My husband bought us land in Scotland — our journey to ‘claim’ it

In January, my husband and I were in the early stages of planning our first big points and miles redemption trip. We had earned almost 112,000 miles through our Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and had 164,872 American Airlines miles earned through flights and spending on our AAdvantage® Aviator® Red Mastercard. We were ready to see where those points and miles would take us.

Choosing our points and miles destination

We narrowed our options down to Scotland and Costa Rica. Did we want to explore rainforests and laze on beaches, or did we want to stroll cobblestone streets and soak up medieval history?

Scotland has long been at the top of my travel wish list. Towering castles, intimate historic pubs, layer cake mountains and majestic coastal cliffs captured my imagination for as long as I can remember. However, it was a Valentine’s Day gift from my husband that ultimately helped us decide — a plot of land in the Scottish town of Fife.

Related: From paradise beaches to world-class golf, here’s why Scotland should be on your bucket list

He purchased our land title through Scotland Titles. Although I had never heard of it, purchasing land in Scotland is apparently a popular novelty gift. The swag bag for 2022 Oscar nominees even included the title of Lord or Lady of Glencoe, along with a small plot of land in Scotland (likely inspired by Denzel Washington’s best actor nomination that year for “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” (The bag also included a $50,000 three-night stay at Turin Castle in Scotland, which definitely did not come with our land purchase.)

We received our official Certificate of Disposition and Proclamation confirming that we were now proud owners of land within a Scottish estate. And by “land,” I mean a 10-foot-by-10-foot patch likely only suited for a picnic or a small tent. No matter the size, our land purchase earned us the titles Lord Joseph Andrew Tolley and Lady Kristy Lea Tolley of Blairadam. Our certificate also included the address of said estate as well as Google Maps coordinates.

Our land purchase also came with a Certificate of Tree Planting, which declared us supporters of the Tree Planting Project. It wasn’t clear on the certificate where, exactly, the trees are planted, but it was nice to know we had a small part in a larger conservation effort in our new homeland.

Additionally, the packet contained an extremely informative booklet explaining the history of Scottish estates, kilts and tartans, and whisky. Scotland Titles also has a Facebook page, so we can keep up with the comings and goings of our fellow lords and ladies.

This newly acquired property sealed the deal. We would redeem our hard-earned points and miles on a trip to Scotland. We decided we would spend the bulk of our time in Edinburgh and plan a daytrip to Fife to visit our property, tacking on a side trek to St. Andrews for my golf-obsessed husband.

Planning our Scotland trip

We booked a weeklong stay at the Crowne Plaza Edinburgh — Royal Terrace, an IHG Hotel for 97,831 miles through the Capital One Travel portal. (The hotel recently became a Voco property.)

The hotel was just outside the main tourist area of Edinburgh’s Old Town and the Royal Mile, so our points went a little further here than at accommodations more centrally located. It was an easy 15-minute walk to the Royal Mile and very convenient to other Edinburgh attractions.

Related: How to spend 1 day in Edinburgh

For our road trip to Fife, we booked our car through Enterprise, making sure it was an automatic vehicle. I figured driving on the left side of the road would be enough of a challenge without adding the stress of driving a stick shift with my non-dominant hand.

Enterprise provides drivers with a bright yellow bracelet to wear on their left wrist to remind them of the driving patterns here. Although I felt a little like a preschooler on a field trip, the bracelet did the trick for me. It also helped that I repeated the phrase “Look right, drive left” about a million times during the trip.

I booked the car using my Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. I had recently signed up to take advantage of a 60,000-point sign-up bonus (worth $1,200 by TPG’s valuations), and this would go toward my required spending to earn the bonus points.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card also offers primary rental car insurance, which covers the entire loss, damage or theft of your rental car without going through your insurance company. Additionally, the Sapphire Preferred waives foreign transaction fees, typically saving you 2.7%-3% on every purchase abroad. It was our primary card for our entire Edinburgh trip.

Our drive from Edinburgh to Fife took just under an hour. My husband/co-pilot used the handy Google Maps coordinates to guide us while I continued to repeat, “Look right, drive left!” in perpetuity.

We finally reached a graveled country lane marked “private road” and drove to a spot with a well-worn side path up an embankment (we assumed, as landowners, it was technically our private property, too).

After a short and slightly steep climb, we were there. Though there was no way to determine which patch of land was actually ours, we dubbed our humble estate “Tolleywood” and took several photos and videos to prove we were there. We also FaceTimed with our daughters to show them the land they would one day inherit. Visions of kilt-clad grandchildren playing in the yard with their pet Scottish terrier swirled around my head.

When I caught sight of the little castles, painted rocks and mementos left by other landowners, I immediately chided myself for not having thought to do the same. I thought about leaving my “keep left” bracelet, but it just didn’t seem to have the same sentiment. We vowed to be better prepared for our next land survey.

I realize the act of “owning” land is just a novelty with no real tangible benefit (other than being a fun story to tell at parties). However, visiting our Fife estate was one of my most treasured travel experiences to date.

Side trip to St. Andrews

Our next stop was St. Andrews, the seaside town famously billed as the birthplace of golf. Though not a golfer myself, I’ve heard my husband wax poetic about the storied Old Course enough times over the last 30 years of marriage to determine we couldn’t pass up the opportunity for him to see it in person.

Of particular interest was Swilcan Bridge on the 18th hole. The bridge is believed to have been built over 700 years ago for shepherds to move their flocks across the Swilcan Burn. Throughout the years, it became a tradition for golf champions to pay homage to the bridge.

My husband’s top priority was to reenact Jack Nicklaus’ iconic pose on Swilcan Bridge at the 18th hole. Nicklaus gave his final farewell to professional golf at the 2005 Open Championship while standing on it.

After capturing the photo, we walked along the road by the 17th hole, better known as the Road Hole. It’s been billed as the hardest hole in the world, thanks to the treacherous bunker on the left and the literal road and out-of-bounds to the right.

The road led us to our lunch spot, Jigger Inn. The pub is by the Old Course Hotel and overlooks the 17th Road Hole. Built in 1952, it served as the station master’s lodge for the St. Andrews Links railway station. It evolved into a pub in 1974 when it became part of the Old Course Hotel complex.

Even though I know next to nothing about golf, the restaurant’s ambience compelled me to want to learn more. Historic golf photos and memorabilia hung on the walls. Fireplaces, though not lit, provided a homey atmosphere. Tartan benches and wall coverings encircled wood tables where, throughout the years, legions of golfers likely toasted to their success or failure on the course over a pint.

After lunch, we drove back to Edinburgh, following the Fife Coastal Route, a scenic route along Scotland’s east coast. We passed charming fishing villages like Kingsbarns, Crail and Anstruther along the way, stopping for ice cream in Pittenweem (I tried Scottish tablet ice cream for the first time, and it was delicious).

If you’re based in Edinburgh during your time in Scotland and want to visit St. Andrews without having to rent a car, consider taking the St. Andrews Shuttle. It departs from Edinburgh Airport, and rates for a one-way trip start from 30 British pounds (about $38).

Scotland made an indelible impression on me with its stunning landscapes, rich history and lovely people. Though it was my first visit, I immediately felt at home there. Maybe it’s because I own a small piece of it. Maybe it’s because I know it won’t be my last visit. Who knows? Perhaps a future trip to Scotland will include an appointment with a real estate agent.

Related: The whisky drinkers guide to Scotland