The first adjectives that come to mind to describe Scotland that come to mind include; history, pride, beauty, grandeur, tradition and even unbelievable.
For many people Scotland is directly synonymous for golf. It certainly has historical roots in game to prove that. However, Scotland is so much more. We definitely played golf while there but we also enjoyed so much more the country and its people have to share.
What time is it?
St. Andrews time!
St. Andrews is the home of Golf. If you happen to score a tee time for the Old Course, that’s awesome. If not, you can walk the course and check it out. However, on Sundays the course is closed and everyone has full access to walking it then you won’t be thinking about getting hit by golfballs! Locals come out on Sundays and walk, picnic (when the weather is fair) and enjoy their course (and the beach) sans the clubs. The other courses of St, Andrews are open to play. Maybe not historically relevant to Scottish history but Hamish McHamish is quite the celebrity! He was a ginger cat who lived there in St. Andrews, Fife. He was a profound prowler and cruised the streets of St. Andrews. The book entitled Hamish McHamish of St. Andrews: Cool Cat about town. More than likely college students of St. Andrews helped with his notoriety. He his own Facebook and Twitter!
Where to stay, eat and drink.
We stayed at Rusacks Hotel this most recent visit, which is in St. Andrews located along the 18th hole of the Old Course. Rusacks Hotel opened in 1887 and was a mainstay of old and young Tom Morris (golf legends). We splurged for the Young Tom Morris Suite.
We had really wanted to stay there when we first visited on our honeymoon in 1989 but it was all booked out. Thirty four years later we finally stayed to celebrate our anniversary there! The hotel oozes history and celebrity. We enjoyed a lovely dinner at 18 and whiskey after at the Down Under Bar.
There are other well known hotels, such as The Old Course Hotel. This is a 5 star luxury as well, located along the Old Course. You will find other lovely and plentiful options for lodging through Expedia, Airbnb and VRBO.
Dining and drinking options outside of the St. Andrews golf “village” is abundant. We found an amazing Italian restaurant, Little Italy. You need to make a reservation and to do so you have to actually call them (no online reservation system). We called for a reservation a month prior to our visit. However, when we arrived for our reservation they didn’t have us down. To their credit they did get us seated and we had a leisurely and amazing dinner. The service, ambience and food were fantastic.
Try the Dunvegan for beer, whiskey, gin and pub food. It is very popular with locals and tourists. The service and food as well as the beer, whiskey and gin! Pictures of golfs greatest and celebrities line the walls.
For an unbelievably good breakfast, I would hit Gorgeous Cafe! I literally swooned over the scones!! Even Tom enjoyed his savoury choice. I would have made that a morning event had I found it sooner.
Golf in St. Andrews
Playing the Old Course requires entering their ballot for starting times. You sign up your group online for a starting time 48 hours prior to playing. If you “win”, you play! We did not win on this trip, but fortunately we have played the course on our previous trip.
Instead, we played the New Course twice (it has only been around since 1895) and the Castle Course. The New Course is right next to the Old Course and is a fantastic track. The Castle Course is very challenging and has a lot of elevation changes and hazards. As a result we lost a lot of golfballs. However the views on The Ocean Course are spectacular. 
St. Andrews is a college town and has an impressive history. A walking tour with a local was a highlight. We chose the “A Wee Walk & A Cocktail”. It was really fun and we got a lot of historical tidbits in addition to local recommendations. More importantly, it was just the three of us on the walking tour. I highly recommend doing this type of tour.
Road trip from St. Andrews to Oban
Driving from St. Andrews to the western coast we decided to journey to Oban. We saved Edinburgh until the end even though we crossed right by the city. Our first stop was in Falkirk to see the Kelpies. The sculpture is incredible to see. Although, believe it or not this was the only really rainy day we had in Scotland! Torrential rain! So, this was not a stop that was a leisurely one in which we could stroll around the grounds. However, we braved the weather long enough to check out the fantastic Kelpie horses sculpture and the souvenir shop. FYI, the wool and tartans are super cute, but not of high quality in the souvenir shops anywhere.
We made our way from there to Linlithgow for the night. Staying at the Court Residence Hotel. The hotel has a confusing checking in and parking system and there was no leeway as far as check in. Check in is at 3:00 p.m. And they meant it. Meanwhile, we tracked down a local pub for refreshments. ie; drinks and food! We love the small pubs found in every town.
