Homecoming Scotland 2009 - Golf

For the connoisseur of big links golf, the north-east of Scotland beckons with an irresistible pull.

Cruden Bay that most majestic and historic of links of towering dunes and prodigious challenge, is only one of a series of great courses that adorn the Grampian coastline.

Royal Aberdeen and Murcar are two more that stand comparison against any others where the game is played.

For the visitor, any one of the three could stand as the final test of golfing self-examination all set amid this region's powerful vistas and scenic splendour.

This is the region where green fees are among the most affordable in the land and where there is not only world class golf by the seaside but splendid inland and parkland challenges to perfectly complement them: Duff House Royal, Ballater and Braemar spring easily to mind.

Add in the magic of Royal Deeside and the lure of our Tourist Trails and the picture emerges sharply in focus of exactly why the north-east has so much to offer the visitor.

Aberdeenshire's oldest club can be found at Fraserburgh. The traditional links course was established in 1777 and also has the distinction of being the fifth oldest in Scotland, and the seventh oldest in the world.

And with major golf developments linked with Donald Trump, Jack Nicklaus and the north-east's own golfing hero Paul Lawrie being drawn up, Aberdeen City and Shire's attraction as a golfing destination is going from strength to strength.