Two Takes on Scotland
Kilts and Kings
Culinary adventurer Sara J. Welch eats haggis and dishes on the royals
When I visited Scotland last year, I expected that I would be tasting some fine whisky. But I never imagined it'd be at nine o'clock in the morning.
It happened at Glengoyne Distillery, 15 miles outside Glasgow, where our still-sleepy group gathered for shots of eye-opening single highland malt. I managed only a sip, enough to notice Glengoyne's trademark trait: the absence of that smoky taste common to other Scotches.
Before I could say, "For 'peat's' sake!" we were, ahem, whisked off to nearby Stirling Castle for a private tour. Considered Scotland's grandest castle, Stirling looms over a battlefield where Robert the Bruce vanquished William Wallace in 1314; its 16th-century Great Hall seats up to 300.
We had lunch just outside the village of St. Andrews at the St. Andrews Bay Golf Resort & Spa (209 rooms; 6,100-sf ballroom), whose most famous member is Prince William; some meeting planners on a recent site inspection even caught a glimpse of his highness, working out. We weren't so lucky, but we got our own insight into royal relaxation when we toured the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh. Now available exclusively for corporate events of up to 250, this surprisingly modest yacht—where Charles and Di honeymooned—still features its original 1950s decor, along with some great photos of dressed-down Windsors.
At dinner that night at Duck's at Le Marche Noir, I heeded the exhortations of my Scottish hosts and ordered the haggis. Who would have thought that this infamous mix of oatmeal and suet, boiled in a sheep's stomach, would be not just palatable but tasty? I even preferred it to Scotland's other claim to culinary fame—the batter-fried Mars bar, which I sampled at midnight in a fish and chips shop after several Deuchars ales. Just another example of how this country defies expectations.
Tradition Gets An Update
Tina Benitez laps up luxury while bucking tradition
Scotland remains as traditional as it gets. You wouldn't expect to walk through a glass house, or sleep in an old newspaper office; or try many dishes other than haggis.
There are, however, new surprises in the misty glens. In Edinburgh, the best of the new and old pleasantly collide. Venture down the Royal Mile, which is the cobblestone stretch of road linking the castle to the Palace of the Holyrood House, a royal residence since the 15th century, and up to Edinburgh Castle, former estate of James IV and a building that dates as early as the 12th century. At the end of the road, reward yourself at The Witchery by the Castle's Secret Garden restaurant. Originally built in 1595, the candlelit, Gothic escape has room to accommodate 110 comfortably for private events.
Just within castle view is the five-star Balmoral. Located conveniently on One Princes Street, the 188-room hotel has catered to everyone from international dignitaries to rock dignitary, Sir Mick Jagger. The Sir Walter Scott room can seat up to 400 for a formal dinner. There is also the Glasshouse Hotel, housed in the 150-year old Lady Glenorchy Church. The facade is old, but the inside is brand-new in all its modernity, giving it five-star/rock-star ambiance. The Glasshouse plays host with 65 bedrooms and boardrooms for up to 36 people, including a two-acre roof top garden (if Scottish weather permits). Then there is the Scotsman, the former home of the Scotsman newspaper. The 168-room Scotsman offers a screening room for up to 46 and a larger space for 200 patrons.
Meanwhile, in Glasgow, the Lighthouse, the city's architecture and design museum, is also a meeting venue, with room for up to 175. Its design is by Charles Rennie Macintosh, a guiding light of the Scottish Art Nouveau movement who is known for his elegant tea rooms. Macintosh's undulating style also sweeps you away at The House for an Art Lover, where the white, intimate Music Room lets guests dine in white high-back chairs with a garden view. The house can cater to up to 200 banquet, theater, or conference style in the Macintosh Suite.
Once a salmon-fishing village, the Victorian city of Glasgow has evolved into something more chic. Dine on tapas, or solomillo de ternera, or filet of beef with grilled vegetables at TaPaell'Ya restaurant at the 250-room Radisson SAS on Argyle Street, or simply sip a wee dram at the Atrium bar. The hotel has 14 meeting rooms and wireless Internet access throughout; the Central Station (the main line from Glasgow to London) is just across the road.
Speaking of stations, the Old Course Hotel, in St. Andrews, the Kingdom of Fife, was constructed on the original St. Andrews railway station, albeit in 1968. The 134-room hotel offers views of the Old Course, the first golf course in the world, dating from more than 600 years ago.
Tradition. In Scotland, you can't get away from it.