HOTEL INSIDER: Turin Castle, Scotland
Located north of Dundee in the outskirts of Forfar, Turin Castle is a dream escape for a group in search of quintessential Scottish culture. With ten rooms, butler service, a private bar, wine and whisky cellars, plus stunning common spaces and grounds, Turin is the perfect destination to settle in for a week of castle life in the countryside.
DESTINATION: FORFAR, SCOTLAND
Much of Scotland’s allure belongs to the landscapes and countryside that have made it famous along with the age-old draws of golf and Scotch. For us, Turin was our base for taking in all of these elements with simple day trips to St. Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns, plus visits to quaint Scottish towns and independent distilleries nearby.
Scotland offers a slew of castle hotel properties but there’s something exquisitely special about having an entire castle to yourself. Turin Castle is designed for Exclusive Use, allowing visitors to take over all 10 rooms for their group. We visited Turin with a total of 6 couples for a weeklong stay, and filled our time with golf outings, whisky tastings (off and on-site), falconry, game nights, fabulous dinners, and a Murder Mystery party.
Scott & I stayed in the MacCallan Suite which was beyond exceptional. The rooms generally each have their own dedicated bathroom (some, like ours, involved walking across the hall). Butler service is encouraged for the full experience and the butler team we had really made our stay extra special! Daily housekeeping is included and concierge services are available through the ownership team who know Scotland’s in and outs intimately.
Turin is not located in a city center which means dining nearby is extremely limited. We had a private chef for the week (on offer when renting the castle) which was the perfect approach. We ate breakfast and dinner on-site daily with dinner menus and concepts varying each night. We opted for some lunches on-site but generally found ourselves out during the days which allowed us to explore easily by day and relax with wine and whisky by night.
Turin Castle offers a wine cellar and a whisky room downstairs along with a bar for mingling. On-site whisky tastings with a guide can be arranged. For those opting for the private chef approach (definitely recommended), wines are available in the cellar generally at cost or with very little markup. With advanced planning, you can arrange for the Turin team to bring in your preferred wines that reflect your palate and price point.
Planning your getaway to Scotland? Here’s some inspiration for your Scottish getaway (+ bonus inspo from other British outposts):
👉🏼 Interested in booking Turin Castle? Pop me an email to say hello so I can assist with checking availability and chatting with the team!
Number of Rooms: 10 rooms and suites (Exclusive Use required) Cost Per Night: From £7,500/night Must-Try Eats & Drinks: The BBQ night was a highlight for us with an exceptional spread! Castle Highlights: For a wow welcome, book the piper for arrival for your group. Don’t miss the whisky and wine cellars in the house and the option for doing a whisky-tasting on-site with a master. Worth the Investment? For my multi-gen and group travelers, this is a super special splurge experience that is made more doable when traveling with a group to help split the costs. Note that rooms are not all equitable if that has any bearing on how your group splits things! Points Perks: Unaffiliated, independent castle. Reach out to me so we can talk about incorporating this hotel into a broader Scotland itinerary.
