The Hallowed Haggis | A Mythic Catskills Weekend
January 25 – 27, 2019

Name: The Hallowed Haggis | A Mythic Catskills Weekend
Start: 2019-01-25T18:00:00-05:00
End: 2019-01-27T12:00:00-05:00
Location: Spillian

We all know January–the time of the year when holiday delights have faded into the snow and the dark cold nights of winter threaten despair…

Come push against the darkness, and join us for a seriously silly celebration of the words and song of the Ploughman Poet, Robert Burns. Indulge your whimsey, and join in the revelry as we enjoy the smoky taste of great whiskey, the play of candlelight against silver, the wail of the bagpipes and a feast, a great feast of the Hallowed Haggis… Hilarity will ensue.

What the hell is Haggis, you ask? It’s liver, tongue and other unmentionable bits together with Scottish oats, onions, stock and herbs all cooked together into “the great chieftain o’ the pudding race.” Put away your mocking thoughts, and know that this is one delicious bit of pie. And, for those who dare not, we’re also concocting a vegetarian version o’ the great and powerful Haggis.

Wear a kilt, yourself, and get a special deal on the weekend. Bring on the kilts!

Join us as we push back winter’s dark cloak with games, verse, drinks and superb food, all invoking – and evoking – your inner Highlander.

And as with all Mythic Catskills weekends, you can join us for the entire weekend, or for Saturday’s festivities and dinner, or simply for the evening’s delights.

The Hallowed Haggis at Spillian. It’s Mythic. Local. Real.

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Mythic Catskills Weekends

Spillian’s Mythic Catskills Weekends are an intersection with the essence of the Catskills: the forests, the mountains, the people, the deep stories that make this place so compelling.

Each weekend celebrates a facet of this gem-like place: its food, its fish and streams, its ringing summer, its snow-spangled winters, its flowing creative life force.

Come for a weekend of grand adventure. Feast. Explore. Hear the great stories and share your own. Revel in the mythic possibility of the Catskills and find where it sings in your life – and then bring that song back home with you.

The Hallowed Haggis: A Mythic Catskills Weekend | What’s Included

Friday
The Highland Catskills

6 PM: A highland charcuterie
The story of whisky (and whiskey) and a tasting.
Tales, real and mythic, about the history and lore of the Scotch-Irish in the Catskills in front of the blazing fire.

Saturday
The Haggis Games and Robert Burns Supper

9 AM: A Catskills breakfast featuring eggs from Spillian Farm’s ridiculous chickens.
10 AM: A moving meditation with Spillian co-founder Leigh Melander, going deep into images of the mountains and metaphors from the poetry of Robert Burns for those who’d like to stretch their minds and muscles a bit.
Noon: Lunch, featuring cock-a-leekie soup, salad, and bannocks.
1 to 5 PM: Introducing the Spillian Haggis Games, a superbly silly array of activities and competitions to get your inner Highlander primed for the Robert Burns Dinner. Learn, compete, laugh…including:
- A Burns-inspired poetry writing session with our friend, wildman and The Poetry Society of New York Poetry co-founder Nicholas Adamski (what do you want to write a paean to?…we’ll vote on the winning poem after dinner).
- An instant musical ensemble – we’ve got harps and tin whistles and tambourines. Bring your instrument if you’ve got one! We’ll raise the rafters. Want to solo? We’ll add that in to the evening’s festivities as well.
- A Scottish accent lesson from our friend acclaimed actor, director, and playwright Robert Smythe,(who is leading a playwrighting workshop with us this summer!) For those with a talent for accents and/or a touch of moxie, we welcome your best efforts in our supper celebration. Click here for a list of Robert Burns poems you can practice on!
- A chance to hone your favorite story of Scotland, poetry, or any Highland-worthy exploit with our friend, inspired educator and co-creator of storied worlds with her company Guard Up!, Meghan Gardner, so you can share it with fellow revelers.
- A bonniest knees contest for those brave enough to don a kilt (and bribery is welcome, of course).
5 PM: Cocktail hour featuring the Spillian Highland, with local Catskills whiskey, a whisper of the heather on the hills, and a curl of smoke.
6 PM: A full-flown Robert Burns Supper, with family-style multiple course feast from Spillian’s chef Christian Van Etten around our feasting table, featuring traditional and vegetarian haggis, and his creative takes on the evocative flavors of Scotland; and all of the glorious pageantry of a traditional Burns Supper, featuring acclaimed bag piper Kevin Grace, poetry, speechifying, and awards for the winners of the Haggis Games. Featuring Robert Smythe as our official leader of the Address to the Haggis.

