we explored the 1,000-year-old ruins, which were fascinating. Inverness Cathedral is also a lovely example of Gothic Revival architecture and worth a visit.
Where to Stay
AC Hotel Inverness could not be in a more perfect location to explore the city. We walked everywhere (even from the train station with our luggage), save for one afternoon when it was raining sideways and we had to call a cab. The rooms are spacious, modern and super comfortable, and the staff is attentive. Breakfast was tasty, and they even served American drip coffee, which we bleary-eyed sisters enjoyed thoroughly after days of Americanos. The bar is also excellent — we stopped by for a couple of drams after dinner one evening, and they have a great local Scotch selection.
Whisky in the Highlands
You can’t go to Scotland without visiting a few distilleries, and both Glenfiddich and The Balvenie had been on my list forever. They are both owned by William Grant & Sons and therefore on the same property in Dufftown, so we decided to spend two nights there so we could tour them both.
My job has a lot of great perks, and one of the best was being able to stay on-property in William Grant’s friends and family housing. They have accommodations spread around the distillery grounds, and we got to stay in two of them (an area-wide power outage meant one house didn’t have electricity and we had to move to another). The first was a charming four-bedroom cottage with a lovely kitchen and cozy sitting area. The second was a huge party house with high ceilings, light-filled bedrooms and a game room featuring both a pool table and karaoke corner. Both houses came with fully-stocked kitchens and bars. It was truly the lap of luxury!
You can’t stay on the distillery grounds unless you know someone who can hook you up, but not to fear — Dufftown is a great place to stay regardless, and you can still book tours and tastings at both Glenfiddich and The Balvenie. I suggest Dowans Hotel, a gorgeous property housed in a Victorian mansion surrounded by gardens. We enjoyed dinner at on-property restaurant 57 and a drink at The Still, which houses a collection of 500 whiskies.
The Fife Arms
On the second half of our trip before heading back to Edinburgh, Vanessa and I stopped in Braemar for a one-night stay at Fife Arms, one of Scotland’s crown-jewel properties. I shot a whole roll of film there because it’s that beautiful — every nook and cranny is filled with antiques, artwork, taxidermy or all of the above, and every guest room is different (ours was a “nature and poetry” room, specifically dedicated to Seton Gordon, a Scottish naturalist and photographer).
Fife Arms offers a ton of activities, but because we only had about 24 hours to enjoy the property, we mostly stayed inside and relished in its splendor. But that didn’t stop me from taking an art tour and booking a fabulous massage, which melted away the rigors of hopping from plane to train to car every couple of days.
When we first arrived, we had lunch in the drawing room, where I had one of the best sandwiches of my life — a simple concoction of Arran smoked cheddar and tomato chutney. Later that evening, cocktail hour was had in Elsa’s Bar, an art deco jewel box inspired by iconic fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. A perfectly-made Martini was followed by dinner in The Clunie Dining Room where I dined on local oysters, chanterelles with egg and chicken wing consommé, and venison, accompanied by wine pairings, of course. Finally, I bounced over to Bertie’s, another one of the best whisky bars in the world, for a nightcap.
While we sadly didn’t have time to visit Balmoral Castle, we did make it a point to spend an hour on our departing day to walk around the small town, and it’s as charming as you might imagine. You can’t leave without visiting The Horn Shop, which sells the coolest goods crafted from stag and cow horns. I picked up a beard comb for my husband, antler for my dog and olive spoon for myself.
Getting Around
When Vanessa and I first started planning this trip, we thought it’d be a good idea to rent a car because we were hitting so many places around the country. But we decided that opposite-side-of-the-road driving would be stressful, so we opted for trains and car services instead. Uber is available in Edinburgh, and the city is super walkable, so we spent a lot of time on foot. We took a ScotRail train from Edinburgh from Inverness, and it couldn’t have been easier. As with a lot of foreign train travel, upgrading to a first class seat is affordable and totally worth it.
We were lucky enough that The Balvenie and Glenfiddich picked us up from Inverness to bring us to the distilleries and then drove us to The Fife Arms after our stay in the Highlands. From the Fife Arms back to Edinburgh, we booked a car through Blacklane, and now I’m a total convert. Our driver was amazing — the roads in Scotland are very windy, and he had two carsick-prone girls on his hands — and the vehicle was gorgeous. I was even able to change the pickup time last-minute after deciding we wanted to get back to Edinburgh a little earlier than previously planned. The whole experience was seamless.
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