Explorer le Gleneagles

Ce majestueux palais du XVe siècle est le lieu de naissance de Marie, reine d'Écosse, et on dit qu'il est hanté par sa mère, Marie de Guise. Aujourd'hui, 450 ans plus tard, il est en ruines, sans toit, mais il suffit d'un peu d'imagination pour évoquer ce palais spectaculaire à son apogée, lorsqu'il était la résidence des rois Stewart. Le palais est situé à côté d'un loch, où il est possible de louer des bateaux, dans un parc attrayant parsemé de sculptures et d'une magnifique fontaine, ce qui en fait un endroit idéal pour une promenade.

Il y a environ 1 500 ans, Scone (prononcer scoun) était la capitale de l'ancien royaume picte et, depuis le Moyen-Âge, les rois d'Écosse y étaient couronnés sur la pierre du destin. Le palais qui s'y trouve aujourd'hui a été construit au début des années 1800 et se trouve dans de beaux terrains et jardins qui comprennent un pinetum (un bosquet de pins avec des variétés du monde entier) et un labyrinthe. Des visites guidées du palais et de ses trésors sont proposées, ainsi qu'une boutique et un restaurant informel situé dans les anciennes cuisines. Le palais de Scone se trouve à seulement 35 minutes du Gleneagles.

Situé au cœur du magnifique Perthshire des Highlands, le château de Blair se trouve à un peu plus d'une heure au nord du Gleneagles. Le magnifique domaine d'Atholl, dont le château fait partie, accueille plus de visiteurs que tout autre en Écosse. Explorez le château avec une visite guidée des greniers ou profitez de son vaste domaine. De nombreuses activités sont également proposées, des safaris en Land Rover à la pêche. Chaque année, au mois d'août, le château de Blair accueille l'International Horse Trails and Country Fair, l'un des événements équestres les plus prestigieux du Royaume-Uni, un spectacle de quatre jours qui attire plus de 40 000 visiteurs.

Représentant l'une des attractions touristiques les plus populaires d'Écosse, le château de Stirling est également l'un des plus grands du pays et revêt une grande importance historique. Construit aux XIVe et XVe siècles, son emplacement magnifique sur le promontoire d'un rocher lui conférait une position défensive solide et une vue panoramique. Récemment, une rénovation de 12 millions de livres sterling a permis à six des appartements royaux de retrouver l'apparence qu'ils avaient au milieu du XVIe siècle : une véritable expérience de retour dans le temps ! Des visites guidées gratuites sont disponibles et vous permettront de faire le tour du château à votre propre rythme grâce à des itinéraires audio individuels en plusieurs langues.

For many people, autumn is their favourite time to get out for a woodland walk. The sun is low in the sky, with its slanting rays penetrating further into the wood than in summer. If you can combine woods with water you can get some stunning reflections. Here are some of our favourites:

All these walks are within a short distance of Gleneagles – our Guest Relations team will be pleased to give you directions, or our Concierge team can take you there.

Les jeux traditionnels des Highlands allient cornemuse, danse des Highlands, épreuves de force, athlétisme et grand concours de cornemuses. Il y aura également un grand événement de clôture avec des fanfares.

In the 1700’s Crieff was the cattle-droving crossroads of Scotland. Every year hundreds of people – and thousands of cattle – would converge on Crieff in October for the great Michaelmas Fair.

The Drovers’ Tryst Festival celebrates the lives of those hard working people, with a variety of guided walks around the beautiful autumn countryside around Crieff and strathearn. There is also a mountain biking competition, lots of social events, a photography competition and much more.

Le pittoresque Loch Tay est au cœur de terres caractérisées par des superlatifs, avec la plus haute montagne du Perthshire, la plus longue rivière d'Écosse, le plus long et le plus beau vallon des Highlands et le plus ancien résident vivant d'Europe (c'est un arbre), pour n'en citer que quelques-uns.

L'Écosse est un pays fantastique à explorer à pied, et notre équipe de chauffeurs peut vous conduire à un certain nombre de lieux d'intérêt locaux pour que vous puissiez commencer votre promenade. Nous vous présentons ici quelques circuits populaires, et bien sûr notre équipe de concierges dévoués sera ravie de vous en conseiller d'autres.

Ramblers Scotland fait partie de The Ramblers, une organisation caritative qui aide tout le monde, partout, à profiter de la marche et protège les endroits où nous aimons tous nous promener. Elle se consacre à l'entretien des sentiers et des espaces verts, à l'organisation de promenades, et encourage chacun d'entre nous à sortir et à découvrir comment la marche peut améliorer notre santé et faire notre bonheur.

For a truly local experience, head to The Kirkstyle Inn. With its open fire and strong selection of brews on tap, it has a charming atmosphere and is the perfect post-walk pitstop. The best seats in the house are at the bar, where you can watch the team at work, ask all the questions you like about the best beers and be in easy reach of the next packet of crisps. 

Started by two Gleneagles alumni, The Coorie Inn is the kind of pub everyone wishes was their local. Here the emphasis is on produce, with the team looking for ways to incorporate local and seasonal ingredients into their plates. From using their own honey to sourcing Scottish game, every element is carefully considered. Expect cosy fires and an elevated menu that seamlessly blends Scottish and French dining principles. 

With its manicured gardens and fairytale turrets, Drummond Castle has long been the subject of much interest from history buffs and horticulturists. In 2024 its profile was given a little extra polish with the castle getting the fashion set’s seal of approval from Dior, who showed their 2025 Cruise Collection in its grounds. It was the first time the French fashion house had returned to Scotland since Monsieur Dior himself showed his collection in Gleneagles’ Ballroom in 1955.

