Wake up in a castle. Not a hotel that looks like one. Six nights in Sir Walter Scott's own house on the River Tweed — his rooms, his gardens, and the Borders he wrote into legend, held just for us.
In 1811, Sir Walter Scott began buying up farmland on the banks of the Tweed and building the house that would become Abbotsford — part home, part reliquary, part stage set for the Scotland he was busy inventing in ink. He called it his "Conundrum Castle."
Co-hosted by Becky Peters of Moments in Bloom and Aimee Scott of Vacations with Aimee, the week is held by two advisors who know exactly how to take care of a group of women — down to the smallest detail. A private chef cooks for us in house all week, so there's nowhere to be and nothing to plan at mealtime — just good food, made for us, at home.
For one week in July, the Hope Scott Wing — the house's private residential wing — belongs entirely to us. Sixteen women, eight rooms, a library, a walled garden, and the river running past exactly as it did when Scott wrote it into being. This trip is for Scotland lovers and enthusiasts of every kind — it brings together a great deal of Scotland's magic, history, and hospitality, with a cinematic touch.
Abbotsford isn't just where you'll sleep — it's a working monument to one of Scotland's greatest storytellers. Scott filled the house with armor, relics, and a library of some 9,000 volumes, gathering the raw material for Waverley and Ivanhoe under his own roof.
The walled garden still grows the way it did in Scott's day, the armory hall still holds the weapons and heraldry he collected across a lifetime, and the river Tweed still runs exactly where he wrote it. It's the difference between visiting a museum and actually living inside the story.
The dining room, the library, the walled garden, and a few more corners of the house you'll be staying in.
The magic starts day two, not day six. Two full excursions, a lighter Borders day, and generous open time — the house itself is meant to be lived in, not rushed past. Beds are made and rooms tidied daily.
Settle into Abbotsford through the afternoon, wander the walled gardens, and gather for a welcome dinner as the week begins. Our group transfer leaves Edinburgh Airport at 3:00pm — please plan to land before then so you don't miss it.
Included · Airport Transfer, Departs EDI 3:00pm Meals · Welcome DinnerA transfer takes us into Edinburgh for the day — from there, the day is entirely yours. Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, Holyrood, the closes, the shops of New Town — explore however and wherever you like, on your own schedule. As evening falls, we'll reconvene for a haunted ghost tour through the Old Town's closes and vaults. The return transfer to Abbotsford departs after the ghost tour, so plan to spend the full day and evening in the city.
Included · Transfer to Edinburgh (Free Day) Included · Evening Ghost Tour & Return Transfer Meals · Breakfast (On Your Own in Edinburgh After)A relaxed start — coffee and a mid-morning brunch at Abbotsford. From there, we head to Traquair House, Scotland's oldest continuously inhabited house, to tour the house itself and its centuries-old working brewery. Mary, Queen of Scots stayed here in 1566 with her infant son, the future James VI & I, and the cradle he slept in is still on show. On the way back to Abbotsford, a stop at Melrose Abbey, the elegant ruin at the heart of the Borders.
Included · Traquair House, Brewery & Melrose Abbey Meals · Breakfast, Brunch & DinnerA private full-day Outlander tour of the series' filming locations — Doune Castle, Midhope Castle, and Blackness Castle — with a guide chosen specially for us. Lunch is included.
Included · Full-Day Outlander Tour & Lunch Meals · Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerA relaxed morning at Abbotsford, then Highland coos in the afternoon. As twilight falls, we travel to Jupiter Artland's sculpture park for a candlelit dinner deep in the woodland — lantern-lit paths, a three-course feast beneath the trees, and an evening unlike any other on the trip.
Included · Highland Coos (PM) + Fairy Dinner at Jupiter Artland Meals · Breakfast, Lunch & Fairy DinnerAn open day to rest, pack slowly, and say what needs saying — closing with a farewell dinner at the house before everyone scatters home.
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch & Farewell DinnerFarewells over one final morning at Abbotsford before heading home. Our group transfer leaves Abbotsford at 8:00am — if you're flying out today, please don't book a flight departing before noon.
