GET READY FOR THE ARTIST RETREAT OF A LIFETIME
Sleep, dine, relax, and create inside this magical, historic castle for an entire week! Explore the stunning grounds filled with wildlife, walking paths, gardens and playful inter-active sculptures. Indulge in catered, chef prepared meals, or delicious delicacies in the castle’s Victorian Kitchen Cafe and Tea Room. Enjoy day trips to Inverness, Loch Ness, Cowdor Castle, Culloden Battle Field, Benromach Whisky Distillery and local pubs. Experience painting excursions to the mysterious Clava Cairns, the nearby Elgin Cathedral Ruins, surrounding fishing villages along the coast of Moray Firth, seaside cliffs, beaches, and ancient ruins.
Sketch and paint in the historical stone stables (your art studio for the week) just feet away from the castle, and plein air paint or journal on the castle grounds. All excursions and day trips are optional and you may choose to stay on the castle grounds and create in the stables, in the Laird’s wing, or explore or bike/walk the castle and surrounding grounds.
Soak in award winning artist talks and demonstrations by internationally known figurative artist , Alan McGowan, colorist and contemporary artist, Ginny Elston, and watch and learn from landscape artist, Jonathan Shearer, as he demonstrates painting the landscape along the Moray coast. Also receive on going one-on-one instruction and group instruction by your host and visual artist, Gena Brodie Robbins.
In the evenings, benefit from group and individual critiques and discussions and listen to storytellers and musicians as they fill your soul with Scottish tradition. Make lifelong friends at Brodie Castle and return home refreshed and recharged with inspiring artwork you created at the Brodie Castle Artist Retreat.
Extend your artist retreat with a two night (post) trip to Edinburgh and stay in the Market Street Hotel in Old Town.
Click on the learn more button below to see videos of our guest artists speaking, and sharing their methods. Also, read all about our catered meals, our chef, painting locations, the castle and it’s beautiful gardens and grounds, our castle painting studio (the stables), the day to day itinerary, pricing, how to register and more.
Begin your journey and reserve your spot today!
Brodiestudio.com
COME JOIN US FOR AN ENCHANTING WEEK IN THE SCOTTISH COUNTRYSIDE OF ART MAKING, JOURNALING, EXPLORATION AND FRIENDSHIP.
Thank you for visiting the Brodie Castle Artist Retreat 2022 webpage. We hope to answer as many questions as possible with the information provided on our website so that you may have a thorough overview of what is in store for you when attending a week long artist retreat at Brodie Castle in Brodie, Forres, Scotland, UK and an optional two night post trip to Edinburgh. (Scroll down for Pricing Details) To register, or hold your spot with a deposit, click the register button below, which will take you to the registration form and options to register for the artist retreat or for both the artist retreat and the Edinburgh post trip.
OUR DATES OF THE ARTIST RETREAT ARE TENTATIVE. WE ARE WORKING TO LOCK IN THESE EXACT DATES AND ARE WAITING ON CONFIRMATION. The dates we have currently posted will most likely be our retreat dates at the castle. Otherwise, the retreat will be the following week of July.
BRODIE CASTLE ARTIST RETEAT (OVERVIEW)
This magical seven day artist retreat at Brodie Castle is nestled in the countryside of the Scotland Highlands in Forres, Scotland not far from Inverness, Elgin and Nairn, and is only a few miles from the beaches and cliffs along the edge of the waters of the Moray Firth. Live like a Laird and stay with other creatives in the Brodie Castle’s Lairds Wing. Eat beautifully prepared meals by the world renown chef, Donnie MacLeod, learn from award winning artists, and paint and create throughout the day and evening at the Brodie Castle Stables located just a few feet away from the Lairds Wing. In the evenings, receive helpful critiques, and listen to local musicians and storytellers as they play traditional Scottish tunes and tell jaw dropping folklore tales. Participate in an end of the retreat art show & tell to be held at the Brodie Castle Stables, the very last night of our stay at Brodie Castle.
