Scotland’s Golf Coast, East Lothian

on Feb 2, 2023

A Golfer’s Dream Destination.

AIG Women’s Open, Muirfield, East Lothian. Scotland. Whitney Hillier of Australia

One of the highlights of my 2022 golf travels had to be attending the AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield. For twenty years or more I have been supporting women and girls golf so to be at the AIG Women’s Open on such a historic occasion was special.

I had played golf many times in Scotland but this was my first visit to the beautiful coastal region of East Lothian, widely known as Scotland’s Golf Coast. While this region is home to some of the best Championship links in the world such as Muirfield, North Berwick and Gullane there are some exceptional lesser known challenging courses. In fact there are twenty-one superb courses along thirty miles of absolutely stunning coastline.

AIG Women’s Open, Muirfield, East Lothian. Scotland. Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa with her trophy. [Tristan Jones}

Most East Lothian hotels and guest houses offer a range of stay and play golf packages, worth checking out. No matter your budget there is something to suit everyone. We stayed at Tanderlane farmhouse a short drive outside the village of Garvald. Niall and Sarah were delightful hosts and I must say Sarah cooks the most delicious breakfasts.

East Lothian is an ideal destination for a golf break. I recommend making time to visit the many unique attractions, historic castles and country parks, especially if visiting with the family. The quaint villages with friendly pubs and great restaurants are all within close proximity of all the golf courses.

The Old Clubhouse, Gullane is good and popular with visiting golfers and locals.

The award winning Waterside Bistro, Haddington, is definitely worth a visit, our meal was superb and the hospitality fantastic.

For the ultimate fine dining experience you cannot go past The Bonnie Badger, Gullane. The restaurant is run by Michelin- star Chef Tom Kitchin and his team of award winning chefs. Since opening in 2018 the Bonnie Badger has been widely known as one of the leading restaurants with rooms in Scotland. Just perfect for that special occasion, fine dining with luxurious accommodation.

After an amazing few days watching the world’s best women golfers at Muirfield, and exploring East Lothian it was time to move on. But not far, just forty minutes up the road to the magnificent and historic city of Edinburgh.

We had booked into Hotel Indigo, a small boutique hotel on York Place. The hotel was within walking distance of the main attractions. As soon as we had checked in we immediately set off on a walking tour around the city. We walked for miles from Georgian New Town to Medieval Old Town, along the Golden Mile and up to the world-famous and historic Edinburgh Castle.

If interested in the arts then a good time to visit the Capital is in August when the world’s largest open arts festival takes place. The city comes alive with performing artists and shows from almost every country on the planet.

For the best shopping and restaurants then The New Town is the place to be. One of my favourite restaurants was Contini on Georges Street, a modern Italian restaurant. The food was fabulous and the atmosphere was friendly and relaxing.

A visit to The Johnie Walker on Princes Street should be on every visitors itinerary, especially if you enjoy a wee dram. The whiskey tasting was a fun and enjoyable experience. We met a couple from Canada and a group from Cork, as we say at home in Ireland the craic was mighty. [Craic meaning fun].

After sipping several very nice malts and whiskey blends, we headed up to the rooftop bar and restaurant, it was lunch time and the place was buzzing. Obviously a popular spot, the food was great but the views over the city were spectacular.