Winter Holidays in Scotland
EUROPE, COUNTRY, SCOTLAND
WINTER HOLIDAYS IN SCOTLAND
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Winter holidays in Scotland? Friends thought I was crazy (it wouldn’t be the first time) but I could hardly wait. They warned of darkness, cold, rain. I smiled and said “few tourists.” And to myself, I thought, “I wanna hear bagpipes through mist.”
I love visiting places in the off season when I can see their true colors. A beautiful, moody winter in Scotland what was I was after. I could feel the drape of a wool blanket across my lap and another around my shoulders. And the warmth of a hot toddy in my hands. Logs crackling on the fire.
Our two week trip began in Edinburgh, a place known for putting on a classic Northern European Christmas. We strolled through the Christmas market most evenings sipping mulled wine and hot chocolate and selected hearty food from gourmet stalls; fresh salmon barbecued over an open fire was a favorite. We took a blustery night time spin on a ferris wheel, high above the sparkling city lights.
We stayed at the beautiful Old Town Chambers in a luxury apartment tucked into a peaceful close in the old town. The location was perfect, just steps from The Devil’s Advocate,The Bow Bar, Oink, The Grain Store and several folk music venues. We had a particularly good time at Sandy Bells where we struck up a conversation with a local fireman and his girlfriend, who teased him about his Glasgow accent and made us all laugh. They filled us in on Scottish history, answered our quirky questions and insisted that we walk up to Arthur’s Seat,which we did (on a moonless night battered by high winds and spooked by shadows). We made repeat visits to the neighborhood of Stockbridge where we enjoyed a few spectacular meals: brunch at The Pantry, dinner at The Scran and Scallie and cakes at The Stockbridge Kitchen.
Just after Christmas, we drove out of town and stopped for lunch at the venerable Gleneagles Hotel before continuing north to the lovely village of Dunkeld in Perthshire, the breadbasket of Scotland. We stayed at the classic Dunkeld House Hotel nestled upon 280 acres of natural woodlands along the River Tay. It’s easy to organize outdoor activities through the concierge; our boys took archery lessons on the upper lawn. This was a perfect place to explore nearby areas, including the Cairngorms. We drove all around its iconic mounds and though we set out for hikes, it was too cold. Our hikes became short walks followed by cozy family huddles inside. One such huddle was over an early lunch of haggis, neeps and tatties at The Old Bridge Inn. Despite the negative press, good haggis is really good.
We followed the advice of trusted Scottish friends and concentrated most of our time on the West and the North. We stayed in The Trossachs, a magical area of lochs and trees and a few great hotels and restaurants, especially those held by the Monachycle Mhor group. (Don’t miss a stop at Mhor Bread.) We drove through spooky Glencoe to Fort William on a very snowy day, just missing a traffic nightmare with skidding cars and trucks on a back-country roads. The respite in Glencoe was much needed and we were all happy to take a seat at The Glencoe Gathering where we had the best fish and chips of our lives.
We continued on and stayed in a Scottish National Trust property in Balmacara Estate, a quaint (and chilly) converted ferry waiting room with views across the loch to the Isle of Skye. Balmacara is a preserved area of rollings hills and crofting estates. It is a perfect base for exploring Skye and other points north. If you find yourself in this neck of the woods, take a walk to Coral Beach in Plockton followed by a food stop at The Harbor Bar and drinks at the Inn. Brave the harrowing winter drive on the Bealachna Ba Road to Applecross (we decided it should be called “Applesauce”, and that is what we call it) for an otherworldly experience that required navigating a single-lane switchback pass over the UK’s tallest peaks. Walk the trails of The Quiraing. Hike around the Fairy Pools where crossing high water streams is an adventure. Eat and drink with live music at The Old Inn at Corbost. Enjoy the warm welcome at The Isles Inn in Portree. Reserve a dinner table at Tigh En Eileen in Shieldaig. And another night, dine at Hotel Torridon.
Without a doubt, dancing the Ceilidh with locals at a Hogmanay celebration on the Isle of Skye, was the highlight of our trip. We had little idea what we were in for when we arrived at the tiny Broadford Community Hall.