Enjoy sketching Brodie Castle, as well as painting en plein air throughout the beautiful castle grounds and gardens. Explore the ancient Clava Cairns while you paint the figure in period clothing posed along the mysterious standing stones. Explore the Culloden Battlefield and visually journal the essence and beauty of the historical ruins of the Elgin Cathedral. Enjoy a whisky tasting at Glenlivet Distillery, sketch the Cairgorn landscape and Highland Coos.
Participate in breathtaking painting excursions and day trips to the cliffs and beaches of surrounding fishing villages, and experience an evening or two sampling some of the best local food and spirits in Scotland’s authentic restaurants and pubs.
Jonathan Sherer
Watch and learn from some of the best, award winning artists of the UK along with receiving one-on-one and group critiques and instruction from your host and professional artist, Gena Brodie Robbins.
Extend your artist retreat and add a two night stay with us in Edinburgh and explore its many museums, shops, historical landmarks, and delightful restaurants and cafes. Read more about the Edinburgh extension below and highlights of our hotel, the Market Street Hotel in Old Town.
GUEST ARTISTS, YOUR CHEF & YOUR HOST
Artist talks and informative demonstrations will be held at the Brodie Castle’s stables by your host and visual artist, Gena Brodie Robbins. Gena was awarded an MFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art & Design where she also held a position as a professor of foundations at SCAD, teaching drawing and design courses. She has studied under Daniel Greene at the Arts Student League in New York City, Xiang Zhang while at the Scottsdale Artist School, abstract figurative painter, Harry Ally, and Suzanne Jackson and Craig Drennen, while attending SCAD, who has also served as director of the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture. Gena was the winner of the 2009 Florida Artist Group’s Richard Andruck Award, juried by world renown painter, Sam Gilliam, and has also been awarded, through SCAD, the New York Studio Space Residency held at the Elizabeth Foundation Center for the Arts in New York City, 2005.
Gena has been represented by multiple galleries and is currently represented by SCAD Art Sales in Savannah and Atlanta, GA and UGallery.com based out of San Francisco, CA. She is widely collected and paints large scale expressive and colorful abstract works, primarily abstract figurative, pertaining to moments of solitude and introspection.
Gena will be having one of the largest solo shows of her career at the Quinlan Visual Arts Center in Gainesville Ga., August - October of 2021.
She currently works as an artist and educator, offering workshops throughout the US and the UK and has taught drawing, painting, and mixed media art for over 25 years. View more of Gena’s work and read her full bio at Brodiestudio.com
Gena has hand picked award winning UK guest artists, Alan McGowan, Ginny Elston & Jonathan Scherer to present engaging artist talks and informative demonstrations for you to experience. Take a look at some of their outstanding work and engaging videos to catch a peek of their teaching style and see their creative process. .
Alan McGowan was born in 1964 in Glasgow and studied for his degree at Edinburgh College of Art since when he has been a practicing artist and teacher.
His paintings have been featured at many exhibitions of contemporary figure art including; The Scottish Portrait Awards (2017), the BP Portrait exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London, the Threadneedle Prize for Figurative Art, the Society of Portrait Sculptors exhibition and The Ruth Borchard self portrait exhibition.
In 2014 he was a semi-finalist in the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the year and his work is featured in the international painting annual reviews INPA5, 6 & 7, published by Manifest in Cincinatti, USA.
His works appear in the public collections of the Royal Scottish Academy, Stirling University and Art in Healthcare and he is winner of the Wood Award (Visual Arts Scotland), the Bowie award for painting (Paisley Institute) and the Powderhall Foundry award for sculpture.
He has exhibited widely throughout the UK and internationally in group shows in South Korea, Portugal, Finland, Italy, the Czech Republic and the USA, and recently featured in the exhibition “A Bit of Brit” at the Westbeth Gallery in New York.
Working from life, his paintings explore the tension between the inherent elusiveness of the world and our attempts to hold on to it. Seeing language itself as a vehicle for these attempts, the language of paint – colour, tone, runniness, translucency, opacity, line, etc., become a second subject in tandem with the model; a parallel terrain.
