Getting There
Golf Without a Car in Scotland: Complete Public Transport Guide
Every major Scottish golf region reachable by train or bus, with walking times to the first tee, timetable tips, and the trips that don't actually work without a hire car.
When this guide applies
You are a visitor (or a local) who does not want to hire a car. Most of Scotland's golf tourism industry assumes you will drive — this guide is for the rest. Train is the spine; buses fill gaps; ferries handle the islands. Taxis take you the last mile where needed.
Timings below are typical weekday journey times from the nearest major hub to the first tee, including walk from the station. Fares are standard advance or off-peak rates in 2026. Buy ahead where possible; ScotRail day returns are significantly cheaper booked online the night before.
Rule of thumb: If the course is more than a 25-minute walk from a station, factor in a £10–£15 one-way taxi. Uber works in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and (sporadically) Inverness. Outside those, it's local firms only — call ahead.
Edinburgh and Lothians
From Edinburgh Waverley
| Course | Train | Walk | Total door-to-tee | |---|---|---|---| | Braid Hills | Bus 11 or 15 from city centre | — | 25 min | | Musselburgh Old Links | ScotRail to Musselburgh, 12 min | 8 min | 20 min | | Royal Musselburgh | ScotRail to Prestonpans, 18 min | 10 min | 28 min | | Longniddry | ScotRail to Longniddry, 22 min | 5 min | 27 min | | North Berwick West Links | ScotRail to North Berwick, 32 min | 6 min | 38 min | | Dunbar | ScotRail to Dunbar, 28 min | 10 min | 38 min | | Gullane (all three) | Bus X5 from St Andrew Square, ~50 min | 2 min | 50 min |
Day ticket: Lothian Buses day pass £5.50 covers the X5 to Gullane and local buses in Edinburgh. ScotRail "Lothian Weekday Day Return" covers the North Berwick line and Dunbar.
Walking with clubs: All the ScotRail stations above are small and flat. North Berwick station is four minutes from the first tee of the West Links. Bring a stand bag, not a tour bag.
To Edinburgh from outside
Edinburgh Airport to Waverley: tram £8, 35 min. Taxi: £25, 25 min. LNER Edinburgh to London: 4h 20m. CrossCountry Edinburgh to Birmingham: 4h 50m.
Glasgow and the West
From Glasgow Central
| Course | Train | Walk | Total | |---|---|---|---| | Knightswood | Subway to Hyndland, then bus | — | 30 min | | Cathkin Braes | ScotRail to Rutherglen, 8 min + bus | 15 min | 35 min | | Glasgow Gailes | ScotRail to Irvine, 35 min | 20 min (or £8 taxi) | 55 min | | Dundonald Links | ScotRail to Irvine, 35 min | £10 taxi | 50 min | | Prestwick Golf Club | ScotRail to Prestwick Town, 45 min | 3 min | 48 min | | Royal Troon | ScotRail to Troon, 38 min | 10 min | 48 min | | Turnberry | ScotRail to Maybole, 75 min + £20 taxi | — | 1h 45m |
Day ticket: ScotRail "Ayrshire Day Return" £14. Covers Troon, Prestwick, Irvine.
Warning: Glasgow Central and Queen Street are different stations. Ayrshire trains run from Central. Falkirk, Stirling, Edinburgh run from Queen Street. They are an 8-minute walk apart.
From Glasgow Queen Street
| Course | Train | Total | |---|---|---| | Stirling Golf Club | 30 min train, 20 min walk | 50 min | | Perth (Craigie Hill, Murrayshall) | 55 min train, 15 min walk or £10 taxi | 1h 15m | | Gleneagles | 60 min train to Gleneagles station, 5 min hotel shuttle | 1h 10m | | Blairgowrie | 65 min train to Perth + bus 57, 50 min | 2h |
Fife and St Andrews
There is no railway station in St Andrews. This is the single biggest transport limitation in Scottish golf. The nearest station is Leuchars, 10 minutes by bus 99/99A.
Getting to St Andrews
| Origin | Route | Time | |---|---|---| | Edinburgh Waverley | ScotRail to Leuchars, bus 99 | 1h 25m | | Glasgow Queen Street | ScotRail to Leuchars (change Edinburgh), bus 99 | 2h 35m | | Edinburgh Airport | Tram to Haymarket, ScotRail to Leuchars, bus | 2h 20m | | Dundee | Bus X54 direct | 35 min |
From Leuchars to first tee: Bus 99/99A runs every 15 min Mon–Sat, every 30 min Sunday. Fare £3.50. Tell the driver "golf links" — they'll drop you at the Old Course caddie pavilion.
