This is one of the best links golf courses in Scotland if not the world. Difficult to get to from…read moreEdinburgh - it is a long but stunning drive. You can also fly from Glasgow Airport. The first hole is one of the best opening holes in golf hitting over the Machrihanish beach. Even if you do take on too much beach you usually still have a shot from the firm sand. Retire to the clubhouse to sample the superb local Springbank malt. You will definitely want to come back to play it again.

This must be one of the best if least known links courses in Scotland. Its a long haul to get…read morethere. The numerous bunkers, small but well tended green, punishing rough and an ever present wind from a breeze to a full blown gale make it a superb test of golf. When you think you have mastered it the weather and wind will change and its a different course. The first hole really is one of the most testing in the world. After a great days golf you will find the warmest of welcomes in the Clubhouse which offers good food and an extensive range of whisky

I really liked this tea room - it's charming and quaint, and nicely decorated. We visited for lunch…read moreand when we first arrived, were the only customers but that quickly changed as the place filled up with locals, golfers, bike riders and walkers. The menu is pretty big (physically - it's a massive board) and has sandwiches and baked potatoes on it. I ended up going for the chicken sandwich even though I actually really just wanted a bolognaise baked potato but that was in the kids section and I was too embarrassed to try to order it. The sandwich was lovely - you could choose your bread and whether you wanted it toasted which is always nice. Everything is freshly made, and I was really happy with the filling, packed full of nice chicken breast pieces. We decided to get a cake too, and had choc-orange cake which was just heavenly. Nice and decadent without being too OTT and a good size to share between two (I'm sure Graeme would have preferred having the slice to himself though!). The only downside here was that we didn't know it was cash only, and there's no ATM in Machrie so we had to drive back to Blackwaterfoot (5 miles) to get cash out and go back to pay. No big deal as we had the car and the staff were really nice about it and trusted us to come back! This place is really handy for the Machrie Moor Standing Stones and would be a great place to stop after visiting them. They also have free wifi.

Good for a walk, particularly to the walled garden and recently refurbished greenhouse. Has gained…read morea substantial playpark since I was last there as a child and it's a shame the hotel and one of the entrance lodges are in states of disrepair. As I'm not a golfer I can't comment on the course or related facilities themselves but it was getting a lot of use on Easter Saturday so that probably speaks for itself.

This is a great golf course and I would highly recommend it. The pro shop is of top notch quality…read morealong with the bar. The quality of the course can vary but it is fairly satisfactory at this present day. One of the only downsides is the locker room because things have moved on since the 1970's so the golf club would look so much better if it was improved like the bar. The vast majority of members here are all really cheery (hopefully that will continue) and the boys in the pro shop are extremely well natured giving top quality lessons. A perfect club for beginner golfers or professional golfers with a fantastic course home to breathtaking views of the Clyde, Loch Lomond and Glen Fruin.

The caddy program is disgraceful. My caddy appeared drunk, disheveled and more keen on betting on…read moreour players scores than caddying. It was extremely distracting and ruined our round. I expected more from a course of this repute. Use a trolly and skip caddies at Turnberry ... or perhaps skip Turnberry? There are many other options nearer Troon and Prestwick!

Fantastic golf course. Home to several Open Championships. Secluded course that lines the Irish…read moreSea. Stunning views and superb layout. The club house is fabulous and steeped with history. A must play for any avid golfer. Being a +0.5 handicap, this is still a challenging course.

Most golf clubs have a "selling point " Buchanan castle is no different in that aspect. It sells…read moretranquility by the bucket load. It's far removed from the everyday rush of everyday life and all the other incumbents. You carry with you. It's really quite a magical place. Surrounded by sub £1000000 properties in stunning woodlands. With wildlife aplenty. And wonderful place to play golf. Or even just visit the castle and stroll around. The course itself. Is not remarkable in golfing terms. But the location. That's what's special.

It's not Machrihanish but this is still a great wee golf course. Fast true greens, punishing rough…read moreand of course the usual coastal winds. The course is short and not as challenging as Machrihanish. Provides a little relief to high handicappers like myself. The view from the 10th is stunning. Not sure if my photo does it justice. My favourite hole is the 17th a long par 4 where you need to decide whether you are going to take on a tidal burn that runs just in from of the green.

Short but scenic course not far from the famous Mull of kIntyre. Small but modern clubhouse with…read moresteward on duty to take green fees. If he is not there, use the honesty box. Some lovely par 3s. The course is quiet and I can honestly say a fun course to play. Take my tip and bring some refreshment for after you play the par 3 10th Mount Zion. The view from the bench on a clear day is world class. The North Channel across to the North Antrim coast is stunning

This hostel is actually in the village of Lochranza but I added it under Brodick as that was the…read morenearest place Qype would recognise. Lochranza Youth Hostel one of the nicest hostels I've stayed in, and it's defintely in one of the best locations. It's an SYHA hostel. The village is just so incredibly beautiful and scenic, watching the sun set over the castle while deer wander around you and sheep go to sleep on the grass - it's spectacular. And if you're staying in this hostel it's all right on your doorstep. The hostel is clean and comfortable, they have free parking and the rooms are basic but clean. The toilets and kitchen were clean too and provided everything we needed. However the kitchen opening hours were quite restrictive. There's a nice common room with board games and a TV. The hostel seemed to attract mostly people interested in getting a good nights sleep and an early start on outdoor activities, and there were a lot of kids staying. Definitely not a party hostel but a lovely place to stay.