Alan also teaches figure drawing, painting and anatomy for artists and has taught at the Royal Academy in London, The National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh College of Art, Dundee University, The Museum of London, The Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin, Leith School of Art and the Royal Collection Gallery, Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. In 2012 he published a book of drawings “The Language of the Body” exploring the relationship between working in the life studio and the philosophical concerns of writers such as Michael de Montaigne and Proust which was named the best art book of 2012 by the about.com website. In 2017, he published "Unstill Life."
Ginny graduated from the University of Manchester with a BA (Hons) in History of Art and French in 2010. She joined the School’s Foundation Course in the same year, and completed two years of the Painting Course.
She went on to gain her MFA in Fine Arts and Humanities at the University of Dundee in 2016, winning the Vanessa Bell Prize and the MFA Arts and Humanities Prize.
Ginny has taught drawing, painting and printmaking at the school since 2013, was artist in residence at Edinburgh Academy during 2013 to 2014, and has taught with the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Drawing School. Most recently, she was Foundation Year Programme Leader at the Sichuan Institute of Fine Arts, China, from 2018 to 2019.
Ginny’s art practice is concerned with language and the materiality of paint, ontological philosophies and the spaces in and around paintings.
Her work seeks to stage new experiences of space, by pushing and pulling flat geometric patterns and shapes through depictions of her environment. The introduction of these varying signs, symbols, colours and languages open up a different dimension of shifting representations. View more of Ginny’s work and read a bit more about her on her webstie: ginnyelston.com
Jonathan Shearer studied at Gray’s School of Art, graduating with a BA (Hons) Painting and Drawing in 1993, and also at Cyprus College of Art, for the post-graduate Diploma in Painting and Drawing, from 1995–1996. Over the past decade his work has been exhibited regularly in selected and solo shows at a wide variety of well-known galleries, including MacLean Fine Art, London; Strathearn Gallery, Crieff; and Castle Gallery, Inverness. Jonathan has won a number of awards for his work, including two Royal Scottish Academy awards and the Fundacíon Valparaiso Residency, Spain. Through a process of walking, drawing and painting directly in the highland landscape, and working repeatedly in different places chosen and revisited many times, Jonathan Shearer has developed an intimate connection with the wild places of Scotland.
Besides receiving one on one instruction and demonstrations from award winning artists, you will also be receiving individual and group critiques conducted in the sitting room located on the1st floor in the evenings and on various mornings in the stables. Sketches and paintings from the days excursions may be included for feedback and discussion. The stables will be open in the morning and the evening for you to use as your studio while residing at Brodie Castle.
Donnie Macleod
Your chef, Donnie Macleod, (owner of DM Catering and finalist in the Scottish Wedding Awards 2014) will prepare our delightful meals throughout the week at Brodie Castle.
DM catering was chosen to be official caterer at the 37th Curtis Cup Golf Event at the Nairn Golf club in June 2012, where a British ladies victory meant all major team trophies were on his side of the Atlantic for the first time in history.
Donnie has 30 years experience working in 4 and 5 star hotels throughout Great Britain, and will WOW us with with his outstanding dishes, as he has thrilled even the pickiest of brides on their wedding day.
Donnie will create several wonderful dinners throughout the week and will also create traditional Scottish breakfasts for us to enjoy.
GLASGOW BOYS, FILMING LOCATIONS & SENSE OF PLACE
Shops of Cullen
The landscape and landmarks of the Scottish Highlands are very powerful, exhilarating, and rich in history. The Artists, Sir Edwin Landseer, Sir David Wilkie and Turner, all drew their inspiration from this wild landscape. In the19th Century, a radical group of artists called, 'The Glasgow Boys,' were pioneers of an art movement that challenged academic painting and started the trend towards Modernism in Scottish Painting. Today, artists and photographers from all over the world are inspired by the diversity and awe inspiring beauty of the Scotland Highlands. Now, you too, may take in this unique experience.
