Golf, Castles & Gardens Tour of Scotland: St Andrews, Gleneagles & Turnberry

Arrive in Scotland where your private transfer meets you at the airport. The country is flush with greenery rolling into craggy foothills. The aroma of recent rainfall permeates the air. Old stone buildings add depth and texture to the verdant landscape. You wind through Edinburgh and arrive on the coast at St. Andrews. The city is known as the home of golf and has hundreds of years of history both on and off the course. Your five-star accommodations are situated on 580 acres of woodlands. Vivacious flowers blossom near the lobby entrance. The spiced aroma of bark blends into the sweet scent of budding flower pedals.

The Victorian architecture of your hotel embodies the power of history and the grace of contemporary luxuries. A fire crackles inside the lobby and carries comfortable sound and ambiance over the polished tiled floors. St. Andrews is home to Scotland’s first university dating back to 1418. The student halls contain Gothic elements and a strong stone façade. The outline of the 12th-century cathedral remains prominent in both stature and the skyline against the townscape. The North Sea rushes against the meandering coastal bluffs. The vast greenery outside is a reminder of the coming legendary courses you will soon experience.

Morning dew sprinkles the woodlands and grass around the hotel. Steam rises from mugs filled with freshly brewed tea. The aroma wafts from the steam with hints of herbaceousness. After breakfast, you make your way to the New Course of St. Andrews and warm up in the cool hours of the rising sunlight. You chuckle at the idea that the “New Course” was opened in 1885. The fairways range from narrow to wide, bordered by gorse bushes.

When the bushes are in bloom they flower purple and pink petals. The scent of wet grass fills the air as you set your ball on the tee. Look out over the 295 yards between you and the green. The course reaches a total of 6,625 yards making it a par 71. The club is taut in your grip and your swing. In the afternoon you venture to Cambo Gardens located on the Cambo Estate. The grounds are serene, alive with bluebells and lilacs.

In the summer, you can find over 250 different types of roses blossoming around the walled Victorian garden. The flowers are fragrant and sweet. A rainbow of color pops out of the verdant grass and bushes. A walkway leads around the garden and out to the seaside. Although the gardens opened 20 years ago, there is a particular touch of history spread across the two and a half acres of land. Wrought iron bridges cross over streams and you can hear the soft trickle of a nearby waterfall.

The fresh scent of the garden continues to fill your thoughts in the morning. The sunlight spreads across the lush landscape and pierces through the forest canopy. You return to St. Andrews Golf Club, this time playing on the legendary holes on the Old Course of St. Andrews. 18 holes stretch across 6,721 yards encompassing a par 72. The course holds over 600 years of history, dating back to the early 1400s. Every time you swing your club you play with legends, from Tiger Woods’ Open Championship victories in 2000 and 2005 to Jack Nicklaus’s final appearance in the Open Championship in 2005.

The sea breeze brings in a cool midmorning air. Stone buildings add a historic touch to the course boundaries. A creek flitters around the course meeting the coastline. Hole 11 is situated near the coastline. The water shimmers cobalt blue against the verdant green fairway. You place your tee and on the par-three and swing away. Four bunkers of various sizes are set to the front and sides of the green. The pin waves in the breeze and beckons the ball closer. The grass is soft beneath your feet. When you reach the plateaued green you are ready to putt for par and take your place with the greats.

Enjoy a relaxed morning with a full Scottish breakfast. The aroma of fried egg accompanies sizzling bacon and sausage. Creamy butter spreads across crunchy toast. Your private transfer meets you at the hotel and escorts you to the region of Perthshire. The area boasts breathtaking moors and sprawling lochs, picturesque villages, and extraordinary forests. Drummond Castle and its gardens exude opulence and design. The castle towers were originally constructed in the 15th century and the mansion was erected in the 17th century. The prominent stone ramparts were constructed on a rocky ridge. The gatehouse stretches between the tower house and the ridge’s edge and offers an exceptional view of the garden.