The Court Residence Hotel was well worth the wait to check in! Our room was remarkable. Well appointed and the bed was so comfortable! If you’re in Linlithgow stay here and ask for the king suite!
What to do in Linlithgow? Definitely the great Royal Palace. The setting of the palace is gorgeous particularly due to Lake Linlithgow Loch (lake) and is seen in many pictures depicting an old Scottish palaces. For Outlander fans the palace was used as the prison corridors and entrance 15 of the Outlander series. The palace fountain is extraordinary. It really must have been jaw dropping in its day. Mary Queen of Scots was born there.
Even if you’re just passing through a quick stop to just take in the scenery and the amazing location is worth it. Four Marys or Cafebar 1807 are great spots for lunch or dinner.
Oban
Pronouced O bin
The road to Oban lets you take in lush landscapes, waterfalls and awe inspiring views.
Oban the town is considered the gateway to the Isles. The town itself is just as picturesque and lovely as all the guidebooks proclaim. Oban is dubbed the seafood capital of Scotland. We spent 2 nights there and found the small village and surrounding area peaceful, welcoming and relaxing. The town is set on the Firth of Lorn and ferryboats come in and out of the harbour regularly. Of course we had to eat everything seafood, right? After all it is the seafood capital. We were not disappointed. The langoustines, prawns and mussels were our top favourites, If we had more days we definitely would have indulged in some of the other choices. Not everyone loves seafood so the choices for other proteins are abundant and all locally sourced.
Stay in Oban
We first checked into our hotel. We stayed at No.17 The Promenade. Super hotel! The staff were so friendly and hospitable. We were early, but our room was ready and they had no problem with that. We were on the top floor (all stairs) and the front desk person helped haul our bags up to our room. Note: Many hotels in Europe are old and do not have the infrastructure to have elevators. So beware and inquire before booking if you have issues with climbing stairs.
The Oban distillery is a destination for many and definitely was for us. Small whiskey distillery that offers small group tours. We loved it and became a fan of their whiskey! The tour includes the tour of their distillery with the its deep history, followed by a tasting of their highlighted “vintages”. They do daily tours of their facility and it was worth the time. We enjoyed it and our tour guide was light hearted and fun. 
Oban side trips and shopping
Other notable things to do in and around Oban include fishing and hiking. It is also important to note, Oban is the gateway to the Isles. You could take the ferry and visit some of the islands. There are castles and museums to explore as well. Seafood is the predominant attraction for sure. We dined at the Waterfront Fishouse and it was superb. Our hotel restaurant, Porcini, offered amazing Italian cuisine. We leisurely shopped, ate and drank for two days.
With the conclusion of our two days here, it’s off to the next adventure.
Stirling Castle
As we head off to the highlands we enjoy the drive on fair day, and blue skies. We decide to visit Stirling Castle. The landscape and setting are breathtaking. Stirling Castle is situated on top of a volcanic, rocky outcrop by the river Forth. That is the theme for castles back then because they can be defended more easily. The view from the castle allows vantage points from every direction.
Stirling Castle is quite extraordinary. This was where Mary Queen of Scots spent her childhood. She moved around a lot we learned! The castle has been restored and it is awesome. It is rich in history and the scene of many battles and sieges. Many of those during the Scots battles for independence from England.
However, we found the addition of costumed characters a little over the top. Kind of kitschy. (Sorry, just our opinion) The option of an audio tour, which we highly encourage, allows you to listen and tour on your own. The grounds and the areas around the castle are truly amazing.
The Highlands of Scotland
Fort William and Loch Ness
The drive from the western coast bypassing Edinburgh to the highlands also has spectacular scenery and so different than that of the eastern coast. As you head north it continues to change from tree wooded mountains and hills to rolling rustic hills. Winding along Loch Ness we were hoping to spot Nessie, but we were not in luck. We spent a night at Fort William. Check out the Jacobite Steam Engine if you have time or if you want to live like a local for a night check go to a movie.
We fell in love with the highland cows and their fuzzy long hair, which can be seen in many pastures all over the country.
Our journey took us through Inverness and then onward to Dornoch.
If you’re a fan of Scottish history, from Inverness you could do the Outlander trek and head to Culloden and see where the last battle for the Jacobites happened during the rising of 1745. Either way, you will find history everywhere in Scotland. Don’t rush. Take time with the drive, if you can, and take in all the scenery. Old ruins of castles that can be further explored are along the way.