Included · Transfer Departs Abbotsford 8:00am Meals · BreakfastNothing to book, nothing to pay for locally — with one exception: on the Edinburgh day, meals are on you, since it's a free day to explore the city at your own pace. Everything else below is already built into your room rate.
Doune Castle, Midhope Castle, and Blackness Castle — a private guided day with someone who brings the real history alongside the screen version. Lunch is included.
A transfer takes us into the city for the day, and the day is yours — the castle, the Royal Mile, Holyrood, New Town, or nothing at all. No set itinerary, just Edinburgh at your own pace.
As evening falls, a walk through the Old Town's haunted closes and underground vaults — then the group transfer back to Abbotsford, which departs once the tour ends.
A close encounter with Scotland's famously shaggy Highland cattle, worked into the afternoon before our fairy dinner in the woods.
Two Borders landmarks in one day. Traquair House, Scotland's oldest continuously inhabited house, has welcomed twenty-seven monarchs, among them Mary, Queen of Scots, who stayed here in 1566 with her infant son, the future James VI & I — the cradle he slept in is still on display. We tour the house and its working brewery, then stop at Melrose Abbey, the elegant ruin at the heart of the Borders.
A lantern-lit walk into Jupiter Artland's sculpture-park woodland for a candlelit three-course dinner beneath the trees as twilight falls.
Eight rooms available, each with its own character — from the signature Maxwell Scott suite to the more modest Lady Scott and Dressing Room. Pricing is per person for the full six nights.
Nearly everything is included in your room rate — six nights, chef-prepared meals, daily housekeeping, airport transfers, and every excursion listed above. A $2,000 per-person non-refundable deposit holds your room, with the balance due by April 1, 2027. Prefer the room to yourself? Reserve with the same deposit and we'll invoice the adjusted single-occupancy balance. See our full cancellation and refund policy.
Fly into Edinburgh (EDI). Airport transfers to and from Abbotsford are included as part of the retreat. On arrival day, the group transfer leaves Edinburgh Airport at 3:00pm — please plan to land before then so you don't miss it. On departure day, the transfer leaves Abbotsford at 8:00am — please don't book a flight home departing before noon, so you have enough time to make it to the airport.
A women's retreat for up to 16 women across eight rooms — small enough for real connection. Open to women ages 18 and up.
Six nights' accommodation, daily housekeeping, every excursion above, meals throughout the week (except lunch and dinner on the Edinburgh day), with all ground logistics handled for you.
Our private chef cooks for us at Abbotsford all week — breakfast every day (brunch where indicated on the itinerary), lunch on our full days at home, and dinner most nights. Meals are casual and relaxed, with two elevated welcome and farewell dinners. Lunch on the Outlander day and the fairy dinner at Jupiter Artland are included with those outings. The only meals on your own are lunch and dinner on our day in Edinburgh.
A $2,000 per-person deposit secures your room, with the remaining balance due by April 1, 2027. The deposit is non-refundable. Use the "Reserve This Room" button on your chosen room above to check out.
Gratuities for our private chef, drivers, and on-site staff are never required. We'll also collect for a gratuities pool in person at Abbotsford to be shared out over the week, or you're welcome to prepay your share as an optional add-on right on your room's checkout page.
Reserving a double and covering your roommate's deposit too? Add the optional "Ink & Heather Roommate Deposit" at checkout on your room's Reserve page to pay both deposits in one transaction. Paying separately instead? Your roommate can submit her own deposit directly at Ink & Heather Roommate Deposit — she'll just select your room and enter your name at checkout.
Abbotsford's historic rooms and gardens are open to the public daily, 10am–5pm (last entry 4pm), during our stay. We'll be staying in the private, residential Hope Scott Wing — a separate part of the house that day visitors and museum-goers cannot access.
Choose your room below and reserve it directly — each room has its own secure checkout, and a $2,000 per-person non-refundable deposit holds your spot, with the balance due by April 1, 2027. Once these eight rooms are gone, this exact retreat doesn't run again.