Scotland: from Auld Reekie to the Swilken Bridge

Two years ago we visited St Andrews briefly at the end of a cruise and really wanted to get back so here's how it went.

We flew into Edinburgh and poked around town for a couple days. Stayed at the Balmoral which had the best smoked salmon I've ever had the joy of tasting. So it was smoked salmon with every meal.

Here are a couple of the sights we saw including a fine Adam Smith off the Royal Mile.

Then we rented a car to begin Le Tour of Scotland 2017, 1st stop Gleneagles who played host to the 2014 Ryder Cup which didn't end well for the Americans but on this occasion these Americans were treated much better. Here's the view from our room. 

Then the rounds of golf would begin, our first game was on the Queens course at Gleneagles and for the first 8 holes it poured, here's Julie in full rain gear.

And by the 11th hole the rain stopped and would play the remaining holes dry. Here's me teeing off on the 11th.

We got rained out on the PGA Centenary course (Ryder Cup Course)so we rescheduled and ended up playing it a week later. Then we drove to the Isle of Skye where we relaxed for a couple days and visited the Talisker distillery.

Then The tour headed north,  Here's Julie getting ready for her next shot at Tain Golf Club, check out the fairways, major rolling going on.

On the way up north we stayed 1 night here, right up the road from Tain 

Next game was at Brora, we had a good game and the weather was lovely. The greens each had an electric fence around them to keep the sheep and cows off of them. 

On a non golfing day, we drove up to the top of Scotland here near John o'groats. 

We stayed literally right next door to the golf club and 1st tee. Our hotel had this little green shack behind us, where we could store our clubs over night. 

Here we are at the toughest course on the trip Royal Dornach. 

Then off to our final stop, St Andrews but on the way we stopped back at Gleneagles to play the Ryder Cup course and since the US lost here, we felt compelled to represent the red, white and blue. 

An absolutely beautiful and fun course.

While at St Andrews , we played the Eden course.

The New Course

And 1 day I got up at 3am and stood in line for The Old Course, and at 7:50, these guys had an opening and I joined in, here's me teeing offf on the 18th, and then of course every group stops for the group photo. 

Here's the nap of the St Andrews links.

And on sundays everyone is allowed to walk around on the course because there is no golfing on Sunday's, a practice that Old Tom Morris started because he believed Sunday's were for church. 

Thank you for stopping by, see you on the fairways!