Witchy Woman

The last time I was in Scotland, I was just getting started in travel journalism: green but eager, and more than a bit starry-eyed to be invited to visit a just-opened luxury hotel by a major fashion brand. It was about two decades ago (how is that even possible?), but I vividly remember how alive and fulfilled I felt exploring the nooks and crannies of Edinburgh, a marvelous, new-to-me-city, before returning to a five-star, fancy-pants property, tantalized over the prospect that I just might be able to make a go of this travel writing thing.

That high-end hotel is no longer around, but I am. And being back in this fine country, whose people I generally adore — Scots are warm and witty, with an accent I can never get enough of — some 20 or so years later, still at it as a freelance journalist, feels like a full-circle moment in a way.

This trip coincides with our son’s school holiday and spooky season – which makes perfect timing for book research for 100 Haunts of a Lifetime. And exploring some of Scotland’s oldest cemeteries and creepiest museums, and bunking up at one of the most epically eerie hotels I’ve ever stayed in, has made me feel like myself again: a witchy weirdo who’s incredibly grateful for a career that allows her to write about her lifelong obsession with all things spooky — and the support of a family she loves very much.

For Afar:

• Europe’s Most Exciting New Museum Is an Innovative, Architecturally Thrilling Ode to Human Migration

• The 9 p.m. Museum Trick and Other Hacks to See Amsterdam Without the Crowds

• This May Be Amsterdam’s Last New Hotel. We Checked In.

• Hilton’s New Boutique Hotel Collection Will Let You Check Into a Moab Base Camp and an Artsy Chicago Property

• Social media reel: KLM’s Delft Blue Houses

For KAYAK:

• Business class vs. first class: What to know before you book

• Best things to do on a plane: 14 great ways to pass the time

• New direct airline routes in winter 2025: Here’s how much money (and time) you can save

Another reason I love Scotland: its abundance of bookstores. The other day, my son and I spent a drizzly morning browsing the overstuffed stacks of Edinburgh Books. It was delightful watching my little guy, while perched on a step stool, quietly reading — just like other patrons, off screens and immersed instead in printed pages, one life’s simplest and most enriching pleasures.

Finally, a heartfelt thank you for all the lovely notes, emails, and messages some of you sent during my recent funk. I’ve officially snapped out of it, and your support was a big reason why.

Until next time,

Blane