Best Golf Courses Near Edinburgh — Where to Play in Scotland's Capital

There is a reasonable argument that Edinburgh is the best golf city in the world. Not for a single course — St Andrews is 50 miles up the coast for that — but for the sheer density and quality of golf within easy reach of a capital city. You can be on the first tee at a genuine links course within 20 minutes of the city centre by car. You can play a different world-class course every day for a week and never once feel like you’re settling for second best. And you can do much of it for less than you’d pay to play a decent parkland course in the English Home Counties.

This guide covers the full picture: the city’s own affordable municipal courses, the East Lothian Golf Coast that stretches from Musselburgh to North Berwick, options to the west in West Lothian, and the short drive across the Forth Bridge into Fife. If you’re planning golf near Edinburgh, start here.

The City Courses — Golf Without a Car

Edinburgh’s own municipal courses are an underappreciated asset. They sit within the city boundary, charge accessible green fees, and are open to all without membership or handicap certificates.

Braid Hills Golf Course is arguably the finest municipal course in Scotland. The two 18-hole courses occupy a hillside to the south of the city with sweeping views across the rooftops to Edinburgh Castle and Arthur’s Seat. The terrain is firm and undulating, the turf typical of Edinburgh’s exposed limestone hills, and on a clear day the Firth of Forth is visible in the distance. Green fees are typically under £30. If you’re in the city for a day and want golf within reach of a bus route, Braid Hills is hard to beat.

Craigentinny Golf Course to the north-east of the city centre is a shorter, flatter course suited to beginners and casual visitors. It’s close to Easter Road and accessible from the city by bus. Green fees are modest.

Carrickvale Golf Course in the west of the city offers 18 holes through parkland with easy access from the Corstorphine area.

Silverknowes Golf Course near Granton on the Firth of Forth foreshore is the most links-like of the city courses. The flat, coastal setting gives it a different character to Braid Hills — the wind off the Forth can make it play significantly more difficult than the card suggests. A solid option for a quick round with sea air. Green fees are typically under £25.

All of Edinburgh’s council courses represent outstanding value. For more on what to look for at public-access venues, see our municipal golf courses guide.

East Lothian — The Golf Coast

Leave the city heading east on the A198 and within 30 minutes you’re on what the region markets — accurately — as “The Golf Coast.” This stretch of East Lothian coastline between Musselburgh and North Berwick contains a concentration of links courses that is almost without rival in the world.

Muirfield

Muirfield, officially known as the course of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, is where the rules of golf were first codified in 1744. It has hosted the Open Championship more than any other venue. It is, without question, one of the finest golf courses on earth.

It is also famously difficult to access. The Honourable Company has strict visitor policies: tee times are available only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and visitors must apply in writing (now by email) well in advance. A handicap certificate is required — men’s handicap limit is 18, ladies’ 24. Green fees are currently £330 per round, making it one of the most expensive single rounds available to visitors in Scotland.

None of that should put you off applying. A round at Muirfield is a golf experience with few equivalents in the world, and the booking process, while formal, is straightforward if you plan ahead. The course sits in a bowl just outside Gullane and is served by the village’s restaurants and pubs.

Gullane Golf Club

Gullane Golf Club is, in practical terms, more accessible than its famous neighbour. The club operates three courses: No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3. Gullane No. 1 is a proper championship links that has hosted the Scottish Open and is an outstanding course in its own right — not merely a consolation prize for those who couldn’t get a Muirfield tee time. No. 2 and No. 3 are more forgiving and offer excellent visitor golf at lower green fees.

Visitor bookings can be made directly through the club website. Gullane No. 1 green fees typically run to around £175–£195 for visitors; No. 2 is considerably less. The clubhouse is welcoming to visitors and the village itself has excellent accommodation.

North Berwick Golf Club

North Berwick Golf Club — the West Links — is one of the great originals. The course dates to 1832 and is among the oldest in the world still played in largely its original form. It’s famous for its Redan hole (the 15th), a par-3 that has been copied and referenced more than almost any other hole in golf. The course is quirky, historic, and genuinely thrilling to play, with the Bass Rock standing in the Firth of Forth as a constant backdrop.

Visitor tee times are available, with the club having opened significantly to visitors in recent years through partnerships with booking platforms. Green fees are in the region of £150–£185. The town of North Berwick itself is excellent — good restaurants, a beach, and a train station with services to Edinburgh Waverley (around 30 minutes).