Other Fife courses reachable by train + bus
| Course | Route | Total | |---|---|---| | Crail Balcomie | Leuchars + Stagecoach 95, 50 min | 2h 15m from Edinburgh | | Elie (Golf House Club) | Leuchars + Stagecoach 95, 45 min | 2h 10m | | Lundin Links | ScotRail to Leven (new line), 12 min walk | 1h 25m from Edinburgh | | Leven Links | ScotRail to Leven, 8 min walk | 1h 20m | | Kingsbarns | Leuchars + bus 95, 35 min | 2h from Edinburgh |
The Leven Line note: The Edinburgh–Leven rail line reopened in 2024. It now goes to Leven station, not just Thornton. Check the current ScotRail timetable — direct services are a newer option most online guides don't yet reflect.
Aberdeen and the North-East
From Aberdeen station
| Course | Route | Total | |---|---|---| | King's Links | 15 min walk from station | 15 min | | Royal Aberdeen (Balgownie) | Bus 1 or 2, 25 min | 35 min | | Murcar Links | As above, walk from Royal Aberdeen | 50 min | | Cruden Bay | Stagecoach bus 63, 1h 25m | 1h 30m | | Trump International (Balmedie) | Bus 60, 40 min, 15 min walk | 1h | | Newmachar | Bus 35, 45 min | 1h |
Aberdeen limit: Courses north of Peterhead (Inverallochy, Fraserburgh) are feasible by bus but add 2 hours each way. Consider a hire day or overnight for these.
The Highlands
Trains here are infrequent (1–3 per day on some lines) and buses slower.
From Inverness
| Course | Route | Total | |---|---|---| | Torvean | 20 min walk | 20 min | | Inverness Golf Club | Bus 1, 10 min walk | 25 min | | Nairn / Nairn Dunbar | ScotRail to Nairn, 15 min, 15 min walk | 40 min | | Castle Stuart | Bus 11 to Dalcross, 25 min, 10 min walk | 45 min | | Fortrose & Rosemarkie | Stagecoach bus 26, 45 min | 50 min | | Royal Dornoch | ScotRail to Tain, 1h, bus 25X, 35 min, walk 5 min | 2h | | Brora | ScotRail to Brora, 2h, 10 min walk | 2h 15m |
The Highland Main Line trick: Brora, Dornoch (via Tain), Golspie and the full Sutherland coast are reachable on the Far North Line. It's slow (infrequent service, single track most of the way) but beautiful. A three-day trip from Inverness to Brora and back with two rounds on the way is the cheapest way to play the legendary Highland links without a car.
Argyll and the Islands
Car required for all mainland Argyll golf — Machrihanish, Dunaverty, and the Kintyre courses are beyond practical public transport. Allow 4 hours by bus from Glasgow, each way.
Islands (foot passengers possible)
| Island | Ferry | Course | Reachable on foot? | |---|---|---|---| | Arran (Brodick) | CalMac from Ardrossan, 55 min | Brodick Golf Club | Yes — 5 min walk | | Arran (Lamlash) | As above + bus | Lamlash Golf Club | Yes — bus + 10 min walk | | Arran (Blackwaterfoot) | Ferry + bus 324 | Shiskine | Yes — 1 hour total from Brodick | | Islay | CalMac from Kennacraig, 2h 20m | The Machrie | Yes — taxi from Port Ellen, £15 | | Mull | CalMac from Oban, 45 min | Tobermory | Yes — bus 495 from ferry |
Travel tip: CalMac foot-passenger fares are £5–£20 single. Book the Arran ferry online; Islay and Mull can be booked on the day in shoulder season.
Day-ticket summary
| Ticket | Covers | Price | Best for | |---|---|---|---| | ScotRail Kids for a Quid | Off-peak, child with adult | £1 per child | Family day | | Lothian Day Pass | All Edinburgh buses | £5.50 | Musselburgh, Gullane trips | | ScotRail Anytime Day Return | As named | Varies | One-course trips | | Central Scotland Rover | Unlimited rail in central belt | £28 | Multi-course day | | Spirit of Scotland Travelpass | Rail, most ferries, most buses | £149 (8 days) | Week-long trip without a car |
The Spirit of Scotland pass is the closest thing to a golfer's season ticket for a week-long trip. £149 covers every scheduled train, all CalMac ferries, and most long-distance buses. If you're doing five rounds in six days across the country, it pays back on day two.
What a car is still required for
We would not attempt the following without a hire car:
- Machrihanish and the Kintyre peninsula. Public transport is possible but loses a day.
- Multiple Highland courses in one day. Infrequent services mean one course per day maximum.
- Aberdeenshire north of Peterhead. Slow, sparse bus service.
- Trying to fit Royal Dornoch, Castle Stuart and Nairn into a week. Car saves 6 hours of journey time across the week.
- Anything with a pre-9 am tee time in a rural area. First buses often don't arrive in time.
For everything else, train and bus are viable and — with an advance ticket — cheaper than a hire car plus fuel plus parking.
Timings current as of the 2026 ScotRail schedule. Verify before travelling. The Spirit of Scotland pass is administered by ScotRail; book at scotrail.co.uk.