Cover Eddy Downpatrick is the founder of Aristeia Travel
Eddy Downpatrick is the founder of Aristeia Travel
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Eddy Downpatrick, a member of the British royal family, is the founder of Aristeia Travel, which takes its guests on epic adventures, be it on the Scottish Highlands or the Himalayas
Eddy Downpatrick’s travel plans for this year read like someone’s lifetime bucket list: seeking out Europe’s last free-flowing rivers in the Balkans, combing the wilds of the Mongolian steppes, taking on adventures in the hidden realms of Kyrgyzstan, exploring the Nepali portion of the Himalayas by helicopter, trekking the reopened ancient paths of the Trans-Bhutan Trail, and then to Norway, “where the aurora is likely to be at its very best for at least a decade”, he says.
He’ll also be sharing “the magical experience of being in the water with orcas [killer whales] in northern Norway as they cruise the fjords on their annual hunt for huge schools of herring. You can listen to these creatures underwater and gain an understanding of mammals whose levels of sophistication and intelligence we are only just beginning to appreciate.”
Finally, he’ll continue to explore the place closest to his heart: the Scottish Highlands, where he’ll indulge in the region’s “incredible, not to mention romantic, natural and cultural history”. Downpatrick’s affinity for the Scottish Highlands runs deep, and runs in the family.
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His full name is Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick (yes, that Windsor), and he is the second cousin, twice removed, of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who was known for her great love of the Highlands and spent her final days at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Following her death, Downpatrick shared a photo of the monarch hiking in the area with the caption “To the eternal realms of the Heilan hikes”—Heilan being the Gaelic word for “highland”.
The low-key member of the British royal family enjoys a comfortable distance from the pressures of working royal life, which allows him to explore and pursue his passions, namely traversing some of the most inhospitable corners of the Earth. In 2021, following stints in the finance and fashion worlds, he founded Aristeia Travel—a travel concierge that takes intrepid travellers to far-flung, breathtaking destinations.
Last year, he took a group of guests to Ladakh, where he guided them on one of the highest white-water-rafting trips in the world, starting at some 4,400 metres above sea level, along the Zanskar River “complete with what are, at times, kilometre-high rock-walls looming above”, he recalls. “This was combined with visits to Buddhist temples set against cliff faces, one of which is run by the Dalai Lama’s brother, and in the midst of high-altitude plains.”
Aristeia Travel also customises trips that combine adventure and luxury to destinations such as Patagonia, Antarctica and Kazakhstan— taking on the regions’ wilderness by day and staying in beautiful, environmentally minded lodgings that foster meaningful connections between people and place by night. “We are a highend travel business, [but] it is not that which makes us unique. Rather, [it is] the curated access we offer to the special places of the world [and] the ways in which we let our guests experience them,” Downpatrick says. “This stems from an imaginative way of looking at the world, but also from what you might say of me is an unusual, esoteric background, knowledge base and cast of connected characters.”
Another favourite pocket of the world is the Dolomites, northern Italy’s collection of towers, peaks, pinnacles and vertical rock faces, which are among the highest in the world. “I [first] saw them in spring, their valley floors carpeted with wildflowers and their lakes and rivers variations of emerald green and crystalline turquoise blue,” he says. “That’s not even mentioning the quality of the food—superlative, to say the least.
The seed for Aristeia Travel was, however—and of course— planted in Scotland, where the company offers a selection of travel itineraries, including ones that “intertwine the allure of Scotland’s natural wilderness with the rich history of its whisky” by way of private distillery tours and private plane excursions.
Privileged vantage points aside, there’s something charming and infectious about the humility and reverence with which Downpatrick views the world. On his Instagram account, he often shares poetic reflections and observations of the places he’s been, though he says it offers barely a snapshot of his experiences. “It is hard by stills and short videos alone to capture the essence of a place, the charm of its people, the fleeting interactions which make such an impact on one’s overall experience,” he muses.
“People now talk of a luxury of experience beyond material luxuries. Now more than ever, people are seeking action, to be exposed to events, peoples, phenomena; and are more willing than past generations to put themselves through what might have previously been considered discomfort in order to achieve it,” he says. “Do you come home with tales of adventure, astounding encounters, jaw-dropping views, hilarious characters, enlightening lessons, a new frame of reference? Or do you return saying the spa was lovely and you couldn’t believe how attentive the hotel staff were? In some cases, you can do both ... but better to guarantee the former and treat the latter as icing on the cake."
To continue doing what he’s doing, nature needs to thrive. And recognising an undertaking that is far bigger than himself, Downpatrick believes that if more people witnessed the beauty and majesty of the natural world—whether through Aristeia Travel or other means—they might feel more inclined to protect it.
“There is no doubt that to sustain our existence as we know it, we have in great part laid waste to the natural world. One might argue that as a species, we could have learnt to live with and learn from her, as many ancient peoples did, rather than taming her,” he says. “What we should learn from the natural world is that there is a dignified resilience to her mutability, her indomitability, and that there is yet so much more that we could learn from her, most notably in how we medicate and feed ourselves. “Many who have travelled with me have already taken action to a multitude of ends, especially in the conservation of our planet’s wild places, often inspired by the people they have encountered far away from home who devote their lives to the care of these places so worthy of our protection.”
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Coco Marett is a writer and editor who grew up between Hong Kong and Melbourne. She currently heads the travel section for Tatler Asia, and manages the Tatler Travel account on Instagram. She is known for her features on unique, under-the-radar properties and destinations. She's also known for her in-depth interviews that paint a refreshingly candid portrait of influential figures across various industries —from artists to political figures, CEOs to celebrity chefs. Follow her on Instagram @cocomarett
