Planning a trip to Scotland took awhile. It is a country I didn’t know much about, just golf, Braveheart, haggis and gorgeous scenery. It definitely delivered in all these categories and so much more. I knew I wanted to golf, but I didn’t want a “non-stop golf , golf, nothing but golf trip.” That is definitely not my style. I wanted to see historical sites, and absorb some local flavor and lifestyle. At first planning, my proposed itinerary was rigorous. Fly to Edinburgh, stay 2 nights, drive to St. Andrews, stay 2 nites, drive to Loch Ness, stay 2 nites, drive to the Isle of Skye, then fly back. OMG I am exhausted just writing about it! After meeting with our favorite foursome and travel friends for a planning session we streamlined our trip. All agreed one day of golf would be enough. We also decided unpacking twice in 8 days was plenty. After all, it is a vacation, and vacations need some downtime. The highlands and Nessie would have to wait for another trip.

Flying Hartford to Dublin and Dublin to Edinburgh on Aer Lingus was a treat. No NYC area traffic to stress and plow through. Plus, we cleared customs in Dublin for the return flight, very easy.

Three nights in Edinburgh was perfect.

Day One: We explored the city. Walking is definitely the best way.

Day two : Day trip to St. Andrews. We booked in advance, from Tartan Viking tours. Ross was our engaging guide for the day. He packed whiskey and Irn Bru ( Scotland’s national soda) for the trip, stopping at a charming fishing village, Neuk, along the way, and a sweet town and Outlander site, Falkner on the way back. It was great to leave the driving to someone else.

St. Andrews was more than I imagined. Much, much, more than the home of golf. The University, The Cathedral and the beach where Chariots of Fire was filmed, who knew?

Day3 in Edinburgh was a morning tour of Edinburgh Castle. Amazing history and views. Then on to complete our 21,000 step day exploring the Royal Mile, the Palace and Holyrod Park.

Next, it was off to North Berwick, 40 minutes east of Edinburgh. The perfect resort, Marine and Lawn, the sweetest town, amazing people, food, and dogs, so many dogs.

And golf. All the Scots were gracious, charming, and generous in spirit and everywhere.

Where we stayed :

The Glass House, Edinburgh,
Marine and Lawn , North Berwick

Where we ate:

In Edinburgh Howies on Waterloo ( they have another location on Victoria St.) the haggis was actually delicious. Very rich, nothing I would crave, but definitely delicious. Haggis is the national dish, a flavorful rich meaty blend of sheep offal, toasted oats,spices and onions.served with neeps( mashed turnips) and tatties( mashed potatoes.

Berties for fish and chips, Whirly bird ( I made this res 3 weeks before the trip) , Makars Mash, drinks at the Balmoral Hotel

In North Berwick: The Grange, The Lawn at Marine and Lawn Hotel, The Rocketeer, Bonnie Badger Inn ( Gullane)

Where we golfed: The Glen , all the locals love it. The scenery was spectacular. ( not my game though ) We booked a tee time about a week in advance before leaving the US, directly on their site. We were waiting to pick a golf day based on the weather forecast.

Gullane #2, more great views, more of my mediocre golf skills, but lots of laughs. We booked this 2 days before on the GOLFNow app. Perfect for a last minute tee time, even in Scotland.

Golf in Scotland is different. No carts, no elitist attitude. Everyone plays or has played. You can walk on the course and/or walk your dogs on the course, as long as the golfers have priority. Every course has clubs you can rent, just ask. The public courses are great, especially in North Berwick. They are happy you’re there!

Tips from this trip:

Layer up in September. Or almost anytime, from what the locals say. T-shirts, sweaters jeans/leggings, windbreakers and knit hats. Comfortable shoes/sneakers all day and night.
I like to follow local food bloggers before leaving. This will give you a sense of traditions as well as trends,
Make a dinner res or two before you leave. Use OpenTable and/or Resy for advance reservations and last minute ones, too
It’s easy to drink locally, with whiskey, gins, and beers in abundance.
Eat locally, fresh lobster, oysters, salmon, beef and lamb.
Ask the hotel concierge for must see sites and must try eats.
Utilize sites like Viator or Context travel for guided tours.
Utilize golf now app
Brush up a bit on history, I watched Scottish history for dummies for an overview!

There is So much more to explore in Scotland.I can’t wait to plan another visit. Looking forward to the Highlands, cute cows, some shortbread, a few puffins and running into Jamie Fraser.

Scotland Scenes

This Garden Though….