June 2027 · with The Selkie Sisters
The Scottish Book Club Tour
Edinburgh’s closes, Scott’s Abbotsford and the Highlands of Outlander.
Step into the pages of Scotland’s most beloved stories on this eight-day literary journey. From the cobbled closes of Edinburgh, a UNESCO City of Literature, to the rugged Highlands that inspired Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander, you’ll experience Scotland through the eyes of its greatest writers.
Co-hosted with The Selkie Sisters, the tour blends cozy afternoon teas, guided walks through castles and battlefields, and evenings of storytelling and music. We keep the group to just twelve women and hand-select each guest — a good book club depends on the people around the table, and so does this tour.
Literary sites we visit
- Edinburgh, UNESCO City of Literature
- Writers’ Museum
- Scottish Storytelling Centre
- Scottish Poetry Library
- Arthur’s Seat
- Abbotsford House, home of Sir Walter Scott
- Literary pub tour
- Midhope Castle (Lallybroch)
- Blackness Castle
- Falkland (Outlander’s Inverness)
- Glencoe
- Eilean Donan Castle
- Culloden Battlefield
- Clava Cairns
- A special dinner with a Scottish author
What’s included
- 7 nights in charming hotels in Edinburgh, Fort William, Dunkeld and Inverness
- All breakfasts, 5 dinners and 2 afternoon teas
- All entrance fees and activities, including a Highland photoshoot
- Private mini-bus transport throughout
- A special dinner with a Scottish author
- Pre-trip book club with reading lists, discussion guides and optional Zoom calls
- Three guides who handle everything
Not included
- Flights to/from Edinburgh
- Travel insurance
- Alcohol and personal spending
From past tours
Before the trip
Your pre-trip book club
Once you’re accepted you join a private group with a reading list, discussion prompts and optional Zoom calls. Classic and modern, fiction and non-fiction. Not a fast reader? Audiobooks and films count. The full list arrives after booking.
Your trip leaders
Vanessa
Founder · lifelong Anglophile
As a girl Vanessa lived in Scotland with her grandmother, who was working on a PhD in British Literature. Touring English manors, gardens and abbeys together turned her into a tea-drinking, scone-eating Anglophile for life. She also runs Wanderlust Crew, and has four children she loves to read with and drag around the world.
Cari & MacKenzie — The Selkie Sisters
Two sisters who believe the best travel isn’t sightseeing, it’s listening — to the soul of a place through its people, its stories and its landscapes. Cari lived in the UK for three years with her husband and four kids; MacKenzie prepares for every trip with the perfect playlist and a deep dive into the literature.
Questions
Who is this trip for?
An exclusive small group of women who love Scotland’s stories. We hand-select each guest so the group dynamic is right.
How long does the application take?
About two minutes. Tell us about yourself, your reading life and what draws you to Scotland — we usually reply within a few days.
Can I make payments?
Yes. A $500 deposit holds your place; payment plans are available. The balance is due 30 days before departure.