ONE KNOWS SCOTLAND FROM THE INSIDE. THE OTHER KNOWS YOU.
Meet our team
Faodail was founded on a shared conviction: that Scotland, at its finest, is best discovered slowly, privately, and in the company of those who know it intimately.
ISABELLA CARTER - FOUNDER
"The best trip isn't the one with the most impressive itinerary. It's the one where you never once have to think about what comes next."
Isabella brings something no amount of Scottish expertise alone can provide: she understands what it feels like to be the American arriving in Scotland for the first time. Having moved from Ohio in 2019, she's lived both sides of the Atlantic.
A career in luxury hospitality sales — working with clients from the United States and Scotland — gave her a precise understanding of what discerning American travellers expect, what delights them, and what quietly disappoints. She knows the difference between a service that looks impressive on paper and one that actually feels personal.
Isabella's role at Faodail is one of translation — not of language, but of expectation. The couple arriving after an overnight transatlantic flight who need the first three hours to feel effortless. The family with three generations who need variety without chaos. The collector who has tasted a thousand whiskies and needs to be genuinely surprised.
Where Alex provides the access and the insider knowledge, Isabella ensures every moment lands exactly as it should.
ALEXANDER W McCATHIE - FOUNDER
"I grew up here. I know which road to take in October, and which house will feed you better than any restaurant within fifty miles."
Born and raised in Dumfries and Galloway, Alex grew up in a Scotland most visitors never see. More than a decade in the country's most demanding luxury environments — from private estates to five-star operations — taught him that extraordinary experiences are built on invisible precision.
A first-class degree and WSET Level 3 certification underpin the expertise, but what sets Alex apart is who he knows. Years in Scotland's finest properties have given him genuine friendships with the distillery managers, private chefs, estate owners, and sommeliers who make the country's most remarkable experiences possible. These relationships are the reason Faodail can open doors that remain closed to everyone else.
Easygoing and endlessly curious, he believes true luxury is found in the moment a guest realises this experience was designed entirely for them and could not have happened any other way.
OUR FAVOURITES
THE SECRETS
We're sometimes asked what we'd do with our own time in Scotland. Where we'd eat, where we'd stay, where we'd simply be. So here, with a degree of reluctance, is the answer. Two of us, six categories, twelve quiet recommendations. Most of these places aren't secrets. Some of them rather are.
1
A PLATE OF SOMETHING
Cullen skink
THE SELKIRK ARMS HOTEL - KIRKCUDBRIGHT
Smoked haddock, potato, leek, milk. A fisherman's lunch dressed up as nothing in particular and all the better for it.
Tattie Scones
ANY CORNER SHOP
A potato and flour griddle scone, traditionally made for Sunday breakfast. Done badly almost everywhere; done correctly, revelatory.
3
DINNER IN TOWN
Tipo
CITY OF EDINBURGH
A small Italian counter in the New Town. Fresh pasta, a tight wine list, twelve tables. Book a week ahead and sit at the bar with the house kombucha.
The Kitchin
CITY OF EDINBURGH
Tom Kitchin's flagship in Leith. Scottish produce treated with French technique and no fuss whatsoever. The kind of restaurant that has held its standards for years
5
A ISLAND TO DISAPPEAR TO
Isle of Coll
INNER HEBRIDES
White sand beaches you'll likely have to yourself, dark skies that have been formally designated as such, and a single hotel that does a very good dinner indeed.
Isle of Islay
INNER HEBRIDES
Ten distilleries, three coastlines, and weather that changes its mind every twenty minutes.
2
A WEEKEND AWAY, AT HOME
Cromlix Hotel
PERTHSHIRE
Private estate hotel in Perthshire, favoured by those who prefer their luxury unannounced.
Kintyre Peninsula
ARGYLL & BUTE
A long finger of land running south from Argyll, with empty roads, soft light, and the quiet sense of having arrived somewhere most people haven't thought to look.
4
WORTH THE CROWD
Stirling Castle
STIRLINGSHIRE
More architecturally interesting than Edinburgh's, and a fraction of the queue. The Great Hall is properly extraordinary.
Glencoe
SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
There is a particular weight to this glen that no photograph has ever quite captured. Best in late afternoon, in mist, alone.
6
A LOCH TO WALK TO
Loch Valley
DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY
A hill loch I grew up with in the Galloway Forest, which requires a proper walk to reach. Bring a sandwich, and something warmer than you think you'll need.
Loch Lomond
STIRLING & ARGYLL
The largest loch by surface area, and the closest to Glasgow. Most people see it badly. The trick is the eastern side, before nine in the morning, with the water still and a flask of coffee.