What sets Scotland apart as the most exciting country in the world is the northern light and dramatic scenery. However, what can really take your breath away is the bright light of the day filtering through a grey cloud, forming the Botticelli of skies! It can really make you feel an extraordinary sense of excitement to be part of such a beautiful and moving place.
Brodie Castle Artist Retreat is certainly a chance of a lifetime… for you will be living like a Laird in the Laird's Wing of the castle for an entire week, and will be walking along some of the same paths travelled by Robert the Bruce, and William Wallace.
Brodie Castle has been the inspiration for TV shows like Outlander and Game of Thrones. In real life, during the Jacobite uprising, the British army camped in the woods behind Brodie Castle, planning their strategic attack against the Jacobites in the Battle of Culloden in1746. Neighboring Strerling and Falkirk, have been backdrops and location sights for the filming of both Outlander and Game of Thrones. In fact, Wardhill Castle, located in Aberdeenshire, is the family home of actress Rose Leslie, (Ygritte) and is where she and actor, Kit Harrington (John Snow) were married.
THE HISTORY OF BRODIE CASTLE AND THE BRODIE CLAN
What makes this artist retreat so special is knowing that my great grandfather on my fathers side was the grandson of Robert Brodie of Clan Brodie who migrated from the Scottish Highlands in the mid to late1700’s. Below is the history of the Brodie Clan name, and historical information about the Brodie Castle.
Acres of gentle Moray countryside that surround Brodie Castle was originally erected by Clan Brodie in 1567. The rose-colored, turreted castle stands on land confirmed to the Brodies by Robert the Bruce. The impenetrable 16th-century guard chamber is flanked on one side by a cosy 17th-century wing and on the other by a sprawling Victorian extension. The castle’s rooms, passageway and towers are treasure troves filled with priceless antiques, and unusual artifacts. Cared for by the National Trust for Scotland, this grand 16th-century castle was the ancestral home of the Brodie clan for over 400 years. Inside, it’s filled with impressive art collections, decorative ceilings and fine furniture.
The 71 hectare estate boasts its own share of impressive features including dazzling displays of daffodils in springtime, an adventure playground, a natural trail with observation hides for watching wildlife, a walled garden and a Pictish monument known as ‘Rodney’s Stone.’ The castle is also located near a small hill known locally as ‘Macbeth’s Hillock’ where the Shakespearean hero is said to have encountered the Weird Sisters. Macbeth's Hillock is a natural Knoll located beside Brodie and is said to have been the site where Macbeth met with the three witches who foretold his rise to king and then his future demise. The Real Macbeth was born in c1005 and it is believed he became Mormaer of Moray in 1032 so Moray was very much his home.
There are several theories on the origins of the ancient Celtic surname of Brodie. One suggestion is that the Brodie's were one of the original Pictish tribes of Moray, taking their name from the Pictish Royal family of 'Brude'. The lands of Brodie are around twenty miles from the Inverness stronghold of the Pictish King Brude. The Brodie's are first recorded in 1311 when Michael de Brothie, son of Malcolm, Thane of Brodie, received a charter from Robert the Bruce, erecting the old Celtic thaneage of Brodie into a barony. Read More about the Brodie Clan here.
OUTDOOR PAINTING, INSTRUCTION, AND ONSITE SKETCHING
There is so much creative inspiration inside and all around Brodie Castle that is sure to inspire you. You will receive a gift from me of a small travel water color set with folding palette, dry media, such as charcoal, drawing pencils, and erasers. Substrates for mixed media and painting will be available for you to purchase in the stables at Brodie Castle. However, you are welcome to bring your own.
I have a great page for you to explore that shares types of plein air easels and paints and palette suggestions with links. Feel free to navigate through this page as it will help you to determine what tp bring on the this artist retreat.
Painting in the outdoors, immersed in peace and harmony, you will be able to take in the landscape with every stroke of the brush…for the magic of Scotland is contagious, mystical and inspiring.
Being outdoors is an experience like no other, and seeing the passing wildlife right in front of you and the birds flying above is transcendent. Hearing sounds, and experiencing smells and the closeness to your subject cannot be compared to using photographs; you need to truly feel the landscape, and be part of it.