Named after Lady Mary Murray, whose family owned land here in the early 19th century, this pretty walk is a local favourite. The three and a half mile route takes you past some of the most beautiful woodlands in the country, with many of the larger trees having reached the grand old age of 150 or more. Look out for the particularly picturesque bank of mature oak, beech, lime and sweet chestnut trees that fringe the side of the River Earn.  

As our neighbours and friends, we hold a special relationship with the team at Glenturret. Here you’ll find the only other two-Michelin-star restaurant in Scotland besides our own, Andrew Fairlie. It’s also the country’s oldest working distillery, carefully preserved to allow you a fascinating insight into the traditional production process that’s behind its award-winning bottles. Our connection extends to the joint venture of our Limited-Edition Trilogy Series which they bottled for us in 2023. 

Available from The Stillroom

It’s hard to miss Ems & Co., given its heaving pastry display in the window that changes daily depending on what’s in season. At the helm is one of the country’s most talented pastry chefs, so you’re guaranteed a good treat here. Stop by after a local walk and take your pick from creations like a cherry and yoghurt cake or a Strawberry and hazelnut Paris-Brest. Just leave some for the rest of us. 

As Donald Matheson was dreaming up Gleneagles in the early 1900s, down the road in Dollar another trailblazer was creating their own unique Scottish scene. Explorer Ella Christie had just returned from Japan and set about creating one of the finest examples of a Japanese garden in the UK. The secret to her success was hiring Taki Handa, a fellow female gardener and a scholar from the Royal School of Garden Design at Nagoya. It became the first and only garden of its size and scale to be designed by a woman and has recently been fully restored for a whole new generation to enjoy. 

For a true taste of Perthshire, Gloagburn Farm Shop is a must-visit. This family-run spot is beloved for its championing of local produce – think artisan cheeses, homemade jams and seasonal veg pulled straight from the soil. Don’t leave without raiding their bakery for buttery shortbread or a still-warm loaf of sourdough, and if the sun’s shining, grab a coffee and enjoy it in their garden while watching the hens strut about.

All good holidays need a holiday read, and The Wee Bookshop in Dollar makes for some excellent browsing in that department. Here you’ll find a vast selection of tomes from classic adult fiction to all kinds of tall tales for kids, plus practical pieces like maps and hiking, which are great if you’re planning to get out into the great outdoors during your visit. With a cosy coffee shop on site and plenty of little corners to hunker down into, this is also a great spot on a dreich day for a place to quietly sit and read with fellow literary lovers. 

A haven for lovers of the unusual, Campbell’s Curiosities is the kind of antique shop that’s wonderfully jumbled for proper treasure hunting. Here, you’ll find everything from Victorian glassware to mid-century furniture, as well as the odd eccentric item you never knew you needed. Whether you’re on the hunt for a conversation-starting centrepiece or just browsing for a unique keepsake, this little gem offers hours of gentle rummaging. Bonus points for the team’s encyclopedic knowledge – they’ll happily share the stories behind the pieces if you ask.

If you’re in the market to bag a Munro, they don’t get much better than Beinn Vorlich, which towers above Loch Earn at just shy of 1000 metres. There are plenty of pit stops as you snake its steep sides, but if you intend on going to the top, you’ll have to put aside a full day’s hiking. The view from the top is worth the exertion. In fact, it’s so beautiful that we include its ascension in The Great Adventure Race, our gruelling annual triathlon.

Sometimes the simplest pleasures are the sweetest, and this hidden clearing near Dalchruin proves the point. Surrounded by sweeping views of rolling hills and punctuated by the distant sound of the River Earn, it’s an idyllic spot beside a small waterfall to throw down a blanket and tuck into a spread of local delicacies. Pack up treats from our picnic team, the Gloagburn Farm Shop or The Mercat and let time slow down as you soak up the scenery. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a red kite gliding overhead.

With its cobbled streets and perfectly preserved 17th-century houses, Culross is one of Scotland’s sweetest towns to wander around. While you’re there, take a look at the Palace and its charming kitchen garden, before setting your sights on The Mercat. This carefully curated provisions store, gift shop and bakery makes exacting laminated masterpieces as well as homemade baguettes stuffed with fillings like thick cut ham, Dijon mustard and cornichons. 

Take a tour of one of Scotland’s most prestigious performing arts schools, where you’ll get a look behind the curtain at the life of ballerinas, musicians and actors. Part of our commitment to nurturing grassroots talent includes supporting RCS students through a range of performance and educational opportunities. Every year we also host a beautiful performance from students, who put on a magical festive show for guests to enjoy alongside our celebratory afternoon tea. 

The subject of one of our recent features in The Gleneagle newspaper, these tidal pools in St Monans have a fascinating history entangled with the fishing community in Scotland, a group of artisans we have relied upon for our world-class seafood since we opened in 1924. While you’re over here, stop in for lobster rolls at Crail Harbour or make a reservation at the Kinneuchar Inn, one of Scotland’s most celebrated pubs. 

Our love affair with the most beautiful railway stations in Scotland began back when our founder designed Gleneagles’ own station, complete with intricate Victorian ironwork. Rannoch Moor is one of the last remaining wildernesses in Europe and is home to one of the most remote stations which is gorgeous in its own right. When you arrive you’ll not see a car in sight, with the pick up point stretching off into 50 square miles of hills and glens instead. While you’re here, keep an eye out for the rare flora and fauna that call this special place home. 

The single-track road into Glen Etive is the stuff of Scottish legend – and Hollywood, too. This dramatic glen starred in the James Bond film Skyfall, and it’s easy to see why it was chosen: rugged mountains, mirrored lochs, and a sense of untouched wilderness at every turn. Drive slowly and savour the unfolding panoramas, or park up and take a wander by the river for that ultimate Highlands experience. It’s the kind of place that makes you understand why poets and filmmakers alike keep coming back.