The Scottish Resort Where You Can Try Falconry, Spot Highland Cows, and Call a Highland Manor Home

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The Afar take

I’m standing eye to eye with my new friend Porter. He’s a regal-looking fellow with a strong gaze and dark features, and he’s resting on my gloved left hand, where he just ate a nugget of venison. Porter is a Harris’s hawk, and I’ve met him at Gleneagles Hotel in the Scottish Highlands. The resident falconer, Steve Ford, paired me with Porter because I’m a falconry newbie, and the bird has what he calls a laid-back surfer vibe. “He’s cute as a button,” says Steve, and I smile at my avian companion until Steve explains birds of prey see their relationship with humans as transactional. In other words, Porter is only in it for the snacks.

Falconry is one of the many ways I’ve been tapping into centuries of tradition in the Scottish Highlands here at Gleneagles, and I’m intoxicated—it feels like I’m at a refined Scottish summer camp with endless activities at my fingertips. The sprawling resort, which turned 100 in 2024, is famous for its championship golf courses—three in all. (The resort hosted the Ryder Cup in 2014 and the Solheim Cup in 2019.) I’m no golfer, but after a couple of nights at Gleneagles, I’ve learned from a staff member that only about 25 percent of visitors are here for tee time. Most people, like me, come for a (rather posh) immersion in Scottish culture and outdoor pursuits that you can experience without leaving the 850-acre grounds.

Courtesy of Gleneagles Hotel

Who’s it for?

Gleneagles is ideal for couples or families seeking outdoor experiences steeped in Scottish culture—falconry, fishing, clay shooting, nature walks, Highland cattle encounters, and horseback riding. On rainy days, indoor activities are equally enticing: The spa is epic (20 treatment rooms, plus sauna, steam room, and vitality pool), and I could have spent an entire week playing in the new Gleneagles Sporting Club that opened in 2024 (more on that later). As a lover of books and ephemera, I adored the on-site Corner Shop, a sage-hued bookshop with a well-curated collection of design tomes and rare magazines. And golf aficionados will spend much of their time at the manicured courses on the property.

The location

Gleneagles is in Perthshire in the Scottish Highlands, an hour’s drive north of Edinburgh. My partner and I rented a car from a Sixt office in the OMNI Centre mall, a seven-minute walk from the Edinburgh train station. For Braveheart fans: You’ll pass the National Wallace Monument, a 19th-century Gothic revival structure honoring Scottish legend William Wallace, on the route toward Gleneagles. If you have an hour or so to spare, the site is worth a stop—walk from the parking lot or take a shuttle to the monument, and climb the 246-step spiral staircase to the top for bird’s-eye views of the Highlands.

Courtesy of Gleneagles Hotel

The rooms

The 232 guest rooms, most in the main house, have an Old World feel, created with floor-to-ceiling brocade curtains, tufted wingback chairs, polished mahogany furnishings, and gilt mirrors in the bathrooms. Modern comforts like heated marble bathroom floors keep rooms feeling cozy. Oil portraits hang in the rooms and in large seating areas on all three floors. Our Benrinnes Suite, with its postcard view of the central fountain and the grounds beyond it, had plenty of space for us to spread out, especially in the separate lounge area with a fireplace.

Courtesy of Gleneagles Hotel

The food and drink

There are about a half dozen restaurants at Gleneagles, including a two Michelin–starred restaurant called Andrew Fairlie, and I appreciated the range of vibes and cuisines on offer. Our first meal was in the clubhouse at the bustling Dormy, and I enjoyed the chicken tikka masala and naan bread baked in a tandoor oven so much I ordered it again the next day.

On our more dressed-up evening at the chandeliered Strathearn, we dined on lobster and freshly caught cod while observing the stylish crowd around us—mostly Brits socializing and a live jazz vocalist in the backdrop. On a more casual night, we ate at the Italian American–inspired Birnam, where the Scottish staff clad in blue jeans served us garlic prawns. (The truffle- and Parmesan-topped hand-cut fries—called chips here, of course—were outstanding, too.) A couple nearby ordered a Caesar salad, which was prepared for them tableside on a trolley. Pre- and post-dinner drinks happen at one of the four bars; I especially loved the moodily lit American Bar’s art deco–inspired chandelier and lamps and tufted couches.

Breakfast takes place in the Strathearn, and it’s an experience unto itself. Tables overflow with freshly baked breads, house-made jams, and traditional Scottish dishes. (Yes, I tried haggis, and yes, I loved it.)

Any chance I got, I ordered tea, because it comes with Gleneagles’s house-made shortbread—some of the best I’ve ever had.

Staff and service

Gleneagles may look formal at first glance, but the vibe of the staff is laid-back and friendly. Chatty doormen greet you in their fine kilts and seem eager to get to know you, and activity guides are endlessly patient, whether you’re trying falconry for the first time or need tips on how to play padel in the property’s state-of-the-art court. When I was checking out, the staff member helping me told me she tried falconry herself at Gleneagles, and we shared the excitement of it.

Accessibility

Overall, Gleneagles is a welcoming place for those with mobility needs. The hotel has ramp access in most public areas and complimentary valet service drop-off at the entrance. Some restaurants may require corridor navigation. Several rooms near the main lobby are outfitted with roll-in showers and grab bars.

Courtesy of Gleneagles Hotel

The Gleneagles Sporting Club

Opened in 2024, the Gleneagles Sporting Club is truly impressive: There’s a climbing wall, tennis and padel courts, exceptional equestrian facilities, and a handsome dedicated lounge space with tufted chairs and a large kitchen area stocked with beverages. My partner and I learned padel in the club’s singles court . . . and now we’re hooked. Time to start lobbying for a court back home.