Gin is the new whisky in Scotland – and you can plan an entire holiday around it
In Scotland, you ll find artisanal gin, ace scenery and serious road trip magic. Plus as of April 26, the border with England is open again
25 April 2021 • 5:00am
Friends enjoy a gin overlooking the Torridon Hills in the far north-west of Scotland
Credit: Matt Buckley/Highland Liquor Company Ltd/
Readying to batten down the hatches for what I thought would be a few short weeks back in March of last year, I stocked up on essentials: a case of Casa Herradura Plata tequila, a couple of crates of brutally oaked chardonnay that no one else would ever want a glass from and the wild card – a few bottles of Scottish gin. Isle of Raasay Gin to be precise, made on the small island between Skye and the mainland, with juniper, rhubarb root, citrus peel and various other local botanicals.
Southeast Asia’s first One&Only property occupies a prime beachfront location at Desaru Coast, a recently revived holiday enclave on the southeast shores of the Malay Peninsula. With a clean-lined tropical aesthetic that draws on Malaysia’s kampong (village) vernacular, it’s a dazzling achievement by Singapore-based Kerry Hill Architects, which continues its late founder’s celebrated brand of sitesensitive modernism. The resort debuted in September as the most exclusive address on the coast, with just 44 suites and a four-bedroom villa. Surrounded by 51 hectares of wild tropical flora, dining options range from contemporary Japanese to Mediterranean and Malaysian, while the spa, by Swiss-based wellness firm Chenot, blends scientific diagnostics with traditional Chinese and alternative medicines. Another draw? A one-anda-half-kilometer stretch of pristine beach overlooking the South China Sea.
This astonishingly beautiful Highland hotel is the ultimate winter getaway for art and nature lovers
Neighbour to the Queen s Balmoral estate, there is nothing quite like this magical property nestled between the vast Cairngorms
The Fife Arms hotel in Braemar
Credit: SIMPHOTOGRAPHY
By the time you get to Braemar, whether you take the train, drive - or cycle through the misty Sma’ Glen and over Glenshee, like I did on a bold-minded whim - you’ll already have been immersed in the wild landscape of the Cairngorms for some time.
These are the Scottish Highlands, where wind whips through wispy moors of heather, ancient Caledonian forests appear to whisper and stags roam the foothills of the mountains that preside over the land, old as time. It is a magical region made up of nature and lore and history.