St Andrews and Beyond: Scotland's Finest Links

"Links" refers to the sandy, coastal land between the sea and farmland, too poor for crops but ideal, it turned out, for golf. Scotland has more great links than anywhere else, and while St Andrews is rightly the starting point, it is only the beginning.

St Andrews and Fife

The Old Course is unlike any other: shared fairways, enormous double greens, bunkers you cannot see from the tee and a strategy that changes completely with the wind. Its neighbours on the St Andrews Links, among them the New, the Jubilee and the clifftop Castle Course, are well worth playing in their own right.

A few miles south, Kingsbarns has the sea in view from every hole. Across the Tay, Carnoustie is a long, uncompromising test that many professionals regard as the hardest course on the Open rota. The small East Neuk clubs at Crail and Elie add history and charm. Explore St Andrews & Fife.

East Lothian

East of Edinburgh lies a remarkable cluster of links. North Berwick's West Links is endlessly playful, with stone walls, a burn, and the original Redan hole that has been copied around the world. Muirfield, home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, is a more private, strategic test with limited visitor days. Gullane No. 1 has a view from the top of the hill that stops conversation. Explore Edinburgh & East Lothian.

Ayrshire

The west coast is Open country. Prestwick hosted the first Open Championship in 1860 and remains full of character. Royal Troon is famous for the tiny Postage Stamp hole, and Turnberry is perhaps the most dramatically beautiful of the Open venues, its lighthouse looking out to Ailsa Craig. Explore Ayrshire.

The Highlands

Royal Dornoch holds a special place in the affections of many great golfers. Its plateau greens and natural setting feel timeless. Nearby Cabot Highlands (formerly Castle Stuart) offers broad, modern links above the Moray Firth, while Nairn and Brora are classic and quietly wonderful. Explore the Highlands.

Aberdeen and the North East

The great dunes of Royal Aberdeen and the wild, joyful Cruden Bay make the North East a favourite of returning visitors. Further west, Moray Old at Lossiemouth sits conveniently close to Speyside. Explore the North East.

Combining them

The best journeys mix the famous with the lesser-known: an Old Course day followed by Elie or Crail, Muirfield followed by North Berwick, Dornoch followed by Brora. Lesser-known clubs are often where the warmest welcome and the most unexpected golf are found.

Our sample journeys show a few of the routes we like. Each is a starting point, shaped around the courses you most want to play.