British Open Golf Vacation Sightseeing

Woolen Trail
Wool has been at the heart of Scottish industry for centuries. The industry grew up along the banks of great rivers like the Tweed, which provided the power for the mills and clean water for washing and dyeing the wool. Technology may have changed, but the quality of fabric produced in this area is still unbeatable. Highlights of the tour include the Scottish Museum of Woollen Textiles in Walkerburn, which traces the history of the craft; the Border Wool Centre in Galashiels, where you can see live sheep displays and a fascinating exhibition of British breeds and their fleeces; and Wick, a major textile center with two weaving mills and also the home of the quality knitwear industry. There are many mills where you can see the manufacture of the famous tweeds and tartans and the well stocked shops will leave you spoilt for choice.

St Andrews
St Andrews is a fascinating town with a wealth of history not associated with golf. It was the ecclesiastical center of Scotland for many years before the reformation and houses the oldest university in Britain. Much of this history you can explore on your tour today.

Glamis Castle, Forfar
Glamis dates back to the 9th century and is possibly the most spectacular of all the Scottish castles. It was the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and birthplace of her daughter, the Princess Margaret. Glamis was also the setting for Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Falkland Palace, Falkland
This is a lovely Royal Palace in a picturesque little town. The buildings of the palace, in Renaissance style, date from 1501-51. This was a favorite seat of James V and his daughter, Mary Queen of Scots. The Royal Tennis Court of 1539 is still played on.

East Neuk of Fife
The East Neuk is fringed with fishing villages, each with its harbour backed by steep, narrow streets and attractive vernacular buildings, Pittenweem, meaning "place of the cave" is typical with a large double harbour, and is home to the Fife fishing fleet. The fascinating Scottish Fisheries Museum at Anstruther is housed in a number of 14th- to 18th-century buildings grouped round a cobbled courtyard. Crail is a photogenic village and the Town Hall has the oldest bell in Fife. Fife Ness is the most easterly point in Fife and is a birdwatchers paradise.

Edinburgh
Edinburgh has been named the "Athens of the North" and among the places of interest well worth a visit are the Castle, Holyrood Palace, St Giles Cathedral and the Royal Mile. Or you may like to browse around the many fines stores to be found on Princes Street - Jenners, the oldest independent store in the world, is well worth a visit.

Hopetoun House, South Queensferry
Hopetoun House, just 8 miles west of Edinburgh, has been the home of the Hope family since it was built in 1699. There is an excellent museum filled with fascinating documents, costumes and other relics of a bygone age.

WEST COAST SCOTLAND

Glasgow
For the last decade Glasgow has been attracting more acclaim than probably any other city in Britain. With a massive development and renovation program the city has been reborn in unaccustomed splendor- an exciting mix of the best in modern design, sympathetically matched with impressive Victorian architecture. Designated the Cultural Capital of Europe in 1990, Glasgow is also home to Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, the Scottish National Orchestra and the world renowned Burrell Collection of fine art.

Culzean Castle
Maybole. Home of the Kennedys, Culzean dates back to 1777 and is one of Robert Adams most notable creations. Culzean also has long associations with the USA, as General Eisenhower was given a suite of rooms here after the Second World War in appreciation by the British people. Culzean is surrounded by a country park which includes a walled garden established in 1783.

Dean Castle
Dean Castle, and the extensive Country Park which surrounds it, lie towards the north of Kilmarnock. The earliest part of the fortress is the square Keep, built around 1350 by the Boyd family. In 1316, the Boyds had been given the estate of Kilmarnock by Robert I (the Bruce) as a reward for their support for him during the War of Independence and at the Battle of Bannockburn against Edward II in 1314. The Place, or Palace, was added about 1468 when the influence of the Boyd family was at its strongest. It was built as Lord Boyd's private apartments and was designed for comfort, although defense was not entirely forgotten. In 1735 the Place was seriously damaged by fire and lay in ruins for the next 200 years. In 1749 the Boyd family sold the castle and the estate. Since then there have been many owners, including the Earl of Glencairn, friend and patron of the poet Robert Burns.

Ayr
There are many beautiful parks and gardens in and around the town of Ayr, notably Belleisle, Craigie and Rozelle. Rozelle is also the home of Ayr's Art Gallery, and displays one of the very few Henry Moore sculptures to be seen in Scotland. The shopping center of Ayr often surprises visitors by its range and size. Here you will find both branches of the great multiple stores, together with family owned shops in considerable variety.

Burns Heritage Trail, Ayrshire
Scotland's most famous poet, Robert Burns, was born in the nearby county town of Ayr and you can visit the thatched cottage where he was born and also many of the places immortalized in his poems.