Scotland Transportation advice

[Bill Brightly]

Planning my first trip to Scotland! Looks like we will be four couples. Can anyone recommend a reputable transportation company where we could hire a van and driver for 7 or 8 days?

[Bill_McBride]

Planning my first trip to Scotland! Looks like we will be four couples. Can anyone recommend a reputable transportation company where we could hire a van and driver for 7 or 8 days?

Half the fun is driving yourself!

[hhuffines]

Bradleygolftravel.com

[Michael Whitaker]

Bill,

Contact St Andrews Executive Travel and ask for Ian Rodger as your driver. You can thank me later!

http://www.saxtravel.co.uk/

Mike

[Greg Gilson]

I also can strongly endorse SAX Travel. I have used John & Dean previously as drivers for my groups. The key thing is that these guys are golfers themselves. They also ONLY do golf travel - no school trips or seniors' excursions.

[Tom_Doak]

Bill:

I don't have any tips about vans or drivers but here is my one tip for Scotland:  resist the temptation to bounce around too much and try to see it all!

Pick a couple of areas from the list following (East Lothian, St. Andrews/Carnoustie/Gleneagles, Troon/Prestwick/Turnberry, and Dornoch/north) and just stick to those two.  There are plenty of good courses to play in each.  Don't spend too much time on the roads, with or without a driver.  Your wives will thank you, unless they love to go on bus tours when they travel.

[Daryl David]

Ask for Steve Mackie at Rowan Travel.  Outstanding service, great guy.

http://www.rowantravel.co.uk/

[Jud_T]

Always had great success booking through Grasshopper Golf in Glen Ellyn, IL.  (630) 858-1660.   So, what's the itinerary?

[Bill Brightly]

Thank you for all of your responses and private messages! As always, GCA comes through with some great advice!

Itinerary not set yet, but since I will be traveling with four couples, I know that 36 holes per day will not happen, except maybe at Machrihanish. So I am inclined to disregard all the sound advice to NOT to move around too much, because the wives are more interested in seeing as much of the country as possible, and they may skip a few days of golf to sightsee. We also do not mind windshield time, especially with a driver who can add some colour to the trip.

I know that I will have to return several times for a more thorough golfing investigation of each region!

Here is what I am thinking:

Fly into Edinburgh, play and stay at North Berwick. Stay at Macdonald Marine Hotel or Glebe House.
Drive to Elie (or should it be Crail Balcomie?), play there, stay at St. Andrews for two nights.
Play Castle, Eden, Kingsbarns or New (two of three) and try to get an afternoon round on the Old Course via the ballot.
AM Drive to Turnberry, play and stay there.
Play Western Gailes, stay at Marine Hotel in Troon
Play Prestwick, drive to Machrihanish, stay at Ugadale Hotel. (I know, long drive...)
Play 36 at Machrihanish, stay at Ugadale
Boat to Machrie, play Machrie, fly to Glasgow, driver bring luggage to hotel, stay near airport.
Flight home in AM, Glasgow to Newark.

[Adam Lawrence]

Bill - from Prestwick the best way to Machrihanish is going to be across the water. You could either take the Arran ferry (and Arran is worth a look, because it is beautiful) or use the Kintyre Express service and have your driver bring your luggage around by road). The latter will be much quicker than the drive via the Rest and be Thankful, the former probably quicker too, depending on ferry schedules, and either will be much less hassle than the long drive.

[Jud_T]

Looks like a solid trip.  Don't forget to check out the wine list and try the Haggis at the Turnberry Hotel, contrary to popular opinion both are excellent.  A round of golf says you prefer Prestwick to Turnberry.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Bill - from Prestwick the best way to Machrihanish is going to be across the water. You could either take the Arran ferry (and Arran is worth a look, because it is beautiful) or use the Kintyre Express service and have your driver bring your luggage around by road). The latter will be much quicker than the drive via the Rest and be Thankful, the former probably quicker too, depending on ferry schedules, and either will be much less hassle than the long drive.

Choosing the former might allow you to stop off at the 12 hole Shiskine which would add immeasurably to your experience... Arran is beautiful.

[Bill Brightly]

Bill - from Prestwick the best way to Machrihanish is going to be across the water. You could either take the Arran ferry (and Arran is worth a look, because it is beautiful) or use the Kintyre Express service and have your driver bring your luggage around by road). The latter will be much quicker than the drive via the Rest and be Thankful, the former probably quicker too, depending on ferry schedules, and either will be much less hassle than the long drive.

I know about the ferry, but I have heard that the drive is spectacular. For those who have done both, would you strongly recommend the ferry?

[Adam Lawrence]

Bill - from Prestwick the best way to Machrihanish is going to be across the water. You could either take the Arran ferry (and Arran is worth a look, because it is beautiful) or use the Kintyre Express service and have your driver bring your luggage around by road). The latter will be much quicker than the drive via the Rest and be Thankful, the former probably quicker too, depending on ferry schedules, and either will be much less hassle than the long drive.

I know about the ferry, but I have heard that the drive is spectacular. For those who have done both, would you strongly recommend the ferry?

For me, definitely. It is a nice run round the top of Kintyre, but Arran is far more spectacular than anything you will see on the long and winding road, plus you won't be cooped up in a bus for four hours.

[Bill_McBride]

Thank you for all of your responses and private messages! As always, GCA comes through with some great advice!

