Glasgow is a port city on the River Clyde in Scotland's western Lowlands. It's famed for its Victorian and art nouveau architecture, a rich legacy of the city's 18th–20th-century prosperity due to trade and shipbuilding. Today it's a national cultural hub, home to institutions including the Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet and National Theatre of Scotland, as well as acclaimed museums and a thriving music scene.
Edinburgh is Scotland's compact, hilly capital. It has a medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town with gardens and neoclassical buildings. Looming over the city is Edinburgh Castle, home to Scotland’s crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny, used in the coronation of Scottish rulers. Arthur’s Seat is an imposing peak in Holyrood Park with sweeping views, and Calton Hill is topped with monuments and memorials.
The Kinross golf courses, originally opened in 1988, changed the "Blue" and "Red" to "Montgomery course" and "Bruce," respectively, in 2005. Owned by the four-star Green Hotel across the street, the names come from two of the Loch Leven area's principle land owners and will add a little more character to the course, in a country where tradition is paramount.
Golfers the world over know St. Andrews is where the game began, but golfing in Scotland does not end with St. Andrews. Clive Agran continues his "Scotland Beyond St. Andrews" series with a look at some of the best golf courses in Perthshire, including the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles, which will host the 2014 Ryder Cup.
The green fee at glorious Gleneagles varies from $115 to $280 according to the time of the year and whether or not you're staying in the magnificent hotel. But it matters not which golf course you play -- King's, Queen's or PGA Centenary. Very unusually for a resort with three courses -- possibly uniquely -- there's no stand-out, this is the one-you-brag-to-your-friends-you've-played course.
Set among 850 acres of Perthshire countryside, Gleneagles will host the 2014 Ryder Cup. But while it's home to three superb golf courses, Gleneagles has so much more to offer. Since its doors first swung open in the middle of the Roaring '20s, the impressive five-star hotel has entertained royalty and celebrities alike. And even though times have changed, the same single-minded determination to have fun is still at the heart of the Gleneagles experience, Clive Agran writes.
Gleneagles is already famous and is about to become even more so when it hosts the 2014 Ryder Cup in September. But Gleneagles isn't the only star in Perthshire, a predominantly mountainous county lying right in the heart of Scotland. Clive Agran has more on Gleneagles and other golf courses in the area worth your time.
Gleneagles -- even following a successful run hosting of the 2014 Ryder Cup Matches -- still tends to be overlooked by Americans, who are off chasing links-laden itineraries instead. That's just silly.
The Queen's Course, one of three championship layouts at the Gleneagles Resort in Perth and Kinross, is one of the great golf courses that play less than 6,000 yards. Its short length can be deceiving, however, especially on the front nine. Meanwhile, the back nine has some shorter holes, like the 15th, a drivable 252-yard par 4. But deep and intimidating bunkers await errant drives.
Think blind shots are only a phenomenon on links courses? Try the wild and wonderful King's Course at Gleneagles, a James Braid course dating back to 1919.
Conditions on the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles Resort are rounding into form after a seven-month renovation to prepare for the 2014 Ryder Cup. New drainage systems should allow the Jack Nicklaus-designed course, which opened in 1993, to survive even the wettest weather.
Just a few minutes south of Loch Lomond G.C. is a resort course anyone can play: The Carrick on Loch Lomond, part of the luxurious Cameron House Hotel. The golf course opened in 2007 and was designed by Canadian architect Doug Carrick. It plays to 7,082 yards from the back set of five tee boxes.
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