When Robert and Nicky Wilson founded Jupiter Artland on their estate outside Edinburgh, the concept was to avoid the usual failings of a sculpture park. Robert, owner of homeopathy company Nelsons, chair of Creative Scotland and founder of X Muse vodka, says: ‘It took eight years to build the land art piece Cells of Life and [its creator] Charles Jencks would visit us regularly. He urged us to avoid creating a “parking lot for sculpture”. We agreed. We didn’t want to have a shop and plonk mentality.’

‘We call it the trinity,’ continues Robert. ‘You put an amazing piece of art in the landscape, and the landscape is enhanced by the art but also the art is enhanced by the landscape. And then you bring in the viewer, and it creates an energetic triangle – the relationship of the viewer to the art, to the land – and it’s a very important spark of inspiration.’

Following this philosophy, every piece is commissioned to be site-specific. Very site-specific, in that each artist is invited to choose the exact spot for their piece. To help inspire these decisions, they stay in a simple but beautiful three-bedroomed cottage, The Artist’s House, on the estate. It is decorated with sketches and models from different artists as they developed their works for the site. Jupiter Artland is only open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday, spring to autumn (proceeds of ticket sales go towards art education projects run by Nicky Wilson), so there are many times when an artist can wander freely, gaining inspiration.

It’s not only artists who have stayed at Jupiter Artland. A recent resident of The Artist’s House was chef Carlo Scotto, who regularly collaborates with X Muse. Carlo’s restaurant, Amethyst opened in 2022 and burned brightly, swiftly gaining four AA rosettes and being described by critics as “the best restaurant in London”.

However, the flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long. After a falling-out with business partners, Scotto recently announced that he is quitting the restaurant, which will probably close. His visit to Jupiter Artland was largely to plan a dinner with the vodka brand, but the Neapolitan-born chef says he took more from it. ‘Staying in The Artist’s House has given me the peace and calm to think further about my next project, which will be bigger than Amethyst,’ he says. ‘Being surrounded by so much incredible art opens your mind to creative thinking.’

Some would dismiss a parallel between art and cooking as pretentious overstatement, but Scotto points out one word that connects our reaction to both great art and a great meal: ‘Emotion. Food is emotion; creating a menu is emotion. It is the skill – and duty – of a chef to tell a story not only about himself but to tell a story about the artisans, the suppliers, and also to inspire emotion in the diners. I’ve had customers cry because a dish reminded them of something their grandmother cooked.’

It was with mixed emotions then that Scotto visited the artwork which prompted the X Muse founders to approach him to collaborate. Anya Gallacio’s The Light Pours Out Of Me is not only a great indie reference (it’s a Magazine song; elsewhere there’s Jim Lambie’s A Forest – a reference to The Cure). It is a grotto made of amethysts. Scotto says, ‘Amethyst is my birth stone. It is supposed to induce calm and positivity. But you must not break it or steal it – that reverses the energy.’

The water used to blend X Muse vodka to the correct alcohol level comes from the ancient aquifer which also flows through Charles Jencks’ land artwork at the entrance to the estate. But it is also rested on amethyst to positively charge it with energy. This sort of belief could be regarded as quirkily eccentric, but X Muse founders Wilson and Vadim Grigoryan are certainly no kooks. It’s hard to argue with the former’s success as chairman of Nelsons homeopathy when you see the estate on which Jupiter Artland sits, while the latter has run major luxury brands such as Royal Salute whisky.

Whether or not X Muse carries positive energy is an immeasurable factor, but what you can determine for yourself is what it tastes like. ln the X Muse Temple at Jupiter Artland – a white-furnished geodesic dome, like Logan’s Run except you come out unscathed – you can arrange a private tasting, which includes the two component spirits distilled from two Scottish heritage barley varieties: Maris Otter (which gives the vodka pear and stone fruit notes, a touch of nutmeg and ginger spice); and Plumage Archer (sharper green apple flavour and a certain viscosity). Tasting these separately really gives an insight into the quality of the blend. But then so does mixing it in a dry martini with a touch of olive oil distillate and a caperberry garnish.

Accompanying the tasting is a tartlet Carlo Scotto created to pair with X Muse. ‘It is a cornflour pastry in layers, with salmon cured in beetroot and rosewater,’ he explains. ‘It is topped with lime jelly, some Granny Smith apples, toasted pistachio and herbs, like coriander and cress.’

If heading home after that doesn’t appeal, it is possible to rent The Artist’s House so that you can soak up the energy and artistic inspiration yourself. And it’s just 20 minutes away from central Edinburgh by taxi – making it a hidden gem of a place to stay.

The Artist’s House sleeps up to six guests, and is bookable for a minimum of two nights from £1,100; private X Muse tastings and dining can, with sufficient notice, be arranged upon request; jupiterartland.org/the-artists-house. For day visitors to Jupiter Artland, the X Muse Vodka Tasting Experience (over-18s only) costs £21pp and includes entry and a guided tour of the art works. jupiterartland.org/x-muse-tasting