Painting outdoors in the Scottish Highlands is indeed, a meditative and memorable experience!
One- on- one instruction and group outings are designed for all abilities, including absolute beginners. Participants will vary in skill and may focus on other subject matter besides landscape painting. Some artists may focus on architectural renderings and color value study, while others may want to capture the figure sitting in a cafe, landscape or walking along the streets. Others may only create quick on site studies and/or work more in depth at the Brodie Castle’s stables (art studio). There will be participants who love to sketch and paint the castle itself or still life objects, when not on an outing to one of the many locations throughout the Scottish Highlands. Soak up these wonderful opportunities and feel free to paint and sketch whatever inspires you. You will feel charged and ready to paint, too, with informative demos from award winning local artists, and your host and professional artist, Gena Brodie Robbins. Demos and artist talks will be conducted in the stables at Brodie Castle and at various sketching/painting locations.
Continued feedback will be given throughout painting excursions and activities.
Our tentative itinerary with some outstanding sketching locations and site seeing opportunities have been carefully chosen for you, See below (SEE ITINERARY). While we have chosen various locations and landmarks for you to see, paint and sketch, you may choose to walk a bit further away from the group that seems more fitting for what your have in mind for composition and color….or you may want to go on your own to tour, shop, or grab a cup of coffee during our outings. Feel free to do so, just make sure to return to the van at the suggested time so we can make sure you are safe and with us when we depart from our day trip location. We don’t want to have to call out the sheep dogs to round you up! Lol! Kidding, of course. Again, outings are optional and staying in to work in the stables or on Brodie Castle grounds is totally fine too. This is YOUR artist retreat, feel free to tailor it however you please!
EDINBURGH POST TRIP
July 2-4 (two nights), 2022
Bathroom, Market Place Hotel
Our additional overnight experience in Edinburgh is also available to you. Extend your artist retreat and stay for two glorious nights at the 5 star Market Street Hotel in historical Edinburg, Scotland. A modern take on Baronial materiality and composition provides the inspiration behind the guest rooms at this stunning hotel. Natural materials such as white oak and textured stone provide a tactile canvas for modern design classics, alongside custom-made furniture and handcrafted pieces. Charming wooden shutters are inspired by the original window fixtures of the historic Old Town and create a warm, homely atmosphere, which is further encouraged by the use of fabric wallpaper and soft woollen accents. Guest room bathrooms have been designed as modern ante-rooms, finished in luxurious marble, featuring solid stone basins and rainfall showers by Via Bizzuno, accompanied with amenities by vegan brand, Votary. Explore the rooftop champagne lounge and bar, the Norloft. You’ll be able to see all of Edinburgh from the it’s stunning viewpoint, and enjoy wonderful drinks and small bites. Indeed, you will certainly receive five-star service with a personal touch at this brand new hotel. Primely placed in the epicentre of Edinburgh, it’s ideally situated to discover your own path as you explore the enchanting city.
You’ll find Edinburgh Castle and the famous Royal Mile in the Old Town only a short stroll away. Cross the Waverley Valley to find St Andrew Square, the city’s gastro hub and experience the elegant New Town which boasts magnificent Georgian architecture, complete with boutique shops and artisan cafes, only a stone’s throw away. Even more outstanding, is that Edinburgh’s Fruitmarket Gallery is across the street, and the City Art Centre, is right next door to Market Street Hotel. The train station is just a few feet away as are bus stops, which makes transportation anywhere in or out of the city a breeze.
So….instead of leaving Brodie Castle Saturday, July 2nd, load your luggage in our hired coach to the heart of Edinburgh and explore this wonderful city. Read more about the landmarks in Edinburg at Timeout.com , which mentions that the Scottish capital isn’t known as ‘the Athens of the North’ for nothing. The rugged surrounding landscape and particularly Arthur’s Seat – a volcano, fortunately extinct – make it a prime spot for urban exploration, with winding alleys, hill-top landmarks and all that surrounding woodland, creating picture-postcard views everywhere you turn. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say Edinburgh’s a painter’s and photographer’s dream, and quite possibly the most beautiful city in the UK. Can you imagine the visual journal entries you would create in this city?
