Sample Golf Vacation Package - The James Braid – as featured in the LINKS magazine

Tour Itinerary

DAY 1
Arrive into Edinburgh Airport where you will be warmly welcomed by your Dedicated Driver who will escort you to your executive transportation. Your Driver will be at your service for all daytime travel requirements throughout your trip. Travel north to Fife (approximately 50 minutes) and begin your journey walking in the footsteps of the legendary James Braid, one of golf's finest course architects, influencing more than 200 courses across Great Britain and 5 times Open Champion. Play a round on the magnificent Tom Morris/James Braid designed golf course, Lundin Links. Just 20 minutes from St. Andrews it is one Scotland’s gems and formerly a qualifying course to The Open Championship when played in St. Andrews. After golf, head to the charming seaside town of Elie (approximately 15 minutes) where James Braid was born and check into the Ship Inn, a charming property bursting with local character and charm for your first two nights' accommodation.

DAY 2
Travel the short distance to play Elie which is where James Braid learnt how to play the game and indeed won his first local competition at only 8 years old. This fine traditional links effortlessly combines undulating fairways with large, fast and firm greens and although Braid learned his golf over these links, this isn't actually a course he himself designed or re-modelled. After golf you could travel through the charming fishing villages of the East Neuk of Fife where time appears to stand still. Sample fresh lobster or crab, the catch of the day and view a collection of traditional vessels in the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther. These villages, such as Anstruther, St Monans and Crail, offer a relaxing way to while away a few hours whilst wandering their quaint cobbled streets and harbours. In addition, Anstruther boasts what is widely considered the best Fish and Chip bar in Scotland (and winner of the United Kingdom Fish and Chip Shop of the Year award!) In the evening, enjoy some drinks and a presentation from a British Golf Historian about James Braid and his life and works.

DAY 3
Check out of your accommodation in St Andrews and head north into Perthshire (approximately 2 hours 30 minutes). Play Boat of Garten, another James Braid masterpiece which he developed in the early 1930s. “The Boat” is set alongside the River Spey in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. Braid’s design features 18 completely individual holes, cleverly and sensitively shaped fairways lined by birch trees, heather and broom, maximising the natural landscape and producing a beautiful and challenging course. The Boat has been dubbed “the Gleneagles of the North” and has won several awards in recent years including Scotland's No.1 Hidden Gem. After golf, continue north to Nairn (approximately 45 minutes) and check into the Golf View Hotel for 4 nights.

DAY 4
Travel the short distance to play Nairn. This traditional Scottish Links was created from a Highland wilderness of gorse and heather, and tests the talents of professional and amateur alike. Founded in 1887, several improvements were made by Braid to tees, bunkers and greens (He also managed to be the first golfer to break 70 on the course in 1901!) It is now one of the best courses in Scotland, and has hosted a large number of important championships. A truly remarkable feature of the championship course is that from every hole you can see the beautiful waters of the Moray Firth. It has recently undergone a major course refurbishment and hosted many high-profile events over the years such as the Walker Cup in 1999 and the Curtis Cup in 2012. It still, nevertheless, remains substantially the links course that James Braid knew and admired so well! The clubhouse also has a fabulous museum onsite with lots of golfing history. After golf, you may enjoy stopping at the eco-village of Findhorn, situated in the beautiful Findhorn Bay of Moray with its own magnificent beach, a delightful harbour and a small heritage centre. This idyllic village benefits from miles of white sand, a superlative Bakehouse Café and tranquil eco-community, internationally known as the home of the Findhorn Foundation - a self-sufficient eco-friendly community based on spiritual values founded in 1962.

DAY 5
Travel approximately 1 hour 30 minutes north to Brora today, another of James Braid's designs which makes excellent use of the natural contours. The backdrop of breaking waves and winding burns make Brora a memorable experience as do the native fairway mowing sheep. The allure of Brora is best summed up by James Finegan in ‘Blasted Heath and Blessed greens’ - too short to qualify as great, it is no less superlative, there is no prosaic moment, as we relish every hole. Brora is as fine and as pure an example of Braid’s work as you are likely to find. After golf, you could visit the Scottish Dolphin Centre. If you are feeling adventurous, you can take an exhilarating ride out onto the Moray Firth on a Dolphin Mischief RIB tour. Find out more about the bottlenose dolphin population in the Inner Moray Firth and hopefully meet some too. In addition to the dophins you will hopefully spot some seals, otters, a variety of seabirds, and possibly even the occasional whale!

DAY 6
Today travel 45 minutes to play the stunningly beautiful and historic Fortrose and Rosemarkie Links which was extend and greatly enhanced by James Braid in the mid 1930s. With tight fairways and deceptive greens all located on the Chanonry Peninsular with spectacular views over the Moray Firth, it is a firm favourite of ours and furthermore has been voted Drumgolf Course of The Year multiple times! After golf, you could visit Culloden Battlefield and its fantastic Visitor Centre which brings to life the Jacobites’ bloody last stance. Move on to Fort George which fills you in on the military history after the battle to the present day. It is still occupied by the British Army and is also well worth a visit for its views over the Firth.

DAY 7
Check out of your accommodation and head south, travelling through Speyside, an area literally dotted with castles and whisky distilleries. Follow the famous Whisky Trail through the picturesque Speyside landscape visiting some of the working distilleries to learn about the history, folklore and tales of smuggling which surrounds this ancient craft. The Strathisla Distillery is thought to be the most romantic and evocative on the Trail whilst Glenfiddich and Cardhu are also some of our favourites to sample a dram. Arrive in Edzell (approximately 2 hours 40 minutes) and play a round on this course which is quite off the beaten track to say the least! It is quite the golfing treasure - a parkland course which was originally designed by Bob Simpson, but then benefited from James Braid's contribution to its design some forty years on. Afterwards, travel another 55 minutes south towards Perth and check into Murrayshall Country Estate for your final 2 nights. This country house is luxurious, yet warm and homely and sits within two 18 hole golf courses with fabulous views over the Perthshire hills.

DAY 8
Travel approximately 25 minutes to Blairgowrie Golf Club for a round on the Rosemount Course. This inland course was originally designed by Alistair McKenzie, the renowned architect of the Augusta National Course! However, Braid was instructed to lengthen and enhance the course in 1930, adding several bunkers and the course was further improved by Donald Steele in 2000. Rosemount has played host to a number of prestigious professional and amateur tournaments. It was the scene of Greg Norman’s first European Tour victory in the 1977 Martini event. The Rosemount Course has been described by Tom Morris as, “The most beautiful inland green I have ever seen.”

DAY 9
Check out of your accommodation and return to Edinburgh Airport to deposit your rental vehicle. Drive time is approximately 55 minutes). Farewell to Scotland!