The garden in its current form was designed in the 19th century. A walkway bisects the manicured bushes and trees. The forest reaches the castle walls. There is an inherent beauty in the natural landscape and equal grandeur on the castle grounds. Green shrubberies line the path beneath auburn trees. The elegance of both castle and garden are tangible. Flowers are arranged in a circular formation, divided by hedges to make a clock design. The sun keeps the afternoon warm. The sweet fragrance of flowers and trees rush along the stone walls. When you look back at the looming castle the gray tower looks silver in the sunlight.

The morning begins in your luxury hotel. Castles loom over tall cliffs. Antique grounds hold modern comforts. The aroma of white tea filters through the lobby on your way out to King’s Course Golf Club. King’s Club is attached to your hotel and runs across the meandering valley. The course was opened in 1919 and maintains the surprise of seclusion across the entire course. The inland course provides sweeping views of towering trees and rolling hills and rugged mountains. To the west, you can see the towering peak of Ben Vorlich reaching an elevation of 3,232 feet. The quiet solitude is serene. Hole 17, known as “Wrestling Ground,” embodies the variety of challenges that golfers enjoy on the course. The par four is riddled with bordering trees and bunkers, an undulating fairway and long, sweeping green. When you place your tee you are prepared for the challenge to come.

In the morning, the fire crackles with luster and calm. After breakfast, your private transfer meets you at the hotel and escorts you to Turnberry on the western shores of Firth of Clyde. The town is situated in a shallow bay. The water is cobalt blue tranquil. You arrive at Culzean Castle, constructed in the 17th century and situated on a bluff overlooking the water. The façade looks like a storybook, surrounded by strong walls and lustered with a yellowish tint. The edifice was featured in a 1973 cult classic The Wicker Man. A clock tower casts a shadow over the entry courtyard. Forestry leads into the rolling hills.

There is a hint of the combination of sea and pine needles in the air. Walls surround the garden and make it feel like a secret. Apples and pears dangle from tree branches. The gardens date back to the castle’s 18th-century renovation. Vines and small shrubs climb up the terraces. Himalayan Clematis runs along the lower walls and shines light pink against the stone. The gardens are hidden behind a bank of trees and cover over six acres of land. Flowers blossom like popcorn, bursting out of every corner. Even the trees change colors, offering green and auburn leaves to the exciting, crisscrossing walkways. Some plants are harvested and taken into the castle to offer arranged floral décor to the interior opulence.

Wake up in the luxurious resort-style accommodation at Turnberry. The open windows offer a view of the graceful sea. You can hear the fireplace roaring as you watch the waves settle into the sand. After breakfast, you venture out onto Ailsa Course located on the property. The fertile greenery stands out against the glistening waters of Firth of Clyde. The course offers both challenging landscapes and exceptional scenery along every hole. The club was established in 1902 and has held four Open Championships since 1977, the most recent of which was won by American Stewart Cink in 2009.

When you set your tee you immediately face three imposing holes. The Isle of Ailsa Craig rises out of the water and watches the game. Hole Nine is the most famous hole in the course. The landmark lighthouse stares out over the firth. Light casts across the 13th-century ruins of Bruce’s Castle, the legendary birthplace of Robert the Bruce. Stretch your muscles and venture across the par four, reaching 457 yards long. Pot bunkers sit at the center of the fairway and wait for your swing. The island bunker has filled professionals and amateurs alike with anxiety. You take a deep breath and hear the water brush against the rocky shore. When you swing you aren’t worried about the bunkers or the water, you keep your eyes on the ball and follow your plan of execution.

The view from your room is soothing. You are ready to stay curled up in bed and watch the sun creep in from the window. You make your way to breakfast and savor the budding fresh flowers decorating the table. The sound of sizzling bacon helps rouse you awake. The aroma of herbaceous tea has become a familiar morning occurrence. Fishing boats make their way outside the bay. Sailboats cast their sails and catch the wind in the distance. After breakfast, your private transfer greets you at the hotel and escorts you to Glasgow for your flight home. You have witnessed tremendous legends and castles, celebrated gardens, and golf courses; yet, there will always be more of Scotland to discover.

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