Category: Local Knowledge

Scotland’s Pride and Joy from Islay to Turnberry

Mark Barnes

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CBS Sunday Morning News ran a story during the holidays about Islay single malts that reminded us that the flight from Glasgow to Scotland’s famous Isle of Islay (EYE-lah) takes less than an hour.  Whisky loving links golfers who journey this way with a week or so to chase their passions will find their quest for Scotland’s pride and joy off to an outstanding start.

First there is the joy that is an Islay single malt.  There are nine distilleries on the island who find themselves set apart from Scotland’s other whisky regions because the peat they use to fire their kilns and smoke their barley produces the boldest malts made.  Islay’s tradition with peat is not exclusive to Scotch whisky production but it is profoundly distinctive.  Sunday Morning reports that more than a billion dollars’ worth of Islay malts were exported to the States last year.  The New York Times spirits panel wrote in 2011 that as they tasted 20 single malts from Islay, “ we reminded ourselves to step back a moment, to contemplate with no small amount of awe the magic of what was in the glass.”   Roll Tide but Islay is also home to golf magic, at The Machrie (1890), found five miles from the Laphroaig (lah-FROYG), Ardbeg and Lagavulin distilleries who are queued up along a two mile stretch of the A846.   The Machrie would be a good proshop to patronize because you’ll go on to meet plenty of golfers who have heard of it but not so many who have played.[singlepic id=33 w=320 h=240 float=]

The same can be said for your next round. After a night or two in single malt heaven, the focus will turn to Scotland’s pride – her classic and clever links – beginning with Machrihanish.  Machrihanish (1876) isn’t ordinarily “on the way” but if you’re bound for Turnberry from Islay, the Mull of Kintyre is immediately on the left at the end of a two hour ferry ride.   The Mull is home to Old Tom Morris’ masterpiece, along with its impressive neighbor and newcomer Machrihanish Dunes ( 2009).  Accommodations are superb at The Royal Hotel or The Ugadale Hotel or the Ugadale Cottages, the dining is exceptional, the pace is perfect.  The scene will change before you know it of course but you’ll enjoy two nights and 2-3 rounds before speed boating off to Turnberry.

The Kintyre Express will ferry you back to the real world, 40 miles away across the Firth of Clyde to the Scottish mainland, in time for your first round on the Ayrshire Coast.  Another thing to like about this trip is how the first part gives you a tune up for the second part when you’ll be playing two of the most historic courses in championship golf.  Having a little game on a British Open layout is a good thing, so you can go home with the right kind of stories about Royal Troon (1878) and The Ailsa at Turnberry (1909).

 

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Little Italy, St Andrews

PerryGolf Staff

[singlepic id=32 w=320 h=240 float=]Little Italy is a fantastic, relatively new restaurant in the centre of St. Andrews.  At first glance it won’t blow you away as the décor is fairly low key; however the food, the atmosphere and the service certainly will!  The staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful from the minute you step foot in the restaurant, with fresh crusty bread, balsamic vinegar / olive oil and a generous dish of olives coming free of charge as you sit down.

The menu is very traditional; offering homemade specialities such as Veal Milanese.  The portions are generous and the value for money is excellent, so if you’re looking for somewhere to dine in St. Andrews which will provide excellent food coupled with wallet-friendly prices, Little Italy fits the bill perfectly.   It’s also worth noting that PerryGolf gathers feedback from our groups about where they’ve dined, and time after time Little Italy comes out very high on their list.

By Keith Baird, Golf Travel Specialist at PerryGolf.

Read more on Little Italy.

Where to Find a Pint in St Andrews?

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Roadblock to new course in Northern Ireland?

Gordon Dalgleish

UPDATE Feb 28, 2013 : Good news being reported on the status of the proposed development by the BBC.  It would appear the development is going to proceed which is terrific for tourism in Northern Ireland.

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I had recently commented on some new golf courses to watch in the coming months and years that would be great additions to the golf travel landscape. One of these courses was in Northern Ireland.

