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Before the pandemic changed the world, Indians who travelled to Scotland in 2018-2019 accounted for just 2 per cent of its inbound visitors, at 66,000 for a one year period.
This summer, however, anecdotal evidence points to a dramatic surge in the numbers. Hop off the train at Waverley, the historic railway station in Edingburgh, and you are likely to see a sea of familiar faces from the Subcontinent. Not only are most restaurants and services in Scotland’s historic capital being currently fronted by an overwhelming number of Indian students from local universities—due to Brexit and the resulting labour shortage, students enrolled in regional universities are filling in with part time work—but you will equally find HNI tourists from Delhi and Mumbai stopping for a few nights to take in Edingburgh’s historic and literary charms. Some are now even driving up to the Highlands, where once Indian tourists were a rare phenomenon.
In 2019, when I had visited Tain, a small village in the Highlands, locals had confessed that I was the first and only Indian they had ever met. Post pandemic, all this is changing as more Indians choose to move out of London on their summer vacations and explore other scenic and historic locales in the UK. Scotland tops that list.
Unlike in the past, when the Indian offerings had attracted Europeans from Germany or Russia or UK and the US but in an older 50-plus segment, post pandemic, a distinct new trend is how younger travellers, those in their 30s and 40s and sometimes even adolescents, are seeking wellness in the luxury space. A whole host of solo women travellers are amongst those checking in to recalibrate and refresh their lives.
Natural charms
With its dramatic mountains, picturesque valleys, deep lochs, the sea, medieval castles, monsters and fairies, the Scottish highlands and islands, with their sparse population and stunning natural sights are a natural draw for a generation now seeking to move away from crowded touristy cities and breathe in some authenticity when it comes to nature and culture.The cult around Harry Potter books and films as well as popular shows like Outlander set in Scotland have all cultivated to the popularity of the region. The Isle of Skye, once regarded as one of the most stunning and elusive destinations to visit with its fairy pools, rugged terrain and the possibility of seeing the northern lights, has been attracting an ever increasing number of tourists, so much so that the Scottish press is urging the latter to slow down and experience more, see less. In 2019, 650,000 visitors had come to the isle, this year the numbers have been even more, as Scotland, where tourism suffered massively during the pandemic years, has revived fully.Day trips from Edingburgh promise to show you Skye, as also let you take pictures of the “Hogwarts express” (the Jacobite Steam train, that traverses the Glenfinnan viaduct filmed in Harry Potter franchise)! Though this sort of Instagram travel is obviously going to be unsustainable.
In many other parts of the Highlands, the scenery is equally dramatic and picturesque, and folklore combines with luxury, without having to contend with the dangers of overtourism for now. Glenmorangie House is a fabulous 6-bedroom property, off the village of Tain and driving distance from the seaside resort of Dornoch that lies on the shore of the magnificent Dornoch Firth (firth in Scotland connotes what the fjords of Norway do). King Charles is said to have stayed there as also the rockstar Sting and others.
Surrounded by barley fields, and trees, with a green manicured walk leading to the sea, this is a hideaway unlike any other with stunning views all around, warm fireplaces in the night, books, cigars, Highland hospitality with bagpipes and haggis and finally a wee dram or two from the bar in the house that keeps all the Glenmorangie single malt expressions for you to taste and savour.
Amongst the latest releases is the hyper local Cadboll Estate third edition, made from barley just around the house, some of the whisky being aged in amontillado sherry casks. If this single malt is the world’s first “field to glass” experiment, all the food at the house is hyper local too—the cheese from a nearby farm, salmon and other fish from the sea “down the greens”.
The distillery with its giraffe like tall stills is nearby and a day’s visit shows you the careful craft in every process, not to mention enables you to taste all the rare and limited editions made over the years.
In Scotland, whisky is really a local art form, each expressing the local culture of the place, its history and myth, and you get a sense of this when you peer into the waters of the Tarlogie Springs, a source of mineral rich hard water that is used in every Glenmorangie whisky. It is as if you have stepped into Lorien, JRR Tolkien’s mythic elvish world, and glimpsing the mirror of Galadriel! 600acres of land around the spring was purchased by the distillery in the 1980s to prevent any development that would contaminate the pristine water. If whisky is regarded as the “water of life” in Scotland, we know why.
A record record number of 2 million visitors came to Scotland’s 120 distilleries in 2018-19, up a whopping 56 per cent over 2010, and India, China, Spain and France were pinpointed as “growing markets” for this travel as per 2019 tourism figures. This year, that figure would have definitely gone up.
Scotch led tourism is obviously a big draw when it comes to touring the Highlands, but other niche activities for HNI Indians could be golfing vacations too, as this area has some of the most magnificent courses in the world. Then, history buffs may be fascinated not just with the history of the clans and tartans but small towns like Pitlochry, where Queen Victoria is set to have stopped and that became a favourite with the English monarchy.
This summer, as King Charles gets coronated and brisk travel by high networth, high spending Indians, Chinese, Emiratis and Americans is on the anvil, tourism-fuelled retail will hopefully take the edge off recession fears. Most analysts are predicting a return to better days, as tourists and corporate travellers come back and many a crazy rich Asians make the wheels go round economically.
Edingburgh, meanwhile, is the gateway to the Highlands, a stunning city with its imposing castle (said to have inspired Hogrwarts in JK Rowlings books), and historic architecture. Walk down Victoria Street with its quaint houses and businesses and you would have stepped into Diagon Alley of Potterverse. But Edingburgh with its August festivals also becomes the cultural capital of the world and those interested in literature, the arts and theatre will all find it magical.
The theatrical is never far away in the city. A ghost tour of the dungeons that we booked, turned out to be a theatrical performance, with the cast and sets taking us to medieval Scotland with its witch trials, ghosts and plague. Actors in costumes and dark sets combined horror with comedy, with spectators called to step in and be part of the performance too.
Over 250,000 Indians got visit visas to the UK in between June 2021 and June 22. And spends by Indian travellers have been steadily rising during this time, one can only hope that as tourism from India picks up in Scotland, it will be immersive travel.
The author is the author of Business On A Platter, historian, curator and avid traveller.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETTravelWorld.com does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETTravelWorld.com shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organisation directly or indirectly.
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