the mommy avenger

There are trips that you take, and then there are trips that take you — that settle into your memory like something out of a story you read as a kid, the kind where you’re not entirely sure if it was real or if you dreamed it. Our week in Scotland was absolutely that second kind, and no part of it felt more like a dream than the days we spent at Dunskey Estate.

Let me back up a little.

We had made our way to the southwest coast of Scotland, to this tiny, tucked-away harbor village called Portpatrick. If you’ve never heard of it, don’t worry — neither had I until this trip was in the works. On a clear day, we could actually see Ireland in the distance. It’s the kind of place that feels like it hasn’t quite caught up to the rest of the world, in the best way possible. Colorful little houses line the harbor, the wind comes in off the sea, and everything about it feels slower, quieter, and more charming than you’d expect. And it was here, just outside this sweet little village, that we found ourselves calling Dunskey Estate home for a good portion of our week.

A History You Can Feel

One of the things that struck me almost immediately about Dunskey is that this isn’t just a beautiful property that someone bought and turned into a place for guests. This is family history. The owners can trace their roots back through generations tied to this land, and instead of keeping that heritage tucked away, they’ve chosen to share it. Throughout the estate, you’ll find stories and historical pieces on display — little windows into the lives of the people who came before, who walked these same halls and looked out over these same hills. It gives the whole place a weight and a warmth that you just can’t manufacture. You don’t just visit Dunskey. You step into it.

The Grounds: 2,000 Acres of Pure Magic

I truly don’t know how to adequately describe pulling up to Dunskey for the first time. We’re talking about 2,000 acres of rolling green hills, and I mean rolling — the kind of green that looks almost unreal, like it’s been touched up. There are hydrangeas blooming everywhere, walking paths lined with leaves so enormous they practically felt like they belonged in a different climate altogether. There’s a maze to get delightfully lost in, gardens tucked around every corner, and a loch that begs to be explored slowly, at whatever pace your heart wants to go. And rising up in the middle of all of it? An actual castle.

I keep saying that phrase — “an actual castle” — because I don’t think it ever stopped feeling surreal. This isn’t a themed hotel dressed up to look like a castle. This is the real thing, standing proud at the center of the estate, and the first glimpse of it as we came up the drive is something I’ll be replaying in my head for a very long time.

Arriving Home (Even Though We’d Never Been There Before)

We were greeted the moment we arrived by staff who were, without exaggeration, some of the friendliest and most accommodating people we’ve encountered anywhere we’ve traveled. It was clear from the very first hello that making us feel at home was their top priority, not just a box to check. We were handed glasses of the most delicious lemonade — the kind you sip slowly because you don’t want the moment to end — and then walked through to see our rooms.

Every single room at Dunskey is completely unique. Nothing is cookie-cutter, nothing feels like it was pulled from a catalog. Each space has been thoughtfully and painstakingly curated to fit the character of the castle itself, and you can tell that real care went into every detail.

Our Room: The Old Nursery

We stayed in a room called The Old Nursery, and it was full of the kind of thoughtful touches that made our time there feel genuinely special. But if I’m being honest, the moment that got me the most was the bathroom. There, sitting proudly, was this original, massive tub — and I mean massive. We later found out that the bathroom had actually been built around the tub, because it was simply too enormous to move. Just let that sink in for a second. That tub has been there long enough, and mattered enough, that an entire room was constructed around it rather than the other way around. That’s the kind of history you’re surrounded by at Dunskey, in the most unexpected of places.

Getting Our Bearings

After settling in, we were given a tour of the castle and the wider estate to help us get our bearings for the week ahead. Walking through those halls, hearing bits of the estate’s story, and getting a feel for just how much ground we had to explore, it started to sink in just how special this home base was going to be for our time in Scotland.

The Food. Oh, The Food.

Okay. I have to talk about the accommodations being wonderful, because they were. But I genuinely don’t know if I can put into words just how incredible the dining at Dunskey was. For the entire time we were there, we had four chefs cooking for us — three of them Michelin rated. Three. I keep saying that number out loud like it’s going to feel less unbelievable the more I repeat it, and it never does.