The recent article in the Guardian newspaper in Britain caught my eye as it appears the National Trust are flexing their legal rights in an effort to thwart the construction.  As with any development, people can take opposing viewpoints for valid reasons. The part of the article which caught my eye was towards the end;

“Critics say that Northern Ireland has learned nothing from the painful lessons of its over-reaching southern neighbour. The “Celtic tiger’s” building boom saw a glut of luxury developments, but the ensuing bust has left many lying empty.

However, their opponents say the problem is not over-development, but lack of development. The economy in Northern Ireland is flatlining and jobs are scarce. Last month Patton Group, one of Northern Ireland’s oldest construction firms, called in the administrators. Samson and Goliath, the massive cranes operated by Belfast’s famous shipbuilder, Harland & Wolff, are in danger of becoming little more than tourist attractions as the global economic turmoil continues. And despite Cameron’s hopes for a tourism bonanza, the number of people visiting the country fell by almost 12% this year, an alarming drop given the substantial PR campaign that was employed to draw people in during the Olympics.”

If this is indeed the core issue at hand, that Ireland over built in the tourism and golf sector during the good times, and is now suffering those consequence as demand falls, it fails to recognize the difference between quantity and quality. Our recent experience (since 2008) is that demand for golf in Northern Ireland has been far stronger than the rest of the island. Affluent golfers who travel from the United States to play the best links courses want just that. With all due respect, some of the courses built over the last decade in Ireland have not measured up to the quality links golf experience that visitors anticipate.

Only time will tell if this development achieves the lofty international acclaim and recognition that new golf developments such as Bandon Dunes, Cabot Links or Barnbougle have themselves accomplished, but to oppose a development based on the obvious shortcomings of prior developments is a fairly low benchmark to use as you try to stifle job creation and enhance an already strong golf destination.

About the Author: Gordon Dalgleish is the Co-Founding Director of PerryGolf, the leading provider of international golf vacations. You can find him on Google+

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New Fine Dining Experience at Celtic Manor

Mhairi

Celtic Manor have rebranded their fine dining restaurant; offering a fresh experience but with the same award-winning Head Chef, Tim McDougall.

Formerly The Crown at Celtic Manor, the restaurant is now named Terry M and the hotel insists that the same exceptional standards will be delivered, worthy of the coveted 3 AA Rosettes awarded previously.

An a la carte menu will be available for lunch and dinner as well as an express one-hour lunch menu for busy diners.  In the evening, a six course tasting menu is available for groups of diners and offers a fantastic opportunity to sample many of the delights available.

 

 

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Two Fat Ladies at the Buttery

Mhairi

As one of Glasgow’s longest standing restaurants, it is wonderful to learn that Two Fat Ladies at the Buttery, located on busy Argyle Street, still offers a fantastic dining experience.

Over 23 years the restaurant has built up a solid reputation as “the place to go” for seafood lovers.  Des Mullan, Operations Director of Two Fat Ladies, describes why the restaurant remains a success,

“I think we are pretty accessible and there is nothing we do or sell that could be described as ‘overly foodie’, we don’t put words on the menu that nobody knows what they mean.  We try to keep things as simple and clean as we can”.

So there you have it, the key to a fantastically successful restaurant is to give your customers what they want – excellent food without the fuss.

They work with only one supplier to ensure that their fare is 100% fresh and feel that this approach appeals to diners looking for local produce.  It clearly works as in 2010 the restaurant was named “Best Posh Nosh” in the Glasgow Restaurant awards.

With a cozy atmosphere and the option of a private dining room with a glass wall so that you can see into the kitchen, diners can get a real overview of how confident Two Fat Ladies are in what they serve up.  To give you an idea of what is on the menu, how about flash fried west coast scallops with Stornoway black pudding and smokie cream, cress salad for starters?; followed by fillets of sea bream and Indian spiced mussel and savoy cabbage cream?  If seafood is not your thing, don’t worry, you can choose from various meat dishes ranging from the trusty fillet mignon to warm smoked duck salad in a pomegranate vinaigrette.

Be sure to book a table next time you are dining out in Glasgow– you won’t be disappointed.

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