
"Tell me where is fancy bred, Or in the heart or in the head?" – William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
Last year Theatre for a New Audience hired me to curate a VIP group trip to Scotland for their board members, centered around attending opening night of TFANA's exciting production of The Merchant of Venice being presented by The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh. And there they are, along with Jeffrey Horowitz, TFANA's Founding Artistic Director, after the opening night curtain call. Merchant was the main reason we came, and it was a night to always remember. We joined the cast and crew for a post-show reception in the theater, and it was heartwarming to greet them as they arrived and see their delight in realizing we'd come all the way from New York to celebrate opening night and their theatrical achievement with them. They got rave reviews in the British press too!
Our art-filled itinerary also included a bagpipes demonstration at Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers, where we learned about tartans and how to properly get fitted for one. We were told all about Scottish sheep and wool and other Scottish craftmaking and weaving at the Scottish Textiles Showcase. (I love my new wool sweater so much! And wool headband. And wool mittens. And wool socks.) The group had curator-led tours at two of the National Galleries of Scotland, and a Johnnie Walker whisky tasting. We were invited to a backstage tour of the Festival Theatre during an active load-in for Mary Poppins, heard tales of illustrious and ill-fated past performers, and walked the fly floor to see how the flymen move all the scenery still using weighted ropes and pulleys. We then had a gin tasting followed by a private dinner there in the lobby.
We also got out of town and into the countryside for a Macbeth-themed visit to the charming village of Dunkeld in Perthshire. A light dusting of snow that morning frosted the landscapes like confectioner's sugar and created a storybook feel to our discoveries including Dunkeld Cathedral, Dunkeld Bridge and its Toll House, and our stroll along the river to Birnam Woods to see the famous Birnam Oak. Shakespeare fans know: "Macbeth shall never vanquished be until / Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him." We didn't need Birnam Wood to come to us.... We went to it!
We warmed our hands around coffee and tea at the cafe inside Birnam Arts, which has a sweet Beatrix Potter exhibit scaled to a child's height, adjacent to Beatrix Potter Garden. From there, we paid a visit to Scone Palace for a private lunch, when we had a lovely roundtable discussion about our Merchant. Next, the affable William Murray, Viscount Stormont, gave us a uniquely insightful tour of the palace which has been in his family for over 400 years. He was a gracious host, great storyteller, and incredible steward of generations of Scottish history.
On the way back to the city, we realized Storm Éowyn was coming right towards us and would disrupt everyone's travel plans the next day. Some in the group left early for their post-tour London plans while they could still get train tickets out of Edinburgh, before the impending city shutdown on Red Alert. Sadly two couples missed our last activity: a special, private, after-hours visit inside the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the King of Scotland. We saw rooms not open to the public, including the bedroom of Mary, Queen of Scots. We looked up at the same painted ceiling she would see before falling asleep. We concluded with a homey pub dinner at the Sheep Heid Inn, Scotland's oldest surviving public house.
Five of us were then stuck for the night and next day in Edinburgh, mandated to stay indoors from 10am-5pm until the epic windstorm passed by. Once it was safe to step out, we holdovers met for dinner on this last, extra night in Edinburgh together, and the conversations and camaraderie made this a favorite memory of the trip for me because it encapsulated why I love working on bespoke donor group trips like this. Ultimately, they're about guests deepening their connections both with each and the organization they're there to support. They're fun, engaging, stimulating, and best of all - a bonding experience.
I've posted lots of photos of our Scottish adventures (and what I did with my unexpected extra time in Edinburgh instead of going to Glasgow) on Nine Muses Travel's Facebook and Instagram. I hope you'll check them out because everything I arranged for TFANA I can arrange for you too!
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Nine Muses Travel designs journeys to inspire artists, arts lovers and the culturally curious.
Danielle Dybiec
Founder & President
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