The Perfect Match Trail
4 MIN READ
Scotland’s golf and whisky connections run deep. Take Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky, an iconic brand. Sir Alexander Walker, the grandson of the founder John ‘Johnnie’ Walker, was an enthusiastic golfer. Two of James Braid’s sons also worked for John Walker & Sons.
“There tends to be a remarkable overlap between lovers of Scottish whisky, in particular Johnnie Walker, and lovers of golf,” said Andrew Morgan, the former president, new business at Diageo.
Indeed, the combination of two of Scotland’s most celebrated exports makes up a must-do Trail. Today, the country is home to over 130 malt and grain distilleries, each uniquely flavoured, making it the greatest concentration of whisky production in the world. Many distilleries are also handily located near a course and open to public tours – the perfect match.
Start your journey in the heart of Scotland, checking in to the sumptuous surroundings of the stunning Gleneagles Hotel, home to The 2014 Ryder Cup and The 2019 Solheim Cup. The golf is glorious, just don’t be distracted by the views. Nine-hole gems are there to savour at Comrie and St Fillans, while the region is also home to one of the country’s oldest distilleries, Glenturret. Dating back to 1763, it is just five minutes from Crieff, where Old Tom Morris carved out the original holes.
Climb north to the golfing mecca of the Highlands and base your stay at Ness Walk in Inverness or head an hour north and settle down at the Royal Golf Hotel in Dornoch - just a wedge shot from the 1st tee of the Championship Course rated No.12 in the world by Golf Magazine in 2021 – with the Royal Marine Hotel just round the corner from the historic links of Brora. Close by, Glenmorangie Distillery is one of the most recognised names in whisky. There is little better than raising a warm glass in the Highlands after a round on a variety of wonderful courses.
The epicentre of the whisky industry is back south and over to the east in Speyside. More than half of Scotland’s whisky distilleries are in the region, where along the banks of the River Spey the smell of peat fires and barley malt hangs in the air. The Golf View Hotel in Lossiemouth is an ideal base, offering exactly what its name suggests. At Duff House Royal, it offers the backdrop of the Macduff Distillery behind the 3rd green.
Down at the Home of Golf in St Andrews, there are mouth-watering options on the golfing menu, with a whisky to wash them down. The famous Old, the renowned New and the cliff-top Castle are among them, combined with a local Eden Mill, Kingsbarns or Lindores Abbey whisky while staying in the renovated Rusacks Hotel or the stunning Old Course Hotel & Spa.
Further down the east coast, a Glenkinchie is in order. Based at Pencaitland in East Lothian, the distillery is one of the last active in the Lowlands. Links golf abounds, try Craigielaw, Dunbar, The Renaissance or Gullane. Duck’s Inn at Aberlady offers a friendly welcome to recharge.
To the south, the Schloss Roxburghe is set in the elegant countryside of the Scottish Borders. The Borders and Annandale Distilleries produce fine single malt Scotch whisky to compliment the golf.
Go further afield to the beautiful Isle of Islay on the west coast, where the revamped Machrie Hotel & Golf Links is among the nation’s finest golf venues. Laphroaig, Coal Ila, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich are among whiskies to sample, while back on the mainland the Campbeltown area boasts Dunaverty, Machrihanish and Machrihanish Dunes in a glorious stretch of links. Golf and whisky, perfect.