Follow in the footsteps of the Royal Family on a tour of Scotland from Royal Deeside to Edinburgh

There are plenty of places in England where you can immerse yourself in royal history – from the grandeur of Buckingham Palace to the splendor of Windsor Castle. But if you really want to understand the family – past and present – ​​you have to look further north.

For in this coronation year you will find that it is in Scotland where the majesty of the monarchy comes to life.

From the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, where Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin lay after she died in Balmoral, to the late Queen Mother’s Cairngorms picnic spots and Queen Victoria’s Highland Boltholes, it feels like every nook and cranny reveals something new about the royal family.

You can even find Princess Diana’s honeymoon bed in Scotland – aboard the royal yacht Britannia. Now decommissioned, the yacht is a floating, faithfully preserved museum on Edinburgh’s waterfront.

So it makes sense that PoB Hotels have put together a Coronation Concierge package that takes you from afternoon tea at the Goring Hotel near Buckingham Palace to a luxurious Scottish exploration of Scotland. And the royal connection is not limited to the past.

Above is King Charles at a reception at Prestonfield House

“The King walked here just a few weeks ago and stopped for a chat,” says guide Simon Blackett of Yellow Welly tours, who has lived in the area for 30 years. ‘He wanted to know what color we were going to paint Braemar Castle when it was renovated. We see much of His Majesty here.”

‘Here’ is the Highland Games town of Braemar, nine miles from the royal family’s Balmoral estate. Nestled in the stunning scenery of the area, whose connections have earned it the name Royal Deeside, our hotel for one night will be the Fife Arms.

The rooms are exquisite and the walls of the lobby and lounge are decorated with works by Picasso.

Roaring fires and award winning chefs make you feel as if you are at home and far away in a luxurious parallel universe. No wonder it attracts a certain type of clientele. Dame Judi Dench played the hotel’s grand piano on New Year’s Eve while Sharleen Spiteri sang Abba.

King Charles is said to be a frequent visitor to the town of Braemar (above), which is nine miles from the royal family’s Balmoral estate

Kate checked into the Fife Arms hotel (pictured) in Braemar. “Guests can sample some of the King’s favorite drams at Bertie’s Whiskey Bar, where rare bottles line the walls,” she reveals

‘Roaring fires and award-winning chefs make you feel like you’re at home and far away in a luxurious parallel universe,’ says Kate of the Fife Arms

Guests can sample some of the King’s favorite drams at Bertie’s Whiskey Bar, where rare bottles line the walls.

But I’m moving forward. Our break began with a Coronation Afternoon Tea at The Goring hotel in London before boarding the train to Edinburgh – first class, of course.

If you want to understand the Royals, you have to be treated like one. It’s a seven minute taxi ride from Edinburgh station to our first residence, at the magnificent Prestonfield House, where the Queen celebrated her 80th birthday. To celebrate the coronation, a new cocktail has appeared on the menu, the Royal Warrant, containing orange bitters and Lochnagar whisky.

Kate boarded the Fingal, a ship that once sailed along the Scottish coast to deliver supplies to remote lighthouse keepers

James Thomson has lovingly restored the hotel and his team can arrange classic cars to take you to Holyroodhouse, where an audio headset uses recordings of the King, Princess Anne and Prince Edward to show you around.

After a restful night, we boarded the Fingal, a ship that once sailed along the Scottish coast to deliver supplies to remote lighthouse keepers. Permanently docked, she is now on a new mission: a five-star romantic getaway.

It is run by the same team as the Royal Yacht Britannia which is just a few minutes drive away and makes for a fascinating day out.

Aboard the yacht Her Majesty called ‘home’, it is a delight to discover that personal belongings of the family are still there; from the photos to a telephone system with the names ‘Queen’ and ‘Duke’.

After staying at the Fife Arms, our three nights away came to an end, and I understood why Elizabeth II loved Scotland so much. But perhaps another queen expressed it best. Victoria wrote: ‘I am so sad when I think of leaving this charming place and the peace, freedom and pure air we have enjoyed. The action life we’ve led, quirky in its way, was so delightful.’