On vacation, you might suppress the urge to seize the day. Instead, you sink deeper into the sheets, disappearing under the duvet like the moon behind a cloud. By all appearances, you are doing nothing. But, quite the opposite: You are hurkle-durkling. Hurkle-durkling is not a cutesy term generated by AI or the travel PR machine.
It’s a 19th-century Scottish word that the Dictionaries of the Scots Language defines as “to lie in bed or lounge about when one should be up.” The practice is experiencing a resurgence: a calming antidote to the frenzy of travel, a finger to the lips - shhh - to the clamor outside your hotel door. “Some people think we need to fill every hour with activity,” said Caroline McQuistin, a photographer and lifestyle expert based in Scotland.
“But sometimes it’s nice to lean into rest when you are far away from home.” In September 2023, Susie Dent, a celebrity lexicographer from England, chose “hurkle-durkling” as her “word of the day,” admitting on TikTok that she’s “a hurkle-durkler.” The following January, McQuistin demonstrated the concept in an Instagram post that garnered more than 145,000 likes.
In the clip, she burrows under the covers, reads a book, sips a hot beverage, knits and gazes out the window at a frosted Isle of Skye landscape - ideal hurkle-durkling conditions. “I do be hurkling and I do be durkling,” she says in the video, “and once I’ve hurkled my last durkle in a given morning, I will get up.”
The custom even appears in Hilton’s 2025 trends report, where the hospitality company noted a growing interest in hurkle-durkling, a more alert version of the sleepcation, among hotel guests. Both trends fall under the booming category of wellness tourism, a sector the Global Wellness Institute projects will exceed a trillion dollars this year. Unlike other wellness experiences, such as sylvotherapy (you need to hike to the forest to bathe in it) or snowga (yoga in snow), hurkle-durkling takes no effort whatsoever.
“The concept is that you are staying in bed a little bit longer than you should have and not feeling any pressure to go anywhere or do anything,” said Michael McCuish, the Scottish vice president of Away From the Ordinary, a travel agency that specializes in Scotland.
“You’re just enjoying the luxuriousness of going nowhere and staying comfy and cozy under the covers.”
How to hurkle-durkle
To properly hurkle-durkle, you will need a cozy place to lie, such as a bed, fainting couch or chaise. It is typically a dry sport, so a soaking tub or steam room doesn’t really qualify. The optimal position is flat on your back, curled up like fiddlehead or reclining against a heap of pillows. Standing up, with the exception of opening the door for room service, is frowned upon. Whatever you wore to bed, keep on wearing it.
McQuistin said hurkle-durkling is personal, shaped by your environment, amenities and style of relaxing. Her tool kit features a bed, pajamas and cup of coffee. “As long as it’s doing your body and soul good and not causing harm to anyone by neglecting what you need to do for them,” she said, “then I’d say you’re hurkle-durkling.” McCuish, who considers himself an expert, suggests pairing your hurkle-durkling with another old Scottish pastime, coorie. He describes it as “the act of snuggling and finding somewhere warm,” such as cozying up by a fire with a good book and wee dram.
To make it a true hurkle-durkle, replace the couch or overstuffed chair with a bed. Hurkle-durkling typically occurs in the morning. Depending on your meal schedule, it can overlap with breakfast.
For Scotland visitors, McCuish recommends staying at a hotel known for its full Scottish breakfast, such as the Gleneagles in Auchterarder or the Balmoral in Edinburgh. “It’s traditional to get a little nip,” McCuish said. “So whilst you’re hurkle-durkling, you can have a little morning whisky with your porridge.”
Sleeping isn’t really part of the experience, nor is being overly productive. You want to be awake enough to appreciate the act of luxuriating but not so roused that you feel compelled to do your taxes or catch up on Duolingo lessons. If reading requires too much brain power, the experts suggest gazing at the scenery. “Looking out the window is an entertainment in its own right,” McCuish said. “You can enjoy incredible landscapes or watch nature or the gentle pitter-patter of rain against the window.”
Time to get up
At some point, hurkle-durkling starts to flirt with laziness. Though it’s perfectly acceptable to ignore the clock, be aware of the signs signaling it’s time to get up and dressed - for example, if you are no longer enjoying the experience, McQuistin said, “because you are berating yourself” for being slothful. McCuish sets a deadline of afternoon, so you can catch a few sights during daylight hours.
If you plan to hurkle-durkle the following morning, you can stay out late. “It’s different than being hungover,” he said. “It’s gifting yourself a long life.” Barnett agrees on midday, unless you’re checking out. Then, it’s 11 am.
- Washington Post