Trip Itineraries
2-Day Golf Trip from Edinburgh: Best Course Combinations (Public Transport Friendly)
Two days of serious golf from Edinburgh, with options that work with or without a car. North Berwick, East Lothian, Fife, and the best Edinburgh-adjacent rounds that don't require driving.
Edinburgh is one of the best-positioned cities in Scotland for golf. Within two hours are: North Berwick West Links, Gullane No. 1, Muirfield, St Andrews, Crail, Elie, Royal Musselburgh, and a long list of good-value courses. Two full days covers a lot. (For the city's own courses rather than the day trips, see the Edinburgh golf hub.)
The question is always the same: which combination makes the most sense for budget, distance, and transport?
These are the combinations that actually work.
Option A: East Lothian car-free (2 days)
The only properly car-free option from Edinburgh, because North Berwick has a train station — TripSCOT's station page has the service pattern, and its golf-courses-by-train guide is the wider car-free picture.
Day 1 (Edinburgh base): Morning: Braid Hills No.1 — Edinburgh's best municipal, £41 for a casual visitor round. Walk from Edinburgh accommodation. No car, no taxi.
Afternoon: Musselburgh Old Links — the oldest golf course in the world you can pay to play. 15 minutes by bus from Edinburgh. 9 holes, £20–£25. Informal.
Evening: Stay in central Edinburgh. Walk the Royal Mile; dinner in Leith.
Day 2 (North Berwick by train): Train from Edinburgh Waverley to North Berwick (33 minutes, £9.10 Anytime return — TripSCOT's checked fare).
Morning: North Berwick West Links visitor round (£220–£320). Book weeks in advance.
Afternoon: Walk back through town. The Lobster Shack on the harbour for lunch. Optional: The Glen East Links for a second round if budget and legs allow — ask the club about a nine-hole rate.
Evening: Return by train to Edinburgh.
Total green fees: Braid Hills + Musselburgh + North Berwick West Links = £281–£386. No car required.
Option B: East Lothian with a car (2 days)
With a car, the East Lothian circuit opens up.
Day 1: Morning: Gullane No. 1 (£285–£325) — or Gullane No. 2 (£100–£175) for better budget. Book via gullanegolfclub.com.
Afternoon: Craigielaw (£60–£160) — 3 miles east of Gullane. Book same portal. Stay in Gullane, North Berwick, or Haddington.
Day 2: Morning: North Berwick West Links (£220–£320). Or: The Glen East Links (£60–£135) — far cheaper, still excellent.
Afternoon: Kilspindie, Aberlady (£90–£170) — 5 miles west of Gullane. Short, scenic, quiet.
Total green fees (budget version): Gullane No.2 + Craigielaw + The Glen + Kilspindie = £310–£640. Total green fees (premium version): Gullane No.1 + West Links = £505–£645 for two courses.
Option C: Fife day trip (2 days)
For visitors who want Fife rather than East Lothian.
Day 1: Drive to St Andrews (1 hour from Edinburgh). If you want an Old Course round on Day 2, the ballot has to be entered two days ahead — it closes at 2pm two days before play.
Morning: New Course at St Andrews (£45–£155). No ballot required. Book via standrews.com.
Afternoon: Walk the Old Course path (public land; free). Visit the British Golf Museum.
Evening: Stay in St Andrews or Cupar.
Day 2: Morning: Old Course if ballot won (£180–£355). Crail Balcomie Links if ballot failed (£70–£170, by season) — 20 minutes by car from St Andrews, one of Scotland's best coastal rounds.
Afternoon: Return to Edinburgh via Elie or Lundin Links for a final round if energy permits.
Total green fees: the without-the-Old-Course version turns almost entirely on the month you go — the New Course and Crail both roughly treble between deep winter and July, so budget the bottom of each range for a November trip and the top for a July one. Adding an Old Course round puts £180 on top of whatever the rest comes to.
Option D: Edinburgh + Musselburgh (1 night, car-free)
For visitors who want the cheapest full golf day from Edinburgh.
Day 1: Morning: Braid Hills No.1 (£41). Walk from any central Edinburgh accommodation.
Afternoon: [Royal Musselburgh Golf Club](/courses/royal-musselburgh) (£45–£65) — midweek visitor round, 8 miles east of Edinburgh by bus. Book by phone a few days ahead.
Evening: Dinner in Edinburgh.
Day 2: Musselburgh Old Links (£20–£25) — the 9-hole public course on the racecourse. Bus from Edinburgh, 25 minutes.
Total: £106–£131 for three rounds across two days, entirely by public transport.
Booking tips
North Berwick West Links: Book as far ahead as possible — visitor slots are limited and Friday/weekend mornings sell out first. Phone is more reliable than the online system for getting specific times.
Gullane: Online booking via gullanegolfclub.com. Course 1 fills faster than 2 or 3.
Old Course ballot: Closes at 2pm two days before you want to play, two players minimum. The Links Trust publishes no success rates; the one published count put it at about 10.5% of visitor entries a day across April–October 2024. Don't plan a Fife day that depends on winning.
Craigielaw: Generally easier to book at short notice than the older East Lothian courses.
For the North Berwick guide: Getting to North Berwick Golf Without a Car. For the East Lothian full guide: East Lothian Golf Guide — Scotland's Golf Coast on a Budget.
About the author
The Birdie Brae editor
Editor and founder of Birdie Brae. Based in Glasgow, 12.7 handicap, playing since late 2021. Has played 20+ Scottish courses and started this site because most Scottish golf content is written by people trying to sell you a package holiday.
More about the editor →Courses in this article
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