Scotland's best stays and experiences this Christmas
Instead of gruelling over the stove and making a herculean mess of the kitchen, how about this Christmas you make quality time together your top priority with a festive break at one of our beautiful member properties?
In this piece we present a trio of three-day Christmas and Hogmanay experiences built around good food, great company and quiet retreat from the busyness of the holiday season.
But before that, let's make a headlong dive into the busyness of the holiday season, with a preview of Edinburgh's famous Winter Festival...
Edinburgh Winter Festival
From mid-November into the early days of the new year, Scotland's capital undergoes a remarkable transformation. Despite the winter chill and short days, the historic gardens below the castle burst into life with festive markets, entertainment and dizzying attractions.
Edinburgh's Traditional Christmas Markets
Shops and restaurants blaze with lights, the aroma of mulled, spiced, cinnamon-infused delicacies laces the air and several million tourists and locals are swept up in a spectacular programme of festive events.
But all of that pales in comparison to New Year’s.
On December 29th, some 15,000 torchbearers blaze a trail from the Meadows to Old Town, casting flickering light upon street the theatre performers and pipe bands marching alongside. On December 30th, the city builds momentum for Hogmanay with a spectacular concert against the backdrop of Edinburgh castle, known as the Night Afore Disco Party.
And then Hogmanay. As the hours tick down to January 1st, tens of thousands gather across Princes Street, the gardens and beyond. Music blares from live stages, bagpipes, drums and voices raised in song. After the smoke clears from the world-famous fireworks display, hands join together and vast crowds sing Auld Lang Syne in unison.
Scott Monument and Around the World Star Flyer
Festivities continue into the new year, with First Footin’ – the free, unticketed live music trail that wends across the city – being a particular highlight. The last of the city’s attractions, including the Around the World Star Flyer – a whirring, dazzling contraption that flies visitors through the air, 80 metres above Princes Street Gardens – wind up over the first few days of January, and the city finally catches its breath.
Until next year!
Theatre season
Beyond the bright lights of Edinburgh, we’d be remiss not to mention some of the standout theatrical events filling halls this winter. There’s a performance of My Fair Lady at Pitlochry Festival Theatre throughout December, while Perth Theatre brings to life the timeless tale of Sleeping Beauty.
Oban Winter Festival
For those visiting the west coast, the Oban Winter Festival runs from November 13th to December 20th. From comedy nights and workshops to vibrant street parades, you'll find the festive spirit in full swing every day of the week.
And now that we've covered the 'what', it's time to explore the 'where'...
Christmas at Crossbasket Castle
Retreating from Edinburgh's raucous celebrations, each stay at Crossbasket Castle is a quiet dalliance with the fantastical; an intoxicating tale where the familiar is enriched with magic and reality feels deliciously distant.
Crossbasket Castle
And the castle's three-day Christmas package would make a wonderful stocking filler.
Arriving on Christmas Eve, you’ll check into your room in the historic castle or art deco-inspired hotel, or venture to one of the new luxury cottages or Hebridean-inspired riverside cabins dotted around the grounds.
From there, it's straight to a comfy fireside chair for scones lathered in thick cream and tart jam. In the evening, get ready to dial up the glamour with a rambunctious Christmas Eve party at Trocadero’s.
On Christmas morning, it may be wise to take a short stroll around the estate grounds to make room for a full Scottish breakfast in Foveran’s restaurant, champagne and canapés at 12.30 and an indulgent four-course Christmas lunch in the late afternoon.
And after a restorative slumber, day three brings an all-you-can-eat Boxing Day brunch in the Grand Roosevelt Ballroom with live entertainment. And after that, perhaps another quick slumber before heading home...
Merrymaking at Dun Aluinn
Set on its private estate above the town of Aberfeldy, in the frosty throes of winter, Dun Aluinn is a beacon of warmth and characterful hospitality. Fires roar inside the house, firelight glinting off festive decorations, while a wood-fired hot tub lets you inhabit the chilly landscape in soothing comfort.
Dun Aluinn terrace with fire pit
Best of all, the hotel has prepared a leisurely programme of festivities to help you make the most of a few precious days in Perthshire – including an intimate falconry experience on Christmas Eve.
A shared buffet-style breakfast is piled high every morning, Christmas Day lunch comes with thoughtful wine pairings, and Boxing Day brunch might leave you needing rolled to the car for your journey home.
Whether you travel solo or reserve multiple rooms, you'll find this a cracking way to spend the festive period.
Hogmanay at The Isle of Eriska
If the rapturous Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh occupy one end of a spectrum, Eriska marks the other.
Winter at the Isle of Eriska
The Isle of Eriska is your private island off Scotland’s west coast. As you cross the little bridge from the mainland, the rush of daily life and the burdens of a long 2026 are left far behind.
Check in on the December 30th, settle into your comfiest clothes and wander downstairs for cream tea and mulled wine. To while away the hours until your evening champagne reception and dinner, it's hard to look past steeping yourself in the heated swimming pool.
As for Hogmanay itself, your options are open. While there are group activities like clay shooting and croquet, many will devote the day to nourishing escape in the spa. More champagne, a gala dinner and an intimate ceilidh will see you though to the fireworks that herald the dawn of another year.
Round off your enchanting escape with a buck’s fizz brunch, a treasure hunt for those with sufficient energy to roam the island, and yet another indulgent cream tea and evening meal.
Reserve your Christmas escape now and you can be sure it's the most wonderful time of the year...
