Golf and Gardens of Scotland await you at St. Andrews

St Andrews Bay is Scotland’s newest resort destination, located on the breathtaking cliff-top of a spectacular formation. The hotel has been designed in keeping with its surroundings and its two championship golf courses have panoramic views of the River Tay estuary, the cliffs between St Andrews and Crail, the North Sea and the medieval skyline of St Andrews. Spread over 520 acres that have preserved the landscape’s natural beauty, the spirit and traditions of golf extends beyond the pristine fairways to pervade the magnificent resort.

Scotland is well known for its historic castles and gardens and to bring a little atmosphere into their guests’ golf vacation the hotel has collaborated with five historic neighbours – Cambo, Kellie, Hill of Tarvit, Falkland and Glamis to organize a tour of these famous castles and gardens of Scotland.

Glamis Castle, the childhood home of the late Queen Mother is built on a 16,000-acre estate at the end of a mile-long avenue of 140 year old oak and lime. Various parts of the estate has gardens inspired by various parts of the world; the Dutch garden one full of tulips, now a rose garden, the formal Italian garden with a raised terrace, parterres, gazebos, shady nooks and crannies, topiary, a beech bower and water features French box parterres, English flower borders and Italian symmetry. Peaches, grapes, kiwi fruit and fig are grown here with Mediterranean abandon.

Cambo Estate, known for its Victorian walled garden, once used to supply fruit and vegetables to the estate. The garden slopes down to the two sides of the Cambo Burn, over which arc two pretty wooden bridges.

Falkland Palace was the country residence of James IV and still has the world’s oldest tennis court. Its ten-acre garden offers tantalising glimpses through woods and shrubs. A180-metre border along one wall is planted in blocks of contrasting colours in the arts and crafts style with a peony walk through it which allows views of the castle. The magnificent trees of beech, weeping pear, cypresses and towering oaks give striking colour-contrasts. With golf, castles and unique gardens, what more could one want in life!