The painting opportunities are endless here and the sun does not set until 10:30 PM in the summer. Wander to Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh Castle, Scottish National Galleries. Shop on Victoria and Princess Street, or watch a performance in one of Edinburgh’s historical theaters. Even take an underground vault tour, and dine in some of Edinburgh’s most notable restaurants.
Saturday and Sunday night includes coach trip with group travel from Brodie Castle to Edinburgh and enjoy a delightful stop off on the way for brunch/lunch at Hetties Tea Room in Pitlochary… where we will browse village shops, the Dam Visitor Center or Blair Castle and Gardens.
PRICING & TRANSPORTATION
The closer we get to the summer of 2022, the more concrete our itinerary will be. We are currently finalizing the details of the week long artist retreat at the Brodie Castle and the two day trip to Edinburgh Prices are reflected below.
Once you arrive into either Edinburgh, Glasgow, or Inverness, you will need to arrange for transportation from the airport to Brodie Castle. It is a short cab ride from Inverness, and a 3 hour train… plus…an hour cab ride from either Edinburgh or Glasgow.
BRODIE CASTLE 7 NIGHT ARTIST RETREAT PRICING:
In order for us to have the Brodie Castle Artist Retreat, a minimum of 6 participants must be registered.
If the retreat is cancelled because of a low number of participants, then a full refund will be administered.
PLEASE READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS THOROUGHLY AS IT INCLUDES CANCELLATION & OTHER IMPORTANT POLICIES
DEPOSIT
Deposit: $450.00 - (Non-Refundable), will be subtracted from total cost.
Deposit refunded if the artist retreat is cancelled.
Remaining balance in full is due, March 25th, 2022
RETREAT COST
Below are the costs for the Brodie Castle Artist Retreat.
$2800.00 Per Person- Shared Room - Double occupancy (roommate- twin) or (couple- shared double bed)
Please Note: Our prices are based on shared room costs. We assume that people traveling on their own are prepared to share accommodation. Our prices are based on a shared room cost except where stated otherwise.
ADDITIONAL COSTS:
An $800.00 single occupancy supplement will apply if it is not possible to arrange a share with another guest. It will also apply if you would prefer a single room (even if you have stated that you are happy to share).
Room occupancy registration is based on a first come first serve basis.
The price does not include airfare or arrival and departure transportation, as some participants will be traveling to London, and will tour England or Ireland for several days before traveling onto Scotland.
PAYMENT PLAN
An invoice requesting deposit payment will be sent to you upon registering where you may periodically pay the balance due, until the full amount of the Brodie Castle Artist Retreat has been paid. This helps to make the retreat a little easier to pay throughout the months leading up to the March 25th, 2022 deadline.
ROOM LAYOUT AND RESTRICTIONS
8 twin beds . Two beds in each room (These are filled first)
3 double beds. One in each room (3 total rooms) 2 of these are currently available and are reserved for couples (husband& wife, mother daughter, partners). If it looks like we have no couples registering, then these rooms will be available for single occupancy, supplement will apply.
WHAT DOES THE ARTIST RETREAT INCLUDE?
7 night shared room occupancy with twin bed in the Lairds wing. Choice of twin bed with roommate, shared room with a double bed (spouse, partner, relative, etc.)…or private double bed, single occupancy.
Each floor has bathrooms with tubs and a water closet on each floor (there are three floors)
Housekeeping
Laundry Room with washer and dryer
Wine and cheese reception upon arrival.
A surprise art activity that includes some art materials
Art exhibition of the work you created during the Brodie Castle Artist Retreat.
All meals, drinks and snacks : Six catered dinners, two catered traditional Scottish breakfasts, four continental breakfasts and buffet style self-catered lunches.
