Move over, whisky — this Scottish adventure celebrates two of our favorite things: fiber and gin

The "knitting pins" represent Scotland's rich textile traditions. We'll meet indie dyers and makers in their studios, browse welcoming yarn shops, explore historic textiles, and enjoy hands-on workshops that connect us with the people keeping these skills alive.

The "gins" showcase another side of modern Scotland. We'll visit a craft distillery and sample distinctive spirits inspired by coastal botanicals, woodland herbs, and the rich earth of Scotland's east coast.

The landscape here is gentle and fertile, and we'll seldom be far from the sea. From city vibes to picturesque harbor villages, formal gardens to sandy beaches, we'll encounter a true taste of lowland Scotland. All that and we’ll still have room for handmade chocolates and the best fish and chips...

This trip has been announced as a "Go!" Unless otherwise stated, our regular Terms and Conditions apply to this trip and for any cancellations.

Please Note

Rowan Tree Travel reserves the right to alter any part of this itinerary in order to address weather conditions, unforeseen circumstances or to improve the participant experience.

While our Tour Activity Level describes what to expect on a tour, our Mobility Comfort Level is personal to each traveler.

We would describe this trip as a Wooly Wander with a mobility comfort level of 3+. Be prepared for short walks on uneven or muddy ground, or cobbles. Several old properties we visit have steep stairs. One of our two hotels does not have an elevator and most of its bedrooms are one flight up.

Rowan Tree Travel highly recommends purchasing travel insurance. You may purchase through our preferred partner Arch RoamRight here or through your own provider.  

*Arch RoamRight is an affiliate of RTTF and we will receive a small commission for policies bought through the provided link.

In order to gather easily for the tour, we provide an arrival and departure "window" at a major transportation hub - typically an international airport at your destination country. Flights scheduled outside the provided windows may result in additional transportation costs and/or missed tour activities. For this reason, we greatly appreciate your cooperation in booking travel that accommodates our specifications. 

This tour will start and end in Edinburgh, UK. Flight details will be provided upon registration and confirmed once the tour has been declared a go.

Please do not purchase airfare until the tour is guaranteed by RTTF to go forward.

EARLY ARRIVAL OPTION - EDINBURGH

If you prefer to arrive in the city a day ahead of the tour start, we’re happy to arrange a night’s stay, including breakfast, at our accommodation in the center of Edinburgh.

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 a traditional Sunday lunch. Set up for the afternoon, you are free to go forth and explore further in this quirky old neighborhood, or simply find a comfortable spot to get those knitting pins out!

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

On Monday we've a trip into the countryside to meet a couple of our favorite yarn dyers 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 by the water: it's a delicious tipple, elegantly bottled. We'll enjoy a tour, a cocktail and a sample or two.

On Tuesday we'll take a short walk from our hotel 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-riss) 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 in her colorwork patterns.

From there it's a short hop to the village which you may recognize from the Outlander series. We'll take time to explore the steep cobbled streets, find a little lunch, and visit the quirky brightly painted Palace before we continue on our way across the county to our seaside home for the next three nights.

Today we'll spend time in the picturesque little corner of Fife known as the East Neuk.

A modest castle is calling us - one with medieval walls, Victorian style interiors and an Arts & Crafts garden no less.

Then a few minutes' drive will find us in the coastal village of Pittenweem. Here you can visit the well stocked little yarn store, check out the chocolate cafe, and explore the many steep lanes down to the harbor. In the next village along the coast, Anstruther, we've another knitting-related appointment before we drive on to St Andrews where we'll ultimately have dinner with a sea view.

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 hear more of its history and present day practice over refreshments, soak up the patterns and threads adorning the walls, and visit the workshop room with its antique textile treasures.

Keeping with the theme of capable women, we'll then head off to a Royal Hunting Lodge, beloved by Mary Queen of Scots. Falkland Palace sits plum in the middle of the village. There's lots to explore from the physic garden to the 'real tennis' court to the chapel and furnished rooms in the palace and some intriguing wee stores in the village.

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? Your 'knitting pins' will cry out for them!

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 works, completed in 2014, were woven by artisans from around the globe!

We'll carry on back to our comfortable Edinburgh hotel in time to seek out a little dinner.

We'll make a foray close to the border with England for our final day, with textile creativity to the fore.

In the morning we'll take our time at The Great Tapestry of Scotland. This huge project is displayed in a well designed and well lit gallery, allowing us to get up close to each of the 160 panels. They were created by 1000 stitchers across the country, using 300 miles of woolen threads. It took two years to create and was unveiled in 2013.

Early afternoon will find us at an animal assisted activity and crafting center where we'll enjoy a lively textile workshop, meet the alpacas and rare Castlemilk Moorit sheep, visit the dye garden and the fleece & fiber hub.

In Edinburgh we'll gather for a farewell dinner at one of our favorite restaurants close to the hotel.

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.