Scottish sun at Turnberry

Lighthouse

This Easter, we had planned a relaxing trip to a golf resort in southern Scotland - Turnberry, which is located on the sea. The pictures of the place looked pretty but we did not really know much about what to expect. Moreover, till a couple of days before the vacation, the weather forecast was rainy/cloudy as well as cold. But finally it turned out to be 4 full days of sun (with some cold though!) - quite a welcome change in weather (and apparently very rare for Scotland)! Apparently, its more likely to snow on Easter than to have sun and no cold.

How to get there

It was relatively quick to get to Turnberry - we flew in to Glasgow from London, and hired a car for the next 4 days. We did a quick detour, visiting Edinburgh for a couple of hours (its an hours drive from Glasgow) and then drove till Turnberry, reaching there in the evening. The drive was quite average - nothing much to write about, some houses here and there, green fields but mostly felt very bare.

The resort

Turnberry hotel

The Turnberry resort is just beautiful - I had seen pictures earlier, but was still not prepared for what I saw. A grand white building on top of a small green hill. Golf grounds right in front, a lighthouse, the sea and a small island popping up far in the horizon. The view is imprinted in my mind - serene, calm, extending forever. This itself made the whole trip worth it:)

The entire area was lush green, the weather bright and sunny, and at times during the afternoon, the weather even got warm -  everything felt perfect for feeling relaxed and happy! One thing I would suggest though - its a good idea to book a sea view room - this is one of the places where it is worth it. The sunset is worth experiencing from the comfort of your room:)!

Turnberry hosts some Golf Open tournaments here, and you can see photos everywhere of old championships and winners. Also, there are some activities always happening to keep you entertained - there was an Easter bunny for the kids, and a Scottish man playing the bagpipes in the garden in the evening.

The trip

We stayed in Turnerry for 3 days, and spent our time walking around and trying out the activities available there. We went for a walk on the beach and the golf grounds - a 2 hour walk which was pleasant. There is a lighthouse on the way, which can be seen in a lot in pictures of the area. The beach here is rocky, plus never really has water warm enough to go in. Its a good walk though and you find a lot of people out there on the beach on weekends!

Beach

We played golf a couple of times, which was more fun as it was in such beautiful environs. We went horseriding on the beach for an hour. Our guide was a Scottish woman, who was interesting to talk to. She mentioned that she would oppose the move to make Scotland an independent country, but worries that the majority may not vote the same way! Another interesting thing she said was that her husband who is 60 and has travelled to Australia has never been to London or to Edinburgh! Interesting how what is close to you doesn't feel as exotic as something far off!

The rest of the time we just chilled in the pool and the many restaurants there are. There are a couple of other activities too which the resort offers, but we never got time for that. The spa, pistol shooting etc

The nearest town is Ayr, which is about an hour away. A good option for food, in case you get bored with the offering in the hotel. Also, there is a coastal route which goes from Turnberry to Ayr, which is right next to the sea. A definite recommend.

Culzean castle

There is a castle nearby, called the Culzean. We went there for an evening, and it was a beautiful estate with gardens and activities in the summer. But would still suggest to give it a pass - not worth the 15 pounds they charge for entry.

The countryside around was green and pleasing to the eye but nothing extraordinary. This area does not get snow even in the winters, so is popular during that time as a way to get away from extreme cold.

People

The staff in the resort wore kilts, even the men. I must admit, even though I know its the Scottish dress, I still find it funny to see men wear skirts! Scottish people seemed quite friendly overall, though their accent wasn't the easier to understand!

Food

There are multiple restaurants at the resort - Tappie Toorie (in the golf grounds), Ailsa (casual dining), Grand Tea Lounge, Halfway point (small cafe on the 9th hole) and 1906 (fine dining). Of the ones we tried, [Ailsa] has limited vegetarian options but a relaxed ambience and pretty view of the outside, Grand Tea Lounge has nice traditional tea and snacks and the Tappie Toorie had good food.

We did however go to Ayr one evening for dinner, and Meridien Bier cafe was a good option to get vegetarian food. The Mexican food there was quite different than typical Mexican food we have had elsewhere, but at least its Mexican:).

On the whole turned out to be a resortey vacation, with the weather making it very enjoyable.