Access to all areas of the Lairds Wing in castle. Kitchen has microwave, stove, refrigerator and freezer
Access to the castle stables, just a stone’s throw from Lairds wing to work on in-progress artwork
Cake and tea and soft drinks in stables
Transportation to all day trips and painting excursions
Tickets to all attractions and tours
23 hours of instruction and in-progress and final critiques
9 hours of guest artist demonstrations and discussion
Promoted exhibition of participants and guest artist works held in the castle stables
Live figure models
Storyteller and all performances at the castle
Alcoholic beverages served at dinner
DOES NOT INCLUDE:
Airfare
Transportation to and from airport
Meals or drinks at restaurants or other off-site locations
Bar tabs
Alcoholic beverages outside of provided dinners, reception
Art supplies such as traveling easel, paints, paint brushes and drawing materials (painting surfaces such as canvases will be available for purchase at the stables)
Personal items
Use of Brodie Studio van or car
EDINBURGH 2 NIGHT (POST TRIP) EXPERIENCE
ROOM COST + $120.00 Coach trip to Pitlochary & Edinburgh -The hired coach and driver will transport us to Pitlochary for lunch and then on to Edinburgh to Market Street Hotel.
From approximately $550.00 and up for two nights. (We will know the exact pricing for your room April/May of 2021 as it is too early to know the exact room pricing at this time)
Pricing starts (summer rates) just under $300 dollars per night for a room with one double bed, and increases with room(s) sizes, king bed and views.
It may also be possible to adjust a king room to two twin beds where you may share a room.
Hotel: Market Street Hotel, Edinburgh
While we will be handling the room costs in Edinburgh, you will be responsible for any incidentals and will need to provide the hotel with a credit card upon check-in.
** Please note that these prices are estimated prices and may fluctuate below or above the price stated between now and the date of our stay**
INCLUDES
Accommodation at the Market Street Hotel in Old Town, Edinburgh
Coach, gas and driver to Pitlochary and the Market Street Hotel
DOES NOT INCLUDE:
Tours ( however, most museums in Edinburgh are free)
Performances (theater, concerts, etc.)
Transportation throughout Edinburgh (ride a hop on hop off bus to the museums for a donation of one pound)
Meals and all types of beverages
EDINBURGH TRANSPORTATION
If you would like to learn more about the transportation options to and from Brodie Castle and or/ Edinburgh, such as pricing, methods of transportation, hours of operation and more, then click on the button below which will take you to a transportation information page.
GETTING AROUND EDINBURGH
Below is a link that pretty much answers most of your transportation questions where getting around Edinburg are concerned.
https://edinburgh.org/travel/getting-around/
There is a bus that stops only at the museums and galleries, The Gallery bus. The Gallery bus shuttles visitors between the three gallery sites, for a voluntary donation of £1, starting and returning to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One).
EDINBURGH DEPARTURE
There are multiple ways to get to the airport from the Market Street Hotel.
The hotel’s address is below, including Bus and Tram information.
The hotel concierge is wonderful, and will help you navigate to anywhere you need to be…so feel free to ask them anytime.
HOTEL ADDRESS
Market Street Hotel
6 Market Street
Edinburgh EH1 1DE
Scotland, United Kingdom
+44 (0)131 322 9229
seeyou@marketstreethotel.co.uk
You can reach the airport very easily from the hotel.
BY AIRLINK BUS
The number 100 bus, Airlink, picks you up at Waverley Bridge The bridge is a short walk to the left of the hotel….walk halfway across the bridge and stop and wait for the 100 bus. You can purchase Airlink single and return tickets directly from the Airlink drivers. Buses run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Departures are every 10 minutes between 04:00 and midnight and every 15 minutes throughout the night.
The journey from the City Centre to the Edinburgh Airport lasts approximately 30 minutes.
2-6 dollars
BY TRAM
If taking the tram, get on at the Airport stop (right beside the Scottish National Gallery). It’s a 10 minute walk away from the Market Street Hotel. You can purchase tram single and return tickets at the kiosk just before the tram stop at the airport, or at the vending machines. Tickets can’t be purchased on board. All single and return tickets must be used to board within 30 minutes of purchase, activation or validation.
Trams run between 6:30AM and 10:30PM. Departures are approximately every 10 minutes.
