Pick Your Favourite Courses from the 2026 Golf Tournaments in Scotland
13/01/2026
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When it comes to East Lothian golf courses, you’re spoilt for choice.
Picture 40 miles of golden sands, lush landscapes, azure waters, and world-class championship links as far as the eye can see… all packed into Scotland’s Golf Coast.
For you, this extraordinary concentration of quality layouts means less driving and more golfing on your itinerary.
Conveniently accessible, East Lothian also sits close to Edinburgh and its international airport. So you can pair unforgettable golf with big-city adventures.
Plan your vacation to this storied region with our 9 handpicked courses.
Ancient wonders. Modern marvels. Championship classics. Quirky masterpieces.
Ultimately, it’s the unmatched mix of magical links experiences – all beside enchanting towns – that sets East Lothian apart from other Scotland golf tours.
Take a look.
Est: 2001 | Par: 71 | Length: 6,601 yards
Your first round showcases the new breed of East Lothian golf courses.
Opened in 2001, Craigielaw Golf Club already boasts an impressive tournament pedigree, including consecutive Staysure PGA Seniors Championships.
So expect immaculate conditions and serious shot-making tests from this Donald Steel design beside the picturesque seaside town of Aberlady.
For traditionalists, there are ample classic links features.
Fast and firm, Craigielaw plays over the sumptuous turf that defines Scotland’s Golf Coast.
It’s delightful. Yet laden with danger. Accuracy is paramount.
Bunkers, along the fairways and around those treacherous greens, stalk you from the first shot.
Downhill doglegs, winding streams, stone dykes, and nasty rough also demand pinpoint precision.
Sure, it’s relentless, but Craigielaw is thoroughly rewarding and immensely entertaining.
Est: 1884 | Par: 71 | Length: 6,873 yards
Gullane Golf Club boasts three – three! – layouts ranked among the top 100 golf courses in Scotland.
Gullane No. 1, the original, is the best of an epic trilogy
Nestled within the most exquisite terrain, this classic links course meanders up, down and around the 200-ft Gullane Hill and reveals truly astounding views across East Lothian.
The golf is equally thrilling.
Gullane No. 1, a two-time Scottish Open host, is made for heroic shots.
The bunker-loaded, dogleg 5th is a brute. The do-or-die 9th plunges downhill and along clifftops.
And 13, galleried with wartime tank traps, soars to an elevated, sloping green.
Just wait until you behold the Firth of Forth and beyond, in a 360-degree panorama, from the 7th tee.
Est: 2004 | Par: 72 | Length: 6,942 yards
Like Craigielaw, Fidra Links has been an exciting modern addition to the classic East Lothian golf courses.
And like Gullane, Archerfield, a gorgeous 500-acre country estate on the North Sea coast, offers you more than 18 holes.
But the Fidra, with its dramatic contrasts and rhythmic changes, is unlike any other Scottish links course.
It’s quite the adventure.
Flanked by soaring pine trees, the Fidra is a unique hybrid that ripples through secluded woodland before unfurling into more expansive linksland.
Across almost 7,000 immaculately conditioned yards, you’re treated to a wonderful variety of testing holes and spectacular scenery.
What never changes, however, are the rolling fairways, perilous bunkers and undulating velveteen greens.
As such, you must be bold but precise.
Est: 1832 | Par: 71 | Length: 6,509 yards
Few golf courses make you smile quite like North Berwick.
From the outrageous hazards to the rollercoaster turf, unforgettable holes, and spellbinding vistas, the much-copied West Links is No.1 for fun.
It’s been that way since 1832.
Atop the Firth of Forth, North Berwick follows a classic out-and-back seaside routing that begins and ends in an enchanting town where golf is a way of life.
Yet the intervening 6,500 yards defy convention.
Above all, the West Links tests your imagination.
As Bass Rock looms over the horizon, you encounter stone walls, blind shots, humps, hollows, streams, and deep bunkers.
Then you have those raised plateau greens. The run from 13 to 16, which includes the infamous par-3 Redan, is astonishing.
Est: 1906 | Par: 70 | Length: 6,275 yards
Across the town from North Berwick, The Glen Golf Club delivers an exhilarating counterpoint to the quirky West Links.
The East Links is a soul-stirring blend of clifftop and seaside holes that ebbs and flows like the tide below.
Prepare for high-stakes shots, ocean spray and cinematic backdrops.
Even among the best East Lothian golf courses, few match The Glen for sheer grandeur.
At every turn, as thrilling holes unfold, all-consuming coastal views greet you.
Crafted by two Scottish icons, James Braid and Ben Sayers, the East Links is generous from the tee, though its similarly elevated greens can be tricky to find, especially when the wind blows.
The signature 13th hole, a blind par 3, stays with you forever.
Est: 1898 | Par: 71 | Length: 6,396
Welcome back to Gullane.
