East Lothian Golf Crawl: Play 3 Links Courses in 2 Days for Under £150

East Lothian sits 25 miles east of Edinburgh and contains, within a 15-mile coastal strip, somewhere between 20 and 25 golf courses depending on how you count them. Muirfield is the famous one. But the reason to come to East Lothian for a golf weekend isn't Muirfield — it's that everything around it is also excellent and costs a fraction of the price.

This is a two-day crawl through three of the best: Gullane No.1, North Berwick West Links, and Craigielaw. Total green fees under £150 per player. You can drive between all three in under 20 minutes.

The courses

Gullane No.1 — around £95 peak season, £55 off-peak. The best of Gullane's three courses, set on the hill above the village with views across to the Firth of Forth and the Bass Rock. Proper links: firm, fast, windswept on the exposed upper holes. The uphill stretch from holes 6 to 8 is one of the finest sequences in East Lothian golf. Book directly with Gullane Golf Club.

North Berwick West Links — around £95 peak, £55 off-peak. One of the oldest courses in the world and one of the most copied — the Redan hole (15th) has been reproduced at courses worldwide. Quirky, historic, running right beside the town beach. The view from the 13th tee across the Firth is one of the great sights in Scottish golf. Immensely enjoyable. Book through East Lothian Golf Pass or directly.

Craigielaw — around £55 peak, £35 off-peak. A newer course (2001) by Donald Steel on proper links ground, overlooking the Firth between Gullane and Aberlady. Less famous than its neighbours, significantly cheaper, and very well maintained. The fourth, fifth and sixth holes across an elevated ridge with panoramic water views are exceptional. Often has more availability than the older clubs.

Budget alternative: Luffness New Golf Club, adjacent to Gullane, charges similar fees to Craigielaw and plays very well. Aberlady Golf Club is cheaper still at around £35 and is a perfectly respectable round if you want a less demanding fourth option.

Day one: Gullane

Morning — Gullane No.1

Tee off before 9am if possible. Gullane gets busy by mid-morning in summer, and the early start means you have the upper hill holes to yourself, which matters because those holes require some quiet attention to play properly.

After the round: the Golf Inn in Gullane village does a good lunch and is five minutes' walk from the 18th green. Alternatively, the Old Clubhouse tea room at the course serves basic food.

Afternoon — free

Gullane beach (five minutes from the course) is worth a walk. Dirleton Castle (three miles east) is a proper medieval ruin and takes an hour. If you're a malt whisky person, Archerfield's is a short drive. The early evening light on the Firth from Gullane Hill is unreasonably good.

Where to stay

Gullane has several good B&Bs in the village. The Bisset Brae and similar properties on the quiet residential roads charge around £80–100 per room including breakfast.

North Berwick (8 miles east) has more options including the Marine Hotel at the top end and several well-reviewed B&Bs. Staying in North Berwick and driving to Gullane in the morning is straightforward.

Day two: North Berwick and Craigielaw

Morning — North Berwick West Links

Book the first available morning tee time. The West Links plays differently in morning light than midday — the shadows across the fairways on the early holes give the old Victorian course a slightly otherworldly quality that disappears by 11am.

The Bass Rock is visible from multiple points on the back nine. It looks close enough to reach by a decent 3-wood. It is not.

Afternoon — Craigielaw

An hour after finishing at North Berwick, you're on the first tee at Craigielaw. It sounds ambitious but the courses are 8 miles apart and Craigielaw's first tee is never backed up the way North Berwick's is.

Craigielaw offers 36-hole day visitor packages at reduced rates — worth asking about when booking if you're planning to play both days there.

Evening

North Berwick has excellent food options. The Lobster Shack at the harbour does langoustines and crab claws outside in good weather — basic, seasonal, extremely good. The Drift restaurant for a sit-down dinner. The Nether Abbey Hotel bar for something quieter.

Budget breakdown (per player)

Item	Cost
Gullane No.1 (off-peak)	£55
North Berwick West Links (off-peak)	£55
Craigielaw	£35
Green fees total	£145
B&B, 1 night (half of £85 room)	£42
Meals, 2 days (modest)	£50–60
Travel from Edinburgh (train + car hire or taxi)	£20–30
Total per player	~£260–280

Peak season (July–August) adds around £40–50 to the green fee total. Off-peak (April, May, September, October) is where this trip makes the most financial sense — and the courses are usually in better condition in shoulder season anyway.

Getting there without a car

Edinburgh Waverley to North Berwick by train takes 33 minutes. Trains run approximately every 30 minutes during the day. From North Berwick station, taxis to Gullane (8 miles) cost around £12. Gullane to Craigielaw to North Berwick is walkable in sequence if you're not carrying bags — Craigielaw is 3 miles from Gullane along the coastal path.

The East Lothian Golf Pass, available from the East Lothian Council website, offers discounts across multiple participating courses for multi-round visitors and is worth checking before booking.

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For the wider range of East Lothian options at different price points: Golf Near Edinburgh: 15 Best Courses Within 45 Minutes. For accommodation options in the area: Best Bed and Breakfasts for Scottish Golf.