From art nouveau to immersive experiences: discover Scotland’s highlights on a winter break to remember
While there’s no guarantee of winter sun, exploring this beautiful country at the very start of the year is the perfect way to add a touch of magic to your winter. And if quieter towns and cities are your thing, you’ll find the tourist population thinner than it is over the summer months.
While Scotland promises an unforgettable holiday, where you stay is just as important as where you go. With Hilton, you’re guaranteed comfort, convenience and a good night’s sleep, no matter where you decide to explore.
Glasgow
Scotland’s largest city has so much to offer visitors that it’s difficult to know where to begin. However, with the works of world-renowned designer, artist and architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh lining the city’s most beautiful streets, walking the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Trail is a great way to see the city, taking in a concentration of his renowned creations.
Start your day exploring the stunning art nouveau Mackintosh at the Willow tea rooms on Sauchiehall Street, which reopened in 2018 after a meticulous renovation. Here, visitors can enjoy an afternoon tea in the salon before taking in a guided tour of the building and exploring an interactive exhibition. Then it’s time to head west to the Mackintosh House – this beautiful reassembly of interiors from the artist’s home is at the Hunterian Art Gallery, a part of the stunning campus of the University of Glasgow, which was inaugurated in 1451.
Just a short stroll away, through Kelvingrove Park – one of the city’s most beautiful green spaces – you’ll find the world-famous Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Here, you’ll see outstanding artworks by some of Scotland’s finest painters, including FCB Cadell and Sir Henry Raeburn, and a fantastic collection of Mackintosh objects and furniture in the Mackintosh and Glasgow Style gallery.
While you’re west of the city centre, visit Ashton Lane, the cobbled alley behind Byres Road, and home to some of the West End’s best pubs, restaurants and bars. After a day of exploring, delve into Glasgow’s nightlife at world-renowned music venues, including the Barrowland Ballroom, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, and Òran Mór, each hosting some of the UK’s biggest musical acts.
Where to stay
Located between the city centre and the West End, Hilton Glasgow is right by the city’s cultural highlights and fun-filled nightlife. The hotel has a number of dining options, including the Whisky Mist Bar & Kitchen, where cocktails are also on the menu. There’s a Health and Fitness Club, offering an impressive 15-metre swimming pool, a sauna and a steam room, as well as a range of wellness services, including massages, facials and beauty treatments. Meanwhile, DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central is a stone’s throw away from Glasgow’s best shopping area – Buchanan Street. The hotel’s Cask & Clyde restaurant offers classic dishes with a contemporary Scottish twist, all served with a side of the famous friendly Glaswegian hospitality. It’s also one of the few centrally located hotels in Glasgow with guest parking – so ideal if you travel to the city by car.
Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – the Caledonian, known locally as ‘the Caley’
Edinburgh
Famed for its Fringe festival every August, Edinburgh is known to most as Scotland’s cultural – and actual – capital, but to see the best the city has to offer, locals will argue the best time to visit Edinburgh is at the very start of the year, during the tourist off-season when the city can sometimes feel like yours – and yours alone – to explore.
There is, of course, Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile to see. Perched atop Castle Rock, it’s the city’s most famous attraction, offering stunning views across the city centre and New Town and, on a clear day, to Leith and the Firth of Forth. For added fun, time your visit to the castle to see the firing of the One O’Clock Gun, which can be heard across the city daily (except on Sundays).
Edinburgh is also home to some of Scotland’s best art collections, with the four National Galleries of Scotland – the National, Modern One, Modern Two, and Portrait – all within walking distance of the city centre. If museums are more your thing, don’t miss the National Museum of Scotland, where you say hello to Dolly the sheep (taxidermied).
If you want to get out and spend time in nature, Edinburgh is perfect for that, too. One of the city’s most iconic views is from the top of Arthur’s Seat, in the enormous 260-hectare (650-acre) Holyrood Park. From the peak of this ancient volcano, which sits 251 metres above sea level, you get the best 360-degree views of Edinburgh and the Lothians. The walk itself is a great way to get out and enjoy Scotland’s natural beauty this winter, passing the medieval remains of St Anthony’s chapel and the ducks and swans on Duddingston Loch. There’s an array of paths and trails to follow that are suitable for all, including some that are both wheelchair- and buggy-accessible.
After a long day of walking around the city, you’ve probably earned yourself a tipple – and there’s no better place to sample Scotland’s finest export than at the flagship Johnnie Walker Princes Street. This immersive experience stretches across eight floors of the former Jenners department store building in the heart of the city. Here, you can explore the history of whisky in Scotland and sample an astonishing range of scotch whiskies and cocktails – perfect for ending a day of discovery in the capital.
Where to stay
Opened in 1903, Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – the Caledonian hotel was originally part of Edinburgh’s main railway station, operated by the Caledonian Railway Company. Known affectionately as “the Caley”, the building became one of the most esteemed hotels in Edinburgh. With the beautiful Waldorf Astoria Spa, three incredible restaurants, and the Caley cocktail bar paying tribute to the hotel’s Victorian past, there’s plenty to explore before you’ve even set foot outside. If you’re arriving by air, you’ll find DoubleTree by Hilton Edinburgh Airport supremely convenient. Half a mile from the airport and less than 40 minutes to the city centre by tram, the hotel is well-connected by public transport. Guests can enjoy the indoor pool, fitness centre and all-day dining at the Space restaurant, before taking the free airport shuttle service at the end of their stay.
Enjoy the fresh air and Scottish countryside at DoubleTree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro. Photograph: Iain Forrest Photography
Dunblane
If you’re torn between Glasgow’s west-coast cool and Edinburgh’s east-coast charm, why not explore central Scotland? Dunblane, a small town in picturesque Stirlingshire, is a great place to stay if you want to immerse yourself in the country’s history and nature – surrounded by frost-covered glens and snow-capped peaks, it’s also less than an hour away from Edinburgh and Glasgow city centres.
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Dunblane has been important in Scotland’s history since the seventh century. It was a major stronghold of the pre-Reformation church, as evidenced by its stunning largely 13th-century cathedral, one of Scotland’s finest examples of gothic architecture. The cathedral is surrounded by a clutch of old-world buildings, including the 17th-century Dean’s House, which contains the tiny cathedral museum with exhibits on local history that will delight any history buff.
Explore farther south to nearby Stirling, and you’ll discover the National Wallace Monument, one of Scotland’s most distinctive landmarks. Standing 67 metres tall, with 246 steps to climb if you want to reach the top, the Wallace monument overlooks the fields where William Wallace led his troops to victory against the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. It houses an exhibition telling the story of the patriot and martyr who became Scotland’s national hero.
Where to stay
Undoubtedly one of Scotland’s most beautiful country hotels, DoubleTree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro was first opened in 1878 as a Victorian health spa resort and became popular among Scotland’s upper classes, who would travel to drink the local spring water and enjoy a range of hydropathic treatments. Today, the hotel’s still just as popular, with guests coming to experience the beautiful countryside, fresh air, and the gastronomic delights of the Kailyard restaurant, run by celebrity chef Nick Nairn.
Discover Scotland in the new year with a stay at a Hilton hotel