Scotland Vacations

People have been playing golf on the Old Course—the oldest and most iconic in the world—since the 15^th century. Still, it remains public, so even tourists can play a round there, though bookings do have to be made months in advance.

Home to more than half of Scotland’s distilleries, Speyside is the site of the Malt Whisky Trail. The nine distilleries on the tour can be visited in any order, with Glenfiddich and Glenlivet garnering particularly rave reviews.

Tom Kitchin (aptly named) is the Michelin-starred chef of one of Edinburgh’s highest-ranked restaurants. The Kitchin’s specialties—like its signature dish, pig’s head meat with langoustines.

The award-winning Ubiquitous Chip gets its name from Scotland’s inaccurate reputation for a lack of fine cuisine. Its chef gives resolutely Scottish ingredients a French twist.

Looming over the city from its craggy Castle Rock perch, Edinburgh Castle has played a central role in Scottish history both as a royal residence and a mighty military stronghold.

One of the only medieval cathedrals in all of Scotland to have made it through the Reformation intact, the Glasgow Cathedral is a brilliant example of Gothic architecture. Home to one of the finest post-war collections of stained glass windows in Britain, its cemetery (the Necropolis) is a beauty also worth exploring.