Experience unmatched splendour at The Caledonian Edinburgh, Curio Collection

Edinburgh is a beautiful city. With Edinburgh Castle atop Castle Rock standing proudly in the centre, the Princes Street Gardens sitting lush with trees in its shadow, replete with sculptures and monuments, and not one, but two historic churches – the Neo-Gothic St John’s and the Baroque-styled St Cuthbert’s – there is, for example, quite a view to be taken in from where Princes Street meets Lothian Road, on the Gardens’ west side. It’s a view that speaks to the history of the city. It is this view that The Caledonian Curio Collection overlooks.

Itself an elegant, grand railway hotel, a standout building of columned and elegant red sandstone, its exterior evokes a promise of high luxury. The interior delivers on that promise; the bright, elegant, marble-floored foyer that greets you leading through to the base of the hotel’s glorious grand staircase. Just off the staircase, in an area that was once the concourse of the train station that used to exist beneath the hotel (complete with the historic original Caledonian station clock), is Peacock Alley.

Having arrived a little early for check-in, it was here that my wife and I awaited our room with an excellent afternoon tea (with fantastic scones and, I must say, some of the most delicious jams I’ve ever tasted), and began to settle into the luxury lifestyle that would define our stay. Peacock Alley offered a very open, bright and relaxing space, with natural light provided by a vast skylight high above. Ambient music was low and soothing; chatter very quiet. This was a place to unwind, whether that be with a cup of tea (I opted for a particularly fine Earl Grey), a signature cocktail or a fine Scotch.

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The rooms were to continue this trend. We stayed in the Sir Walter Scott suite, named for Edinburgh’s famous author, whose sizeable living room boasted beautiful high ceilings, large windows, a respectably large fireplace (and huge TV), in a plush and comfortable sitting area. A particularly delightful feature can be found in the corner of the room by the windows; under a portrait of the eponymous author is an antique writing desk and ink-well from his time, and accompanying this little slice of Sir Walter Scott history, a number of antique clothbound copies of Scott’s Waverley novels and other published works are positioned on the windowsill and shelves around the room. On the coffee table in front of the fireplace, we’re greeted with some melt-in-your-mouth pâtisseries.

The suite’s bedroom was of equally grand size, dominated by a king-sized bed and equally comfortable sitting area. Everything was decorated in a style of classic luxury, but finished with modern amenities. If there is one critique to be had (and it is, at most, a small quibble), it’s that once the sun goes down, the lighting throughout both the bedroom and living room goes no higher than a warm, soft twilight: ideal for relaxing and unwinding but not quite bright enough to utilise the dressing table for hair and make-up. A slender but beautiful bathroom, which is thankfully much more brightly lit, hosted a deep bathtub and separate shower, complete with delightful Aesop’s soaps, moisturisers and other toiletries.

And, to top it all off, there was the view. Looking out over the Princes Street Gardens, two historic churches, and, most significantly, Edinburgh Castle. By day, the view from the Sir Walter Scott suite is pretty special, but after sunset it becomes something truly magical, as the castle’s towers and buildings are up-lit from the outermost walls, casting dramatic shadows across the ramparts and parapets and bathing those historic stones in a golden glow. The room and the view together really do combine to fulfil an idealised, relaxing kind of luxury; a perfect place to take in Edinburgh’s historic splendour.Before we got to that dramatic night-time view, though, we had more of the hotel to enjoy. A visit to the spa facilities, for example. With a range of high-end treatments, including skin treatments from 111Skin and massage/relaxation sessions from Ground Wellbeing, the spa also held a respectable gym of workout equipment – not something my wife and I were particularly interested in, but good to know it was there nonetheless. We did, however, enjoy the swimming pool and whirlpool. The pool is small but lovely, and we spent some time doing gentle laps before moving to the warm whirlpool. 

After our spa visit, we headed out into the city. The location of ‘the Caley’ – as it is affectionately known locally – is prime not just for views, but also for access to the city centre. Princes Street is the main shopping street in the city, marking the south-side of Edinburgh’s New Town, and the Princes Street Gardens are a beautiful open space full of sculptures and monuments, including the incredible gothic Scott Monument– dedicated to the very same author as our luxurious suite.

The Gardens and the Street both start practically on the Caley’s doorstep, and once you’ve got a little way down, swinging south off of Princes Street and past the Gardens very quickly leads you to the iconic sights of the Old Town, including the Royal Mile that climbs up to the Castle itself. All of this is within a reasonable, although sometimes steep, walk (Or, if you prefer, a swift taxi-ride), and the entire area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site full of incredible architecture and historic locations, with plenty to see and do.

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Returning to the Hotel, dinner that evening was at Grazing by Mark Greenaway, which can be found just off of Peacock Alley. Decorated with a more modern twist compared to the more classic styles of our room, the dark ceiling, warm lighting and dark wood furnishings – with just a splash of the Edinburgh tartan – makes this an inviting and relaxed dining experience. We were served by an enthusiastic and effortlessly charming gentleman who brought a playful, knowledgeable deftness to his duties.

We began with ‘Mark’s Snacks’, a trio of canapes showcasing a variety of flavours, each one absolutely delightful, while studying the rest of our options for dinner. The range of choices available for starters and mains are respectable without being overwhelming, and each brief description sounds thoroughly appetising. When we made our picks, we asked our waiter for wine suggestions to accompany, and he took a moment to ask us about our own tastes before confidently making his recommendations. I cannot fault them in the slightest – beautiful flavours, complimentary to our main courses and, most impressive of all, finding a red wine to accompany the main that my wife enjoyed – which is normally a near-impossible task. 

The food was all delicious, high-quality dishes made with the precision of presentation worthy of high-end dining, as beautiful to look upon as it is to savour but with good, hearty portion sizes, ensuring that you will leave well fed. Desserts were equally decadent, accompanied by an off-menu dessert wine recommendation from our exceptional waiter that was dangerously easy drinking.The whole experience at Grazing was truly memorable, and the service exemplary. Our night was capped off by drinks in The Caley Bar next door, an equally inviting space lit in warm amber colours, with its curated selection of cocktails, broad choice of spirits, and impressive range of whiskies – I counted upwards of 70 different variations of Scotch, from at least two dozen different distilleries. Cocktail-wise, I can absolutely recommend the 33rd and 5th, the Caley Bar’s take on an Old Fashioned and one of the best I’ve ever had. For Scotch aficionados, tell the staff your tastes and they will expertly pick something out for you.

After an incredibly comfortable night’s sleep, the following morning found us sat once again in the Grazing for breakfast, which had as wide a range of choices as I have seen at any breakfast serving – everything from fried breakfast options (with, of course, haggis stacked up alongside the black puddings and scrambled eggs) to an array of breakfast pastries, to waffles with honey fresh from the honeycomb. All that we tried matched the excellent standard set by dinner the night before.

It would be very easy to settle in to a place like this. There was a second fine dining restaurant upstairs that we didn’t get the opportunity to visit – The Pompadour, from Masterchef: The Professionals finalist Dean Banks – and I would have loved the opportunity to swing back into the spa and sample more of the treatments on offer. I would also have very happily returned to the Grazing to try some of the other dinner options on offer, so spoilt for choice were we on our first visit, and so exemplary the service. 

But as Sir Walter Scott wrote in his poem Lady of the Lake: “Time rolls his ceaseless course”, bringing our stay to an end. For luxury and relaxation in the heart of historic Edinburgh, we could very willingly return, time and time again.

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