Are you travelling to a Reeling ball in Scotland?
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This is the Ballavimus guide for what to pack for a reeling ball in Scotland, or indeed anywhere else you’re lucky enough to go reeling.
What happens if I don’t use a checklist?
The summer ball season in Scotland usually means travelling to remote corners of the Highlands and Islands, while spending at least half your travel time worrying if you packed all the right clothes.
The views will sail past the window while you think to yourself “Did I pack my (insert thing that would be so embarrassing not have on the night)?”. You start searching for formal dress shops in Skye just in case. There aren’t any. This doesn’t have to be you.
What to pack of course depends on whether you are going to a black tie or white tie ball. Don’t worry we’ve got you covered – we’ve linked below our men’s and women’s packing lists for both.
The good news for gentlemen is they only have to buy each item of highland formal wear once. You can wear it until the wear it out or (more likely) it doesn’t fit anymore. The bad news is your outfit consists of about 15 items, all of which are mission critical if you don’t want to accidentally start stripping your clothes while you Strip the Willow.
For ladies the good news is you only have to bring a lot less items than the men. The bad news is most ladies like to rotate outfits for each ball, meaning many more purchases.
Top tips
While a packing list takes away the need to think, if you’re packing from memory, it’s always good to think about your outfit in some sort of order, like from shoes to your head. For example, think shoes, socks, trousers or trews, pants, braces and so on. You’re less likely to miss something if you always do it the same way.
If you’re going away for more than one night, consider buying some packing cubes. You can get great ones on Amazon and it means you can separate clean and dirty laundry. You can also put dirty shoes in them after the ball. If nothing else, it keeps your suitcase clean.
Even if you’re travelling your formalwear in a suitcase, bring a suit bag and hanger. As soon as you get to your room, unpack your dress or suit and hang it up straight away to let the creases out.
If anything is particularly creased from travelling, gently steam it with an iron or steamer, or hang the garment in the bathroom when you have a hot shower and let the steam in the room get to work.
You will inevitably either overpack or underpack on casual clothes for the rest of the trip. It’s either two extra sweaters you never wear, or a lack of walking shoes while everyone else goes of on a hike. Embrace it. But also ask your host what other activities are planned and dress accordingly. White tie is probably not the outfit for 5am impromptu deer stalking.
On which note, in Scotland, in summer, there are midges. Avon Skin So Soft Spray is a good bet if you want something that doesn’t have DEET.
Finally, remember to bring some cash with you. Whether it’s to leave a tip for the cleaner in the morning, or to pay your share of a taxi, a little emergency cash is always a good idea.
The Packing Lists:
Men's Tartan Trews Black Tie Packing List