Long Scotland Trip Advice

[MongoSmash]

All,

I’m planning my trip to Scotland for July 2023. It will be my wife, my 5 year old, and me. The wife does not golf. My son likes to hit the range, play some golf, and putt. 
We are looking to stay in country for 21-30 days. I will not be playing golf every day. 
I’ve seen some previous posts about setting up camp in 1 or 2 areas for 1-2 weeks. So I was thinking of renting an Airbnb in about 3-4 different cities for 1 week at a time, and playing the flagship courses around that area. 
So my main questions…which areas to stay? I have an idea of the suspects. 
Is this plan feasible without renting a car? Renting a car in the US for almost a month would be outrageously expensive. Any other sites/tours recommended for the wife and fam. She is a foodie. 
Finally, and other suggestions?

Hoping this trip finally gets pulled off. My last 2 planned trips have been canceled by Covid 😢, and the birth of my son😁. 

[sabram]

The two places I'd definitely spend a week would be Edinburgh and St Andrews. From Edinburgh you can reach many of the great courses in East Lothian by train. In St Andrews you'll have more than a week's amount of courses in close proximity and many others in Fife and Angus thatyou can reach by cab or Uber. 

 

After those two locales, you have a bunch of other options. A week in Dornoch would be nice, but it would be good to have a car to take the best advantage of the Highlands.

For a fourth location I'd consider Glasgow or Prestwick 

[hammergolf]

I would recommend a few areas. 
Ayrshire (Troon, Kilmarnock, Western Gailes, Prestwick, Turnberry)

Edinburgh (Muirfield, Gullane, North Berwick, Kilspindie, Dunbar)

St. Andrews (Old, New, Jubilee, Castle, Kingsbarns, Crail, Lundin, Levin, Carnoustie)

Inverness (Royal Dornoch, Narin, Castle Stuart, Brora)

Aberdeen (Royal Aberdeen, Murcar, Trump Aberdeen, Cruden Bay, Peterhead, Fraserburgh)

 

You can definitely do it with public transportation. Plenty of trains and busses to get you where you need to go. As far as for your wife and kid, Edinburgh and St. Andrews would have the most non golf options. But all of those area are great.

[El Gringo]

If I had four locations and golf is on the cards, but not the primary reason for the trip...

 

I would certainly choose an island off the west coast as one stay. Edinburgh and St Andrews would be two others or maybe a smaller East Neuk town instead of St Andrews. The fourth might be a town like Pitlochry, Aviemore or Boat of Garten...all essentially in the Cairngorms. You can get away with no car for Edinburgh and St Andrews. That would tougher for the Cairngorms and island stays. 

[scott_Donald]

I am East coast biased.

 

St Andrews is an amazing town and really is the best base.

Edinburgh is the best city in the UK and another great base.

Aberdeen where I live is great for golf and the city is fine to live in. Lots of castles etc around.

 

As mention by Hammer all the courses that you can play, there are so many in Scotland that are worth playing and everyone ends up with different favourites. My favourites are Old Course, Royal Aberdeen, North Berwick, Muirfield and Turnberry. I have not played and really want to play Royal Dornoch.

 

I have just had my car in to get bodywork fixed and it took over a month and I would have hated to see the bill for the car hire; it is the same story here with the sell off during CO VID so hire cars are not cheap. In my experience it is still cheaper than hiring a car in the US(Houston, Florida).

 

Buses and trains should get you about the main bases mentioned above that I have experience with. North Berwick is essentially a commuter town now to Edinburgh so trains down hat route very frequently. St Andrews is mainly walkable to the local course but like Aberdeen in order to play the courses outwith the centre of town you may need to taxi.

 

I am down in StAndrews next week and really won't move my car. I own a short term rental place there and my sister is staying in it for the week; she is paying for a family week long pass to the Fairmonts hotel pool at 90 so they can enjoy that on top of the town.

 

This feels almost like a ramble by me but here to answer any more questions.