On our first day we'll start our explorations of Scotland's capital city with a stroll along part of the historic Royal Mile in the Old Town. This cobbled street reaches from the commanding Castle at the top, past many notable landmarks to the Palace of Holyroodhouse at its foot.

A fascinating 17th Century property along the way will give us a taste of life way back in the day and we'll wander downhill thereafter to seek out and enjoy a traditional Sunday lunch. Set up for the afternoon, you are free to go forth and explore further?

These days in and around the city will keep us busy.

We've a trip into the countryside to meet a couple of our favorite yarn vendors in their own quirky workspaces. From there it's off to the Leith area of the city which was a hugely busy port in days gone by. Our gin distillery of choice lies here and we'll sample some on a guided tour.

On Tuesday we'll take a short walk to a studio space for two hands-on wooly experiences. Stitching on knitwear is a growing trend and a rather useful mending skill. Richa will lead us through individual projects so we can carry on the good work on our own knits in future.

Later we'll meet Lucy who is renowned for her Celtic cables. Her sample pieces are artworks in their own right and she'll explain her passion and some of the painstaking techniques involved in perfecting her designs.

Departing from our comfortable city hotel, we'll head for the Firth of Forth, crossing over the water to the Kingdom of Fife. The village of Culross awaits (pronounced Coo-russ) but first we'll meet Veronica . She has a small mixed flock whose fleece is commercially spun. With it she performs alchemy with natural dyes, creating lush soft shades which work beautifully together.

From there it's a short hop to the village which you may recognize from the Outlander series. There's time here to explore the steep cobbled streets, find lunch, and visit the little palace before we continue on our way across the county to our home for the next three nights.

Today we'll spend time in the little corner of Fife known as the East Neuk. A castle is calling us - one with medieval walls, Victorian style interiors and an Arts & Crafts garden no less.

A few minutes' drive will find us in the coastal villages of Pittenweem and Anstruther. Here we'll visit an inspiring wee yarn store and view knitwear with tales to tell before our final stop of the day in St Andrews.

Wemyss School of Needlework was founded in 1877 to teach needlework skills to the daughters of the miners and farmers in the area so that they could earn a living and be independent. We'll visit to soak up the patterns and threads adorning the walls, and the workshop room with its antique textile treasures.

From there we're off to a Royal Hunting Lodge, beloved by Mary Queen of Scots...

A great way to start the morning is to meet the cutest angora goats you ever did see on a Fife farm and then to squish the delicious yarns produced from their fiber. Can you leave without a cuddle and a skein or two?

Then, by way of contrast from carrot-munching goats, we're off to visit iconic Stirling Castle, perched high on a volcanic crag. Look out for the magnificent handwoven tapestries, inspired by the medieval Hunt of the Unicorn series. These vibrant woven works, completed in 2014, were woven by artisans from around the globe!

A foray down to the borderlands today, with textile creativity to the fore.

In the morning we'll take our time at The Great Tapestry of Scotland: 160 panels created by 1000 stitchers across the country, using 300 miles of woolen threads.

Early afternoon will find us at a favorite venue where we'll enjoy a textile workshop, meet the alpacas and rare Castlemilk Moorit sheep, visit the dye garden and the fleece & fiber hub.

Once you have squeezed all those skeins (and bottles?) into your luggage, you are good to go. We hope you travel home with many happy memories of this taste of Scotland. There's lots more to see - haste ye back!

LINDSAY ROBERTS

Fiber Ambassador, Scotland

Lindsay, aka  “The Border Tart”, is a stitcher, a printer, a maker and a lover of words. Inspired by color and pattern and passionate about world artisans and textiles, she values most highly all things made by hand. She’s a proponent of mindful stitching and hand work of all kinds. In her words, “Making with your own hands brings pleasure, calms the heart rate and imbues each piece with love.” You’ll find her images, thoughts and adventures on Instagram at @bordertart. We’re so pleased to collaborate with this wonderful Scottish artisan and teacher.  

HELEN HART

Fiber Ambassador, Shetland

Helen’s love of fiber started early, back when her grandfather taught her to make tiny woolen dolls complete with miniature sweaters knitted on toothpicks. It’s fair to say she’s been wool-obsessed ever since, and life on a croft in the Shetland Islands has only encouraged the habit. With a flock of native Shetland sheep in every natural color imaginable, she’s never short of inspiration… or fleece.

On any given day you might catch Helen spinning, knitting, weaving, felting, crocheting - or occasionally all of the above when she’s meant to be doing something sensible. She’s equally passionate about the Viking period and ancient textile skills, especially nalbinding, which she teaches at Shetland Wool Week. When she’s not tending sheep or playing with wool, you’ll find her out on foot, roaming Shetland’s rugged moorland and wild coastal paths: the remote landscape that inspires her craft and that she loves to share with visitors.

If you’d like to discover more about Helen’s life amongst the peat smoke, sea winds, and sublime beauty of the Shetland landscape, you can find her on Facebook and Instagram as HartofShetland.