Scottish Island Golfing

Everyone knows that Scotland is the home of golf and of course there are many famous courses - even one owned by Donald Trump! But what many golfers don’t know is that the beautiful Scottish Islands and Peninsulars on the west coast have some amazing courses with incredible scenery.

We have put together a wonderful Inner Hebridean eight or ten night cruise, starting from Oban, that visitors can enjoy. In most places golfing parties can enjoy a visit to a whisky distillery as well as a game of golf but we would suggest that the distillery visit is after the game!

We can customise an itinerary but recommend the following cruise that starts in Oban. Here you can visit the Oban distillery and play the 18 hole Glencruitten Golf Club which is a wild-life rich, picturesque, challenging course situated in beautiful parkland. For the less energetic there are three nearby, nice 9 hole courses at either Dalmally, Taynuit or Dragon’s Tooth.

Then we can sail the spectacular Sound of Luing to West Loch Tarbet on the Mull of Kintyre Peninsular. On the Kintyre Peninsular there are two, world-famous, golf course. The Machrihanish golf course was laid out by the legendry “Old Tom Morris” in 1879. It is one of the best link courses in the world with its infamous first hole that has to be played over the Atlantic Ocean. The Machrihanish Dunes Course is equally world renown and, although a modern links course, is based upon how golf was played in the “old days”. Visits to either of these golf courses can be paired with a visit to one of Campbeltown’s famous whisky distilleries.

Next on this cruise is the famous whisky island (eight distilleries and more to come) of Islay and here you can visit the distilleries and play one of Scotland’s oldest and beautiful Machrie Links course. Originally designed in 1891 it has been fully modernised and has one of the best locations in world golf.

There is also the new 18-hole golf course on nearby Jura, close to the distillery, owned by a millionaire Australian, but it is a yet not clear who will be playing there.

Next Stop would be on the Isle of Mull at Tobermory. Here there is a famous whisky distillery and three, 9 hole courses on the island. Tobermory Golf Course was voted the “Best 9-hole Course in Scotland” because of its spectacular scenery and its challenging, hilly 9-hole course. It was played by Open Champion winner Tom Watson. In contrast, there is the Iona Golf Course played on the gently undulating machair (a short grass, full of beautiful wildflowers, that is found on sandy island beaches) and here the grass is kept short not by a groundsman but by the sheep and cattle! Also on undulating machair, and also near the ferry port of Craignure, is the welcoming Craignure Golf Club whose origins date back to 1908.

On the Outer Hebridean Islands there are some wonderful golf course with breath taking views. The is a 9 hole course Isle of Barra Golf Club with great views of the Atlantic, On nearby South Uist there is Askernish Golf Course designed again by “Old Tom Morris”. Recently reclaimed from the wild to become world famous among golfers. On the Isle of Benbecula there are 18 holes to enjoy and on the Isle of Lewis there is the Stornoway Golf Club and on Harris the Harris Golf Club has on one side the Sound of Taransay flowing into the Atlantic Ocean and beautiful Hebridean white sands on the other. All could be visited in a custom-made cruise. Why not try a whole boat charter with your golfing friends.

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Even better than I could have imagined. The scenery is stunning, the boat is delightful.

— Jane, 2019