Sunday
Rumbling the Rumbledethump

9 AM: A Spillian breakfast.
10 AM: A cooking class with Chef Christian, learning to make traditional Scottish Rumbledethump (a seriously fine comfort food), finishing with a tasting of your masterpiece around our table.
12 PM Farewell to the Highlands – we send you back out into the real world, filled with wit and wisdom. Or at least lunch.

The Saturday Robert Burns Feast

A family style feast around our extraordinary mahogany dining table, all dressed for the occasion. This table is a true place of convivium, where tales are topped, ideas are birthed, and friendships created. We will toast, dine, share stories, poetry, the music of the pipes, and announce the winners of the Haggis Games. Chef Christian Van Etten’s seven-course planned menu:

Amuse Bouche: Cullen Skink Risotto, A Creamy Taste of House-Smoked Salmon from Hookline Fish Company
Green Salad with Roasted Beets, Chestnuts, and Leeks
The Mighty Haggis: Great Chieftan o’ the Puddin’ Race
Vegetarian Haggis in Savoy Cabbage with Cinnamon and Nutmeg
Roasted Hubbell Family Farm Highland Beef
Neeps and Tatties: Glazed Rutabaga and Potatoes with Chive Whiskey Sauce
Raspberry Cranachan: Toasted Oats, Raspberries, Whipped Cream and a Dash of Whiskey

Pricing

Full weekend fee includes all sessions including the moving meditaiton, games, four meals, one featured cocktail per evening, cooking class, and lodging at Spillian. Evening cash bar, tax and gratuities additional. Click here to learn more about our splendid guest rooms!

Saturday Haggis Games, Robert Burns Supper & Festivities: $65 per person
Join us for the Haggis Games, cocktail hour, supper, and festivities. Begins at 1 PM.

Saturday Robert Burns Supper & Festivities: $55 per person
Join us for the cocktail hour, supper, and festivities. Cocktail hour begins at 5 PM, dinner at 6 PM.

Full The Hallowed Haggis Weekend For One: $425
Per person, single room occupancy. Check in any time after 3 PM on Friday.

Full The Hallowed Haggis Weekend For a Couple: $745
For the couple, double room occupancy. Check in any time after 3 PM on Friday.

Wearing a kilt? Get 10% off! Use coupon code: KILT when you register.
Note: Click here for kilt maker who rents kilts in Highland NY

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Jenna Gaudio

12:55 09 Sep 23

Spillian is a magical place. You see it the very first time you turn onto the grounds and drive down a long, lush road that climbs to reveal a moody Victorian estate at the top. You feel the magic in the ferns, flowers, and trees that surround the area - creating the feeling of mystical protection from the rest of the world. You know this place is magic when you meet the owners, who ooze creativity and kindness with their every word of excitement for what they do. The building is unlike any other, rich with artwork and collected items from around the world. The meadow, where people meet around the fire, get married, and dance under the stars, is clearly crafted with thoughtfulness and rarity that leaves an impression on anyone who's lucky enough to experience it.The food by Spillian's Chef was impossibly flawless meal after meal - and after being diagnosed with an autoimmune and food allergies a year before the wedding, I didn't really make it easy on him. We had a divine welcome party taco bar, a Mediterranean rehearsal dinner, a special request burrata bar at cocktail hour, fresh, local summer dishes for the wedding dinner, and a to-die-for goodbye brunch.Not only are the owners creative and kind, but they are also keen on logistics, communication, and collaboration to keep the stress down. It was forecasted to storm terribly off-an-on all weekend, but we had gone all-in on a fully outdoor wedding. They watched the weather and stayed in contact with our vendors in case we had to restructure the wedding inside, but the day of everyone felt we should make the attempt outside - and we got very lucky the weather held up! They are creative problem solvers and will go above and beyond to help make the day go smoothly. Our Wedding cake vendor fell through days before the wedding, and when I asked if they could make a watermelon wedding cake so we could still have that wedding cake moment, they made it happen - and it ended up being an incredibly memorable part of the day.Pro tips:-Definitely book it for the weekend and give yourself an extra day to walk the grounds, and sit on the porch.-It is a historic building and operates as such, including no A/C, so be aware/prepare for that. Climate change is real and it was much hotter the weekend of our wedding than was typical/expected.- Sign up for their newsletter to get updates on creative workshops, dinner parties, etc. that the owners host throughout the year. We attended a dinner party before we got married and it was so fun to meet locals and other couples who had been married there previously. It's a wonderful community that shares a deep love for Spillian and all it has to offer.