Every single morsel of food I tasted during our stay was the best of the best. The absolute crème de la crème. We’re talking multi-course meals featuring venison wellington, ballotine of Scottish salmon, passionfruit soufflé… honestly, I could keep listing dishes for another full paragraph because the food was beyond anything I’ve experienced before. I even tried haggis, tucked into the most delectable little appetizer, and — I’ll admit it — I loved it. Never in a million years did I think I’d be writing that sentence, but here we are.

What really got me was learning how much of what we ate was locally sourced. You could taste the difference. There’s a level of care that goes into food when it’s coming from the land and waters right around you, prepared by chefs who clearly treat every plate like a small work of art. Presentation was gorgeous, plate after plate, but it never felt like style over substance. Every dish delivered.

And it wasn’t just dinner. We looked forward to every single meal — breakfast, lunch, all-day snacks, dinner, even late-night bites. We were taken care of from morning until we crawled into bed at night, and it was, without exaggeration, incredible. I was genuinely sad to say goodbye to that level of culinary magic when it came time to leave.

The Fire Feast: A Night I’ll Never Forget

If there’s one experience from our stay I could bottle up and hand to every single one of you, it would be our last evening at Dunskey. We were treated to what’s known as a fire feast, and friends, I cannot recommend this enough. We’re talking the best scallops I have had in my entire life, Cajun salmon, lamb, beef, and so much more, all enjoyed out under the open Scottish sky.

Just when we thought the night couldn’t get any better, we were surprised by the arrival of Clann An Drumma, a genuine Scottish national treasure. They filled the night air with drums and bagpipes while we danced under a canopy, working off every last calorie from that incredible spread. It was the most fabulous ending to what had already been a magical celebration, and one of those moments where you just stop and think, “I cannot believe this is my life right now.”

Getting to Know the Family Behind It All

One of the sweetest parts of our week was genuinely getting to know the owners of Dunskey, Alastair (Ali) Orr Ewing and his wife Anne Tristine Nguyen. This is their treasured property, and they share it with a kind of warmth and pride that you can feel in every interaction. They taught us how to play Frida, which quickly became a new group favorite, and one evening they surprised us all with a private concert from local, wildly talented artists, complete with a sing-along. It was beautiful, it was fun, and it was one more reminder that this wasn’t a stay at some faceless luxury property. This was time spent inside someone’s family legacy, and they made sure we felt welcomed into it.

No TVs, No Problem

Here’s something that took me almost the entire week to even notice: there are no TVs on the property. None. And instead of feeling like something was missing, it felt like the biggest gift of the whole trip. There’s so much to do onsite between the grounds, the activities, the company, and the food, that a television never even crossed my mind. It was glorious to fully disconnect from the outside world and step into this special little bubble tucked away in a corner of Scotland I didn’t even know existed before this trip.

Sad to Leave, Already Planning to Return

By the end of the week, our whole group was heartbroken to say goodbye. There’s a certain kind of magic at Dunskey that’s hard to put into words even now as I’m writing this, but I promise you, it’s real, and it lingers with you long after you’ve left. We were already talking about when we could come back before we’d even pulled out of the drive.

If you ever have the chance to stay at Dunskey Estate, take it. There truly is no other place like it, and I mean that with my whole heart. You will leave changed simply for having had the opportunity to experience it. It’s also worth knowing that Dunskey hosts special events like weddings and retreats, and the estate has even served as a filming location for a movie or two, so if you’re looking for a backdrop that feels straight out of a storybook, it’s already been discovered by people telling their own stories on screen.

I have stayed in a lot of places over the years. Hotels, resorts, cozy little inns, you name it. But I can honestly say I have never stayed anywhere quite like Dunskey Estate. It’s not just accommodations — it’s an experience, a story, a little slice of history that they’ve generously opened up for guests to be part of. If your travels ever take you to the southwest coast of Scotland, do yourself a favor and make time for Portpatrick, and make sure Dunskey Estate is where you lay your head.