After years of planning and waiting, our trip to Scotland is finally here. (It was originally scheduled for the summer of 2020). Back in simpler times, pre-pandemic, I pictured myself twirling through fields of heather in flowery dresses, only pausing for a fancy tea served alfresco as bluebirds chirped nearby.
In my head, it looked something like this.
And then I checked the forecast. Apparently, I was picturing the wrong Disney classic. Scotland in summer is more like this.
Okay, maybe not that cold. But close. Definitely not the balmy 70-something degree days I had pictured. And not a whole lot of sunshine either. So I find myself with the challenging task of packing for the opposite season. Since Florida winter is similar to Scotland summer, I’ll be packing some of my cool-weather essentials for this trip.
Fortunately, I can still dream about the castle we will be staying in.
Here are the specifics. 16 people (parents, siblings, spouses, and kids). 10 days, including travel time. 7 days at a castle and a couple in Edinburgh. Need outfits for some kind of a bluff (I’m afraid to look at the details here) as well as a fancy dinner, lunch, and tea. Oh, and a family photo shoot.
And, everything I pack needs to go in half a suitcase. Half. A. Suitcase. My husband is using the other half. Sound impossible? Oh, but it’s not. Not even for this former overpacker. Here are the 5 steps I followed to create this travel capsule for myself. It’s the same system I have used to create hundreds of travel capsules for clients over the years.
- Check The Itinerary
- What’s The Most Casual Event
- What’s The Dressiest Event
- Pick a Color Palette
- Assemble The Clusters
Here, how I used my Cluster Concept to pack my travel capsule for Scotland. In case you need a refresher, here’s the breakdown of a cluster.
Using this formula, I created 2 clusters for this trip.
In addition to this, I added shoes. I ended up replacing the red Hunter boots with a pair of shorter hot pink rain boots, because they are less bulky and more comfortable.
I also added a couple of items that were not in the clusters, like the dress for the photo shoot and some solid tees.
Then, looking at my Itinerary, I planned outfits for every day of the trip, and saved them in Hue & Stripe, the stylist-exclusive app I use for my own wardrobe and for my clients.
Here are the outfits I will be wearing for Scotland, in order, and beginning with my travel (plane) outfit.
And here I am actually trying on the outfits to make sure that they all work and that they are comfortable. This step is a little bit of extra work but it is so important, so don’t skip it!
What do you think of my Scotland Travel Capsule? And how can you use this system to pack for your next trip? Let me know in the comments!
Nada Manley says
We just got back Alice and had the BEST time! You sound so organized! The only thing I might suggest is another jumper. It was pretty cool. Can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Alice says
We’re also going to Scotland this year, though we will primarily be touring archeological sites on Orkney Island, with a little time spent in Edinburgh. I’m limiting my packing to a carry-on plus what is on my back, so luckily dressy clothes won’t be needed. Right now my plan is: a gray linen jumper, black leggings, dark jeans, 2 t-shirts, 3 long sleeve shirts, a long hooded raincoat, and a warm shawl. I know I need at least 1 tee for travel days because it’ll be wicked hot in Virginia in August. Crocs for airplane travel, Doc Martens the rest of the time. Laundry as needed in the sink.