In Dornoch we stayed at the Dornoch Station or as we refer to it as the Royal Dornoch hotel. That just seemed like a more appropriate name and many people do call it that as well due to the proximity to the golf course. She is a grand old hotel. It is a Marine & Lawn hotel, which boasts an amazing putting course! Royal Dornoch Golf Course is just steps away as well. We played the Royal Dornoch golf course and it was a lot of fun and a great course. It is a links course and founded in 1877 although it is said it has been played since the 1600’s. Its features bear hallmarks of Old Tom Morris. Great course! Beautiful track right on the Dornoch Firth. By the way, this is Tom Watson’s favourite course in the UK.
Other fun things to do if golf isn’t your thing (there are about 20 golf courses in the surrounding area, btw) Hiking, biking, fishing are amazing up in the highlands! The weather that far north can be unpredictable, so plan for that.
Edinburgh
We love Edinburgh! (pronounced Ed an bruh) It doesn’t have just one castle…it has two!! Edinburgh Castle is the historic castle that is majestic, and boasts amazing 360 degree views all around. The other castle is the “working castle” and it is the residence for the monarchy when they’re in town. We finally toured it on our this last trip to Edinburgh and was enthralled with it and its history.
Edinburgh is a clean city and easy to walk. We stayed at The George Hotel, which is an Intercontinental brand. The location cannot be beat and it is a lovely hotel with true Scottish hospitality! The restaurant Le Petit Beefbar is a food lovers splurge! That said, there are many wonderful restaurants in Edinburgh. The culinary scene in Scotland has many amazing, talented chefs.
Who knew that Scotland, one of the whiskey drinking capitals of the world would also have a strong presence with gin! In the city we found a complete shop dedicated to their own line of gin. Edinburgh Gin. Even if you are not a fan of gin, give one of their “flavours” a try! I am not a fan of gin at all and found that I loved their gin. Who knew!! Their distillery is also centered in Edinburgh. We have yet to find it here in Oregon. Luckily, we brought home a couple of small bottles of Gooseberry and Elder Flower and Navy Strength Cannonball. A little reminiscence of Edinburgh.
We did spend some time exploring there before getting back to Edinburgh and the George Hotel for our stop. Flying home from Edinburgh.
Highlights of the trip!
- St. Andrews: Golf. If your goal is to play the Old Course, sign up online for the ballot (lottery) 48 hours prior to when you want to play. Thursdays and Saturdays you have greater chance of getting on as there are no advance tee times set aside for Thursday afternoons or all day Saturday. Book times for other courses there that have flexible tee times anyway, such as Kingsbairn or the Dukes. They will allow you to cancel if you do score a tee time on the Old Course. Play Muirfield home of The Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Very difficult to get on but not impossible. Start the process well before your trip. You will need to team up with your local head pro.
- Get tickets online to tour Edinburgh Castle. Otherwise you may have to wait around for your tour time because it is so busy.
- Accept that the miles/kilometers distance to somewhere can be drastically different than travel time and adjust for that.
- Visit a whiskey distillery. You will find them located in amazing places and whiskey is rich in the history of Scotland.
- Do walking tours in Edinburgh and other towns you visit. There is so much history, literally on every corner, it’s fun to talk and walk with a local and get that extra historical insight that travel blogs and books haven’t space for. Check out Viator, Get your Guide, Expedia or your hotel for great sources local options.
What to pack?
Traveling to Scotland any time of the year the weather can be unpredictable. Check the weather for when you are going. You can get some idea of average temperature. Plan on layering. You will want to pack a rain jacket. Rain pants aren’t a bad idea, but if you don’t own a pair you can opt out on that. The best comparison would be to pack lighter weight layering pieces. Besides your typical packing pay a little closer attention to the following:
- Jeans or slacks
- Sweaters
- Walking shoes
- Dressy shoes or booties
- Rain gear
- Hat and scarf and gloves (buy it there! Lots of beautiful choices of wool)
- Nice outfit for dining out
Since many of these packable items take up space this is one of those times to lay everything out ahead and stay with a color scheme. Mix and match as much as possible. Scotland for the most part is quite casual, so skip the high fashion! Focus on comfort and keeping your feet happy!