While the designer of No. 1 remains a mystery, the creator of the unmissable sequel is a certified legend.
Willie Park Jnr, the two-time Open Championship winner, unveiled Gullane No. 2 in 1898.
As with its sister links, your first drive and final putt are right in the Village of Golf.
This spine-tingling experience is not the only family resemblance.
The shorter second course at Gullane sits on the same delicious linksland with wild elevation changes that showcase the engrossing East Lothian panorama.
The Aberlady Bay Loop, holes 11, 12 and 13, epitomises why No. 2 is so beloved.
It’s also a serious test – as the impressive championship record attests.
Add it to your must-play list.
Est: 2006 | Par: 72 | Length: 6,946 yards
Two years after the Fidra opened, Archerfield added Dirleton Links to a property that has hosted golf since the 15th century.
It proved an instant hit.
The ideal accompaniment to its sibling (both designed by David J Russell), the Dirleton is closer to a traditional Scottish links.
Be ready to bump-and-run!
Together, these championship courses create an outstanding 36-hole combination for your itinerary.
Framed by the grandiose Archerfield House, Dirleton Links is a modern design masterclass.
The course delivers consistent excellence – rather than fleeting highlights – and enthrals with its infectious tempo, dreamy isolation and pleasing playability.
Still, bring your best.
Impenetrable gorse, cavernous bunkers, snaking burns, and rolling dunes beset vast fairways that give way to flawless but treacherous greens.
Est: 1910 | Par: 68 | Length: 5,252 yards
Conveniently, should you choose to complete the Gullane triumvirate, it’s only two miles from Archerfield.
Gullane No. 3 is the shortest of our featured East Lothian golf courses.
But there’s nothing small about the multipronged challenge and kaleidoscopic scenery on this fantastically fun links layout.
Created by members, it’s been their cherished gem since 1910.
Resplendent turf. Impeccable conditioning. Epic climbs. Dramatic descents.
The Gullane DNA permeates No. 3, where success requires unerring first and second shots to what are arguably the finest greens in Scotland.
Wildly unpredictable, it plays tight, hard and fast.
Gullane Hill dominates holes 4 to 15 and, from every angle, you get mesmeric, uninterrupted views across Aberlady Bay, the Firth of Forth, and Lammermuir Hills.
Est: 1856 | Par: 71 | Length: 6,597 yards
What a finale.
The last of our handpicked East Lothian golf courses is a classic links that’s so close to the North Sea you can taste saltwater!
Some 30 miles east of Edinburgh, Dunbar Golf Club has an interesting history dating back 400 years.
The setting is inspiring. The layout is intriguing. The golf is intoxicating.
Refined over time by Morris, Braid and Sayers, Dunbar sits on a narrow ribbon of rumpled, windblown linksland between the rocky shoreline and an imposing stonewall.
This striking divide adds a curious dimension to an authentic test of championship links golf.
Each hole has the capacity to challenge, charm and confound – often simultaneously! – and that’s why Dunbar is such a special place.
Important: Designed to inspire, this sample itinerary is just a template for your East Lothian golf trip.
The package includes:
But each element can be customised to suit your group.
You might want to add extra rounds, hotel nights, or a non-golf day for Edinburgh. Or perhaps you’d like to prearrange sightseeing tours and dining reservations (examples below).
Speak with an IGT Travel Planner about your ideal journey, and we’ll do the rest.
Day 1. Arrive at Edinburgh Airport and transfer, via an IGT luxury coach, to the Marine North Berwick hotel before an afternoon round at splendid Craigielaw.
Day 2. A morning championship tee time on the gorgeous Gullane No.1. Then explore the boutique stores, lively bars, and amazing eateries in North Berwick village.
Day 3. Play the fantastic Fidra course for an uncommon links experience at Archerfield. Visit the spectacular Yellowcraig Beach ahead of dinner at The Bonnie Badger.
Day 4. Take on the delightfully quirky, visually stunning masterpiece that is North Berwick. A Bass Rock boat trip is the perfect pre or post-round activity.
Day 5. Enjoy the handiwork of two Scottish legends on the clifftop cracker at The Glen. Later, sample the finest Scottish spirits at nearby NB Distillery.
Day 6. An unforgettable finish amid sea, stone and sand at Dunbar. Afterwards, Belhaven Brewery and John Muir Country Park promise artisan ales and outdoor adventures.
Day 7. Is it over already?! Drink in the Fifth of Forth over a gourmet breakfast before our driver drops your group off at Edinburgh Airport.
At IGT, we’ve been creating once-in-a-lifetime golfing adventures across Scotland and Ireland since 1993. Meet our happy guests here.
So we know it’s never too early to plan your Scottish pilgrimage, especially if you want to play those supreme East Lothian golf courses.
That’s why you should start today.
Book a call with our travel experts to discover how we design and deliver every detail of your dream golf trip.
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Author: Tom Rooney