Heidi Liou

14:48 27 Aug 23

Came here for a beautiful wedding, and stayed for two nights total. The staff was amazing and incredibly nice! Highly recommend. Lots of wonderful memories were made.

15:49 25 Jun 23

Excellent service!! Beautiful venue!! Food was delicious!

Jonathan Moore

16:39 02 Jan 23

Had a chef selected four course meal and spent the night. Wonderful food, wonderful staff, and a magical stay at a unique historical venue.

nancy cottrell

22:26 13 Nov 22

Just returned from my daughter’s wedding! Wow!! It was magical! Spillian gave my daughter the wedding she always dreamed of❤️ Thank you to everyone at Spillian! Truly a wonderful place !

Roza Goltser

02:56 26 Oct 22

Magic in the mountains! That's what Spillian brings to you. If you want your wedding to be in nature it is the perfect place for you. The grounds are stunning with huge bonefire truly makes you feel like you are camping with luxury. Perfect for groom and bridal rooms to get ready on location. Not to mention the estate itself is like from a different area. It was built in the early 1880's!! Absolutely glorious!!

Julia Masotti

22:51 05 Jul 22

We were lucky enough to get married at Spillian in June of 2022, and words truly cannot describe how magical and joyful the experience was. I work in the wedding industry, so as soon as my now-husband and I got engaged, I knew we needed to tie the knot somewhere off the beaten path. We didn’t want cookie cutter, pre-planned menus, or generic banquet halls. Spillian was the first (and only!) venue we looked at- from the winding drive up the forest road to the main house, we felt the magic and we were hooked.   Mark, Leigh, and the entire staff at Spillian treat you like family from first meeting. Whenever we went up to visit, whether for tastings or for a site visit, we were greeted with the biggest hugs and smiles. We designed our menu with Chef Christian, a French-inspired feast featuring the best of all local farms, and our guests are still talking about how incredible all the food was. A wedding at Spilling is so much more than just that; it’s a weekend-long celebration with all your nearest and dearest.We stayed in the estate house from Friday to Sunday with our wedding party, and the house itself is fabulous- beautifully appointed, comfortable, and clean. We had our taco bar rehearsal dinner on Friday night, followed by a karaoke party (Mark and Leigh will really help you make whatever your dreams are happen!), our wedding in the woods on Saturday (complete with a bonfire and s’mores), and a send-off brunch on the lawn on Sunday. Mark, Leigh, and their staff are all so intuitive, quick to solve any problems we ran into and preternaturally able to anticipate any problems before they even arose.   I could go on and on about how wonderful this place is, but you get the idea. It’s truly magic, and Spillian will forever hold such a special place in our hearts.

Jennifer Sauer

20:01 24 Jul 21

Yeah, what they said! Spillian is a perfect venue for weddings, family and friend celebrations, or just to visit for a special event. The mansion is absolutely amazing with antiques and stories in every room and corner. The grounds truly are a beautiful and peaceful nature-filled feast for the eyes and imagination. The hosts are inviting, fun and funny, and super attentive to your needs, comfort and questions and I made it a point to chat with staff when possible and all were delightful and helpful. After a great visit, the hosts pointed me to a great hiking trail in Catskills. Many thanks for a memorable weekend!