Edinburgh belongs
on your dream
Scotland golf
vacation itinerary

By Brandon Tucker,
Staff Writer

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND (Sept. 26, 2006) - St. Andrews may be the self-proclaimed golf capital of Scotland, but Edinburgh is no slouch of a destination, rife with historic sites, museums, universities and activity.

Mix in the numerous golf options, including arguably the world's oldest golf course and one of Jack Nicklaus' favorites, and you've got yourself a dream trip. Clubs of every class abound in the East Lothians, from value courses like Braid Hills and Baberton to the storied grounds of Royal Musselbergh and Muirfield.

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Here's the best of the best - a dream itinerary for any golf traveler visiting Edinburgh and environs.

Where to play

Royal Musselburgh Golf Club: There are those who claim Royal Musselburgh, not the Old Course at St. Andrews up the road in Fife, as the birthplace of golf. The club was officially founded in 1774, but there is evidence the game was played here as much as a century earlier.

If so, it was a more-than-suitable host for the game's origins, and it should make do for the start of your golf trip as well. Royal Musselburgh frequently hosted the British Open in its early years (before members moved to nearby Muirfield in 1890 and took the Open with them). It remains one of the area's most coveted rounds.

Muirfield: From Musselburgh, move on to one of the modern Open Championship's favorite stops (most recently in 2002). Public play is limited, so you better start making calls now. Nicklaus won his first British Open here in 1966 and subsequently named his Muirfield Village design in Ohio after it. The intimidating first hole, a 447-yard par 4, is a fitting welcome to this daunting links course.

Gullane Golf Club #1: An Open qualifying site, Gullane #1 also hosted the 1998 British Amateur, won a young hotshot named Sergio Garcia. Course officials pride themselves on immaculate conditioning that allows play year-round. The panoramic view from the seventh is one of the region's finest.

North Berwick Golf Links: The East Course at North Berwick, located 25 miles east of Edinburgh, is another true classic links. Extended to 18 holes by James Braid at the turn of the 20th century, this is widely considered the most beautiful course in East Lothian. A variety of birds inhabit the seaside course, and the stunning and unusual Bass Rock looms less than a mile off shore.

Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel Golf and Country Club: The Dalmahoy resort features two championship courses and a Marriott hotel just seven miles from downtown Edinburgh. Opened in 1927, the superior East course has hosted many professional tournaments, including the Scottish Seniors Open and the PGA Championship of Scotland.

Off course

The Royal Mile is the center of the action in Edinburgh's Old Town. Starting at Holyrood Palace (where the Queen stays when she's in town), the road - actually a mile and 107 yards long - cuts through a slew of attractions, museums, shops, restaurants and pubs en route to Edinburgh Castle, perhaps Scotland's most popular tourist site.

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The most famous of all Scottish castles looms over the city at every turn. Dating to the 12th century, the complex went through a myriad of alterations and expansions through the years, including James IV's striking Great Hall, built in 1510, and the Scottish National War Memorial, erected after World War I. Guided and audio tours are available in several languages.

For museum-hoppers, Edinburgh has something to suit just about any taste. The Royal Museum, the Museum of Scotland, the Queen's Gallery and the National Gallery of Scotland are the biggest, but there are countless others.

Be sure to set aside a little time on your Edinburgh trip to hit the beach. You may not get the weather for a dip - this is Scotland, after all - but Aberlady Bay 17 miles east of the city is a haven for many of the area's birds and wildlife, and you'll find two midget submarines sunk near the end of World War II half-buried in the sand.

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