Archerfield Links

Archerfield Links is a private estate north-west of Gullane that operates two links courses — the Fidra and Dirleton links. Access is through the resort hotel, which means booking a round typically involves a room rate or day-membership arrangement. The courses are relatively modern (early 2000s) but well designed and set in magnificent coastal dunes. Worth considering for a golf break rather than a day visit.

Royal Musselburgh Golf Club

Royal Musselburgh Golf Club near Prestonpans holds the distinction of being one of the oldest golf clubs in the world, founded in 1774. The current course plays through parkland rather than links terrain, which surprises some visitors expecting coastal golf. It’s a solid members’ club with visitor access on weekdays, and the history alone makes it worth visiting if you’re a golfer with an interest in the origins of the game.

Longniddry Golf Club

Longniddry Golf Club sits between Musselburgh and Gullane and plays through a combination of links and parkland terrain — an unusual and appealing hybrid. It’s generally less heralded than its more famous neighbours, which means visitor access is somewhat easier and green fees are more reasonable. A good option if you’re in the area for more than one day and want variety.

West Lothian — Linlithgow and Beyond

Head west from Edinburgh along the M8 or M9 and you enter West Lothian, which offers parkland and moorland golf with a very different character to the East Lothian coast.

Linlithgow Golf Club sits high above the historic burgh of Linlithgow, with views down to the loch and the ruins of Linlithgow Palace — birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. The course is a challenging moorland-and-parkland layout that rewards local knowledge. Visitor tee times are available on weekdays and some weekends. Green fees are very reasonable.

The town of Linlithgow is well served by trains from Edinburgh Waverley (around 20 minutes), making it a viable car-free option.

Fife — A Short Drive Across the Forth

The Forth Road Bridge (or the Queensferry Crossing) puts you in Fife in under 30 minutes from Edinburgh city centre. Most golfers know this means St Andrews, but there is excellent golf south of the Kingdom before you get there.

Kingsbarns Golf Links near St Andrews opened in 2000 and is now widely regarded as one of the finest modern links courses in the world. Set on clifftops above the North Sea with views that include the Isle of May on clear days, it’s a spectacular experience. Green fees are among the highest in Scotland — in the region of £250–£300 — but visitor access is generally good if you book well in advance. It’s well worth the drive if you’re visiting Edinburgh for more than two or three days.

Lundin Links Golf Club in the East Neuk is one of the genuine hidden gems of Scottish golf. The links course south of Leven dates to 1868 and plays over ground that is classically links in character — firm, fast, exposed to the wind from the Firth of Forth. It’s a members’ club with visitor access on weekdays, and green fees are refreshingly modest compared to the famous courses nearby.

Green Fees Overview

One of the appealing things about golf near Edinburgh is that the range is extraordinary.

Municipal city courses (Braid Hills, Silverknowes, Craigentinny): £12–£28
Members’ clubs with visitor access (Longniddry, Royal Musselburgh, Linlithgow): £50–£100
Championship East Lothian courses (Gullane No. 1, North Berwick West Links): £150–£195
Muirfield: £330
Kingsbarns: £250–£300

Budget sensibly and you can have an outstanding week of golf for far less than you’d spend at a comparable level in England or Ireland.

Getting Around

A hire car is the most flexible option for East Lothian golf — the Golf Coast is served by the A198 coastal road, and parking is easy at all clubs. From Edinburgh city centre to Gullane is under 25 miles.

By train, North Berwick is the best-served Golf Coast destination — direct trains run from Edinburgh Waverley roughly every 30 minutes and take around 30 minutes. A short taxi from the station reaches the West Links. Musselburgh is also accessible by train (Musselburgh station is on the Newcraighall line).

The Edinburgh tram extended in 2023 to Newhaven, improving access to Leith and the northern suburbs, though this doesn’t directly serve golf courses.

Combining Golf with the City

Edinburgh is a world-class city in its own right, and the golf is complementary rather than the whole story.

The Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse is a mile of history that takes a day to do properly. The National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street is free and excellent. Scotch whisky distillery tours — The Scotch Whisky Experience near the Castle, or Holyrood Distillery in the Newington area — are an obvious evening option for any golfing group.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August (the world’s largest arts festival) coincides with what is, weatherwise, often the best month for golf in Scotland. If you can combine the two, do.

Plan Your Round

Edinburgh offers a golf experience unlike anywhere else in the world — accessible, historically rich, genuinely spectacular, and spanning every price point. Use our Edinburgh golf course finder to search by distance and price, and browse our full Scotland golf guide for courses beyond the capital.

For the full picture of what Scotland has to offer, start with our Scotland golf courses section.

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