Itinerary not set yet, but since I will be traveling with four couples, I know that 36 holes per day will not happen, except maybe at Machrihanish. So I am inclined to disregard all the sound advice to NOT to move around too much, because the wives are more interested in seeing as much of the country as possible, and they may skip a few days of golf to sightsee. We also do not mind windshield time, especially with a driver who can add some colour to the trip.

I know that I will have to return several times for a more thorough golfing investigation of each region!

Here is what I am thinking:

Fly into Edinburgh, play and stay at North Berwick. Stay at Macdonald Marine Hotel or Glebe House.
Drive to Elie (or should it be Crail Balcomie?), play there, stay at St. Andrews for two nights.
Play Castle, Eden, Kingsbarns or New (two of three) and try to get an afternoon round on the Old Course via the ballot.
AM Drive to Turnberry, play and stay there.
Play Western Gailes, stay at Marine Hotel in Troon
Play Prestwick, drive to Machrihanish, stay at Ugadale Hotel. (I know, long drive...)
Play 36 at Machrihanish, stay at Ugadale
Boat to Machrie, play Machrie, fly to Glasgow, driver bring luggage to hotel, stay near airport.
Flight home in AM, Glasgow to Newark.

Glebe House is beautiful, stayed there my first trip to Scotland.  Does she have four rooms?

[Eric Smith]

Bill: the drive is on VERY windy roads - spectacular in places but exhausting. I'm sure the ferry has lovely views too.

Likely my only regret on our trip was oversleeping on the morning we were to take the ferry to Arran!

Looked lovely from the sky.

[Simon Holt]

Bill,

How long for and what time of year?

I would wholeheartedly agree with Tom.  Having said that, you know the character of the group far better than anyone here.  Personally the thought of driving long distances, on single lane roads, living out of a suitcase due to changing hotel everyday is not that appealing.

You may see lots of the country that way but you will not experience the country.  Staying in a couple of places, you will have time to get a proper feel for the people and surroundings in those locales.  If that is what the wives are after then there is lots to see in St. Andrews and Edinburgh.  Not in one afternoon, I might add.

Again, its not for anyone to tell someone else what is the best for your holiday, you only asked for bus driver recommendations, but I ask you to listen to the advise of people who have done it before and live there now!  Otherwise, what is the use of using GCA as a resource?

We use Mike Scott, who runs his own company Tour Drive.  Happy to put you in touch.  Please PM me if you would like restaurant or accommodation advice for Edinburgh, East Lothian or St. Andrews.

You'll have a great time whatever you end up doing!

Simon

[Mark Chaplin]

The truth is apart from a scenic (long) drive on the peninsular there is none of Scotland's spectacular scenery. North Berwick to St Andrews and St Andrews to Ayrshire are as dull as dishwater. If the ladies wish to sightsee you are flying into one of the world's great cities.

[Niall C]

Bill

Lots fo good advice above.

My one bit of advice would be to distinguish between the tour operators/travel agents and the chauffer drive companies. If you book through the former they will simply sub-contract to the latter and add their percentage in top which sometimes is not inconsiderable. They should however use good sub-contractors but thats not guaranteed. A friend of mine has a chauffer drive company and I've been happy enough to recommend him to some GCAers who have been more than happy with his services.

Happy to put you in touch if you wish.

Niall

[Greg Gilson]

Bill, sorry to be a wet blanket but i reckon your planned itinerary will be "challenging". Its not just the driving but the checking in & out of hotels along with the packing & unpacking. You know your group & your wives' tolerance for that stuff. You will have a great time no matter what. However, i think you're setting yourself up for a B Minus rather than an A Plus. Think about reducing the challenge and just go back another time to finish it off.

[Jud_T]

The hell with it.  Make it a 2 week trip!

[Mark Chaplin]

Greg/Tom - I'm in the boat of staying in a maximum of two places and doing day trips out. Route marches are an easy way to ruin a trip especially if someone is jet lagged or under the weather. St Andrews followed by a few days in North Berwick is tough to beat, especially as you can jump on the train into Edinburgh for dinner and sightseeing.

[Greg Gilson]

Jud, it is a 2 week trip....just being completed in 7 days.

Mark, I agree. 3 nights min in 1 hotel is my general rule of thumb.

[Bart Bradley]

Bill:

I am going to add to the chorus.  You seem to need more help than just choosing a driving service.  The trip you have laid out is grueling.  I think you could do much better focusing on courses closer together.  My son and I, of course, would be happy to help if you'd like. 

Despite the previous comment on this thread, using a small tour company/travel agency can SAVE you money.  Most of the hotels and many of the courses will offer tour operators a discounted price.  As long as you choose a tour operator whose charge to you is lower than the discount, you will come out ahead.  If you choose wisely, FAR ahead.

Good luck and have a great trip,

Bart

[Marty Bonnar]

You're SERIOUSLY considering NOT giving the girls ANY time in Edinburgh?

"Scylla stood at the entrance to the Castle and stared down at Princes Street. It was growing dark quickly, but Princes Street remained the most beautiful thoroughfare imaginable; nothing else in Edinburgh compared with it, nothing else in Scotland, nor Britain nor Europe nor this or any other world.It was a gift from the Almighty, as if someone had taken all the finest shops on Fifth Avenue and set them across from Central Park but then, instead of having it be just any old greenery, had made a great hill hundreds of feet high, topped off by a mighty gingerbread castle. If you had to pick a street to die on, you couldn't beat Princes."

Was nice knowing you, Bill

F.