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Review: Edinburgh’s most magical destination, The Witchery by the Castle
By David Mansell | 30 August 2024 | Food & Drink, Indulge, Travel
Scotland’s most romantic restaurant-with-rooms casts its spell
The Witchery by the Castle is a famous spot in Edinburgh’s old town – it’s so well known that even before my wife and I embarked on our trip to Scotland’s romantic capital city, the restaurant-with-rooms was frequently the first recommendation made by friends and colleagues. To say that its reputation proceeds it would be a very fair statement.
To start: The Witchery is beautiful, historic and storied. Dating from the late 16th to early 17th century, it is named for the hundreds of citizens accused of witchcraft and executed in front of the Castle throughout the 1600s, during the reign of King James VI. With such grizzly history, the main part of this incredible location is housed in a suitably gothic building of haphazard but well-fitted brick shapes that echo the walls of the nearby Edinburgh Castle.
We enter through a gated doorway, with the motto ‘O Lord in thee is all my traist’ engraved above our heads. Onward, under an archway and across a flagstone close flanked by that incredible old stonework, and with greenery somehow squeezed in either side as well, despite the narrow space. The Witchery describes itself as a restaurant-with-rooms rather than a hotel, and this begins with the simple reception desk – a small, functional affair atop the stairs leading into one of the dining areas – rather than a grand foyer with complex concierge functions and waiting areas. Nonetheless, little details really set the tone – carved and painted wooden signs in era-appropriate styles, dark wood panels, warm low lighting. 
The climb to our suite is via a narrow spiral staircase – clearly an original feature of the 16th century building – with the occasional inconsistent stair height as it twirls upwards into the building. It’s so simple a thing, but it works wonders to set the tone of our stay – this a place for the history buff, old and a little eccentric.
And then we reached our room. We were given the Heriot Suite, one of The Witchery’s smaller suites but no less stunning for it. The entrance opens out into a sitting room with comfortable leather wingback armchairs, and a dining area for two with dining chairs beautifully crafted from giant antlers. The entire room is decorated in antique wooden panelling, the walls hung with glorious woven tapestry.
The dining area opens up onto a long, slender bedroom. A second sitting area is dominated by what can only be described as a wooden throne, with an antique sofa against the wall. At the far end of the room the bed is draped in gold and green draped, with a canopy overtop and the most elegant wooden headboard. Tapestries adorn the walls and conceal the door leading into a dressing room and bathroom. The real wonder here is the vaulted, church-like bathroom, with its incredible painted ceiling. The room is lit by a stained glassed window-like mirror light at the far end, with more mirrors lining both walls and incredible gothic detailing everywhere. This is probably the most magical bathroom I’ve ever stepped into.
The entire suite is decorated with masses of antiques. In the bedroom, a polished steel and brass helmet from the Household Cavalry sits atop an incredible wooden cabinet. Functioning as a cane holder (as demonstrated by a delightful antique wooden walking stick) are a pair of stiff black leather boots from a military parade uniform – in the dressing room is a matching military dress jacket. The grandiose mirror in the sitting room features an incredibly intricate carved wooden frame. There are little nick-nacks and items all over – pots, boxes, leather-bound books and a small drum. On each chair, incredible embroidered cushions; on the natural wooden floorboards (with occasional characterful creak), antique rugs. This isn’t the restrained, beige, minimalist approach familiar in either modern or Victorian luxury hotels. This is unapologetic maximalism. It’s character and wild whirling romance and sumptuous eccentricity, with elements of gothic and baroque style, and a jumble of history and stories and theatricality. It feels like the sort of place you’d come for a wild, Byronesque love affair: for art and culture, for magic and excess.
ROMANCE AND THEATRE
The Witchery can be found on Castlehill at the very top of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. In fact, it is as close to Edinburgh Castle as you can get without finding yourself inside the battlements, separated from the Gatehouse by little more than the castle’s esplanade. It’s a wonderful location, in the absolute very heart of Edinburgh’s historic old town, with immediate access to shops, walking tours, whisky tasing experiences, museums, a number of incredible centuries-old churches and, of course, the castle itself.
Our dinner reservation was at the Secret Garden at the back of the Witchery – accessed by a stone staircase leading down into a room of dark gothic wood panelling, wood beams overhead, black brickwork and dark tiled floors. A dramatic tapestry dominates one wall, marble pedestals stand in the centre of the room with cherubic statues atop. There are the occasional flash of gilt detailing and, at the furthest end of the room, French windows that look out onto a terrace which, in nice weather, makes for a delightful outdoor retreat. Vines weave through beams, bouquets of leaves and flowers hang like chandeliers and a scattering of fairy lights offer extra illumination to the candlelit dining room. It feels almost as though we had crossed into a fae court, a beautiful room of eccentricity.
That candle-based lighting didn’t make it especially easy to read our menus, however, nor see what we were eating. It was certainly atmospheric and romantic, but a little more light would have been nice from a practical perspective. 
For our starters we opted for partridge and seasonal game, before enjoying mains of duck and Scottish fillet steak. This was all well-cooked and accompanied with a fine vegetable selection. The steak was an absolute highlight – perfectly cooked with a delicious accompanying sauce. Upon requesting suitable wine pairings, our waiter made quick recommendation of a very nice glass of Bordeaux for us both – perhaps too quick, however, as although the deep red wine paired deliciously with my steak, the rushed recommendation failed to cater to my wife’s tastes.
We followed with desserts: a Yule log and chocolate torte, which I enjoyed immensely. All of this was served in an unobtrusive, competent manner by polite staff, who did their job well but, given the magical, characterful charm of the Secret Garden itself – and, indeed, the Witchery as a whole – the service felt somewhat unremarkable, particularly given the reputation that proceeded the restaurant.
After dinner we returned to our suite, where our beautiful canopy bed afforded a very comfortable night’s sleep. In the morning, we had breakfast delivered to our suite – a selection of pastries, local jams and preserves, little glass-potted yoghurts, sliced fruits, cheeses and cured meats and bottles of juice, all contained within a beautiful hamper. The freshly baked pastries smelled utterly tempting and were deliciously light and moreish. This was served with a selection of teas, including the Witchery’s own house blend, which was beautifully rich and flavourful.
It was a brilliant breakfast to mark the end of a memorable experience. As a romantic getaway, you would be hard-pressed to find a more iconic place in which to stay.