You’re always guaranteed to have a bonny holiday in Scotland. Though it's a small country, it has an incredibly strong culture and heritage that is palpable the moment you step foot across the border. With excellent whisky, postcard-worthy wilderness and famously friendly Scottish faces around every corner, one visit here will put Scotland on your mental vacation map for the rest of your life. And even better, Plum Guide has a variety of memorable homes for you to stay in which will take your trip to the next level. Here’s our pick of the most unique stays in Scotland.
Our Northernmost listing with friendly local wildlife
Set in the giddy heights of the Scottish highlands, this is the northernmost Scottish listing Plum Guide has – and it’s a true charmer. Situated in a secluded location among the peaks and troughs of the highland landscape, it has tastefully traditional interiors and a dining table that will sit all of your family and friends as well as spare seats for late arrivals to dinner. The best thing about this property are the views, which stretch as far as the eye can see over green hills and (if you're lucky) blue skies.
The amenities are flawless, with a business centre and a private gym on site, but the real talking point are the fluffy ginger Highland cows which roam nearby and will obligingly stand still to be photographed for next year’s Christmas card while they munch on some grass.
Up in the Highlands, Plum Guide home in Scotland
A fairytale castle in a national park
If you’re blessed with a little one who’s obsessed with princesses (be prepared: this phase goes on for quite a while), they’ll squeal when they get their first glance of our property The Legacy Of Tartan (with a name like that, how could you fail to be impressed?) because it truly does look like a fairytale castle. Turrets and all.
Ben Macdui, Ballater, The Highlands of Scotland
The home is situated in one of the most beautiful places in the UK, Cairngorms National Park, home to Britain’s second tallest mountain, Ben Macdui. The home’s interiors are National Trust-worthy, and the grounds contain a Victorian walled garden just begging to be strolled around while you sip a sunset glass of wine. Late-night shenanigans can be found via the games room with a pool table (if you let us break first, we’ll fetch the next round of drinks).
The Legacy of Tartan, Plum Guide home in Aberdeenshire, Scotland
A coastal hideaway with four poster beds
When you’re planning your unique stay in Scotland, it pays to not forget the coast. The gem of a place to stay is named Atop The Ayrshire Cliffs, and that describes its location perfectly. A tall, white tower, it benefits from sweeping views of the very blue sea.
The property very much leans into its grand Scottish heritage, so bring your finest kilt to wear to dinner. Interior highlights include the old Aga in the kitchen, perfect for warming up next to after a chilly walk, the deep bathtub made from the same stones as the walls and the four poster beds in almost every room. You’ll sleep like the lairds and ladies you are in your hearts.
Atop The Ayrshire Cliffs, Plum Guide home in Scotland
A gallery-like space in the heart of the capital
Sometimes, you just have to stay right at the heart of the action. Plum Guide has many fabulous homes available in Edinburgh, but this stylish flat is definitely one of the most unique stays in Scotland thanks to its inimitable modern-art filled interiors.
Boats on water in front of terraced buildings in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Decorated in extremely chic neutrals, your holiday photos of your trip here will impress your most stylish friend, the one who always wears black and goes to Paris for fashion week every year. Set in a sandstone townhouse halfway between Leith and the Old Town, it’s perfectly located for Edinburgh’s many cafes, bars and restaurants. Once you’re done flitting around Edinburgh’s buzzing cultural and social scene, you can retreat to this peaceful property to relax.
Friendly Strangers, Plum Guide home in Edinburgh
A loch-side paradise in Killin
Scotland is famous for many things (notably an impressive hangovers-per-visitor rate, thanks to its excellent whisky), but its lochs are one of its biggest selling points. And this unique stay in Scotland is right on the edge of the beautiful Loch Tay, near the town of Killin.
The surroundings of this property are truly wild, with verdant woods and countryside extending around it. Inside, the house is very well provisioned, with a secluded terrace overlooking the water, an outdoor hot tub, a yoga studio and a games room on site. The warm interiors feel cosy and welcoming, and the large windows along every wall means the whole house has a constant sense of the seasons and nature surrounding it, which is a lovely thing to experience if you spend most of your days locked inside an overlit office earning money so you can take holidays like these.
Lochside, Plum Guide home in Loch Tay, Scotland
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