The journey from to the Edinburgh Airport lasts approximately 40 minutes.
2-8 dollars
BY SHUTTLE
There is a Shuttle Service called Jayride. I have included a link here to help you navigate this service.
40 - 110 dollars
By TAXI/UBER/TOWNCAR
Taxi Sevice runs about 35 - 45 dollars
Uber runs around 18 dollars to 27 dollars
Towncar can run you upwards of 60 dollars or more.
Rome Trio is an online website I use often to help me navigate anywhere out of the country.
TENTATIVE ITINERARY, FACILITY, ACCOMMODATIONS AND MEALS
Take a look at the Brodie Castle & Edinburgh Artist Retreat Itinerary below and see what the day to day activities entail along with accommodation details and more.
**Please note, itinerary subject to change due circumstances beyond our control: weather, location closures, or cancellations.
All activities prepared for you are optional and you have the choice of just creating, relaxing at the castle, and exploring on your own. If you choose not to go on the day or evening trips, continental breakfasts are available daily, as are self catered lunches and dinners that you may prepare at your leisure on the days we are out dining at a restaurant.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Ground floor: Entrance hall, dining room to seat 12 to 14 guests and a fully equipped kitchen with dining table.
First floor: Sitting room, small kitchen for preparing drinks and snacks, study with plasma television and broadband access. One twin and one double bedroom. Bathroom with water closets and separate shower room with water closets.
Second floor: Three twin and two double (one with magnificent four-poster bed) and a further two bathrooms with water closets.
Parking is available for up to 5 cars.
Bedroom with Double Bed
FACILITY FEATURES
Dishwasher
Shared Bathroom
Hairdryer
Freezer
Drying Facilities
Gift Shop
Television
Lounge
Garden
Shower
Washing Machine
Cooker
Laundry Facilities
Kitchen
Fridge
Tumble Dryer
Microwave
Ironing Facilities
MEALS
If you choose not to go on the day or evening trips, continental breakfasts are available daily, as are self catered lunches and dinners that you may prepare at your leisure on the days we are out dining at a restaurant.
The apartment has been designed for self-catering, however we are having six catered and chef prepared dinners and three traditional catered breakfasts. On days that we do not have a catered breakfast, we will have a continental breakfasts available for you. Cold meats, fruit, breads, salad, cakes, etc., will be available for lunch in the Lairds kitchen/dining room. There is also the castle cafe and tea room where you may purchase wonderful soups, salads, sandwiches, fruit, cakes and desserts.
If you choose not to go on the day or evening trips, restaurant outings, or miss breakfast, continental breakfasts items will be available in the kitchen, as are self catered lunches and dinners that you may prepare at your leisure.
ART INSTRUCTION, CRITIQUES, DEMONSTRATIONS & TALKS
Instruction, critiques, and demonstrations will be held at various locations throughout Brodie Castle grounds (such as in the castle stables, located a few feet from the castle), in the castle gardens, and off-site painting locations.
Artist talks by our guest artists will also be held in the castle stables and along the cliff banks near Bow Fiddle Rock in Cullen.
The stables are available for you to use as an art studio day or night.
So, pack up your pochade box, art supplies, hiking shoes and and adventurous heart…and join us for a truly enchanting and creative experience at Brodie Castle ….and Edinburgh. I am certain that once your magical time at Brodie Castle ends, you will leave feeling inspired. You will indeed walk away with artistic accomplishments, a real appreciation and love for the Scottish landscape, its history and culture, and new friendships you will cherish forever.
To express an interest in this magical trip, fill out the form to let us know a little about yourself, and if you think you may be bringing a friend, spouse, or partner. Don’t forget to share your dietary restrictions and special requests. We will do our best to accommodate you and make this the BEST artist treat you have ever experienced!
A very special thank you to the National Trust of Scotland, Alan McGowan, Ginny Elston, Jonathan Sherer, Donnie MacLeod, and Julie Armour for the use of images, content and links and their help and participation with the creation and facilitation of the Brodie Castle Artist Retreat.