Golf in Perthshire
Scotland's inland golf heartland, where Gleneagles pairs a five star hotel with three championship courses including the 2014 Ryder Cup host, Blairgowrie's Rosemount runs through pine and heather, and a deep layer of moorland and Highland courses costs less than a links caddie. The courses that matter, the seasons, the costs and how to plan it.
Photograph: Gleneagles, Perthshire, via Google
Why golf in Perthshire
Perthshire is the strongest argument that a Scottish golf trip does not have to be a links trip. This is big, beautiful inland country, glens, pine forest, heather moor and the silver Tay, and the golf grew up with it: James Braid laid the King's and Queen's courses over the moorland at Gleneagles a century ago, came back to remodel Rosemount at Blairgowrie among the pines, and left his fingerprints on half the county. The turf is sandy and springy, the views run to the Highlands, and the whole region plays firm and fun in a way that surprises golfers who assume inland Scotland means mud.
The headline is Gleneagles, the famous resort above Auchterarder, where the Braid courses are joined by Jack Nicklaus's PGA Centenary, host of the 2014 Ryder Cup and the 2019 Solheim Cup, and one of the great golf hotels in the world. Around it the county runs deep: Blairgowrie's 36 holes of heathland, the panoramic Ferntower course at Crieff, Murrayshall's country estate golf outside Perth, and the Highland gems at Pitlochry, Dunkeld and along the Tay valley, many of them under 80 pounds in high summer. Few destinations stack a world class resort on top of value this good.
The regions
Strathearn and Auchterarder
The trophy corner: Gleneagles and its three championship courses and grand hotel, with Crieff's Ferntower a fifteen minute drive away offering one of the best views in inland golf for a tenth of the price. The natural base for a first Perthshire trip.
Perth and the Tay
The county town brings Murrayshall's two estate courses, the King James VI club on its island in the middle of the River Tay and a clutch of friendly parkland layouts. A practical, central base with restaurants and rail links, an easy reach of everything.
Highland and East Perthshire
North and east, the golf turns scenic and stunning value: Blairgowrie's heathland 36 at the foot of the glens, Pitlochry's mountainside views, Dunkeld and Birnam above the Tay and Alyth's old moorland turf. The romantic half of the county.
The courses that matter
Gleneagles, King's Course
Braid's moorland masterpiece and for many the best inland course in Scotland, rolling over ridges and plateaus with heather, gorse and Highland views on every hole. A century of championship history and still the connoisseur's pick at the resort. Open to visitors.
Gleneagles, Queen's Course
The King's gentler, lovelier sibling, threading through lochans, pine and moor. Shorter and more forgiving, it is many regulars' favorite afternoon in Scottish golf and the perfect second round of a Gleneagles day. Open to visitors.
Gleneagles, PGA Centenary
The Jack Nicklaus designed championship stage that hosted Europe's 2014 Ryder Cup win and the 2019 Solheim Cup, a big, modern American style test with Highland scenery. The bucket list round for event golf fans. Open to visitors.
Blairgowrie, Rosemount
One of Scotland's great heathlands, remodeled by James Braid in the 1930s, each hole cut through its own avenue of pine, birch and heather. Consistently ranked among the best inland courses in Britain and superb value beside Gleneagles. Welcomes visitors.
Blairgowrie, Lansdowne
Rosemount's tighter, longer 1979 sibling by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas, on the same blissful sandy heath. Playing the 36 in a day, with the Wee course as a nightcap, is one of the best value great golf days in Scotland. Welcomes visitors.
Crieff, Ferntower
High on the side of the Knock of Crieff with enormous views down Strathearn, the Ferntower is a polished, well conditioned championship parkland and one of the region's favorite visitor courses. Summer green fees of 70 to 80 pounds make it the value play near Gleneagles.
Pitlochry
Billed as a theatre in the hills, Pitlochry climbs above the Victorian resort town to play along a mountainside terrace with views over the Tummel valley. Short by the card, unforgettable by the camera roll, and a staple of any Highland Perthshire itinerary. Welcomes visitors.
Murrayshall Country Estate
A 365 acre country estate outside Perth with two parkland courses, the Murrayshall and the Lynedoch, plus a country house hotel. The handiest stay and play base in central Perthshire for groups who want golf, dinner and bed in one place.
Dunkeld and Birnam
A heathland gem on the hill above the cathedral town of Dunkeld, with panoramic views over the Tay valley and some of the most scenic short holes in the county. A light, joyful round that pairs perfectly with a riverside lunch. Welcomes visitors.
King James VI
One of golf's curiosities: a club founded in 1858 whose course sits on Moncreiffe Island in the middle of the River Tay, reached on foot across a railway bridge. Flat, friendly and historic, it is a Perth tradition and a story to take home. Welcomes visitors.
Alyth
East of Blairgowrie, Alyth is a fine old heathland club dating from 1894, with springy moorland turf, pine framed fairways and a friendly clubhouse. With neighboring Strathmore it gives the east of the county a strong value cluster. Welcomes visitors.
Designers and host history verified June 2026. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
See the best Scottish courses ranked Check tee time availability
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| May to September | Long days, dry spells, heather blooming late summer | Prime golf and peak rates; book Gleneagles months ahead |
| April and October | Cool, fresh, courses quiet | The value shoulders; Blairgowrie drops to 95 to 100 pounds |
| November to March | Cold, short days, fast draining turf stays open | Real winter golf at 30 to 100 pounds; pack layers |
The sandy moorland and heathland here drains far better than most inland golf, so the season is longer than visitors expect.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gleneagles, King's, Queen's or PGA Centenary | Around 95 to 325 pounds | 95 pounds in winter rising to about 325 in high summer |
| Blairgowrie, Rosemount or Lansdowne | Around 40 to 140 pounds | 140 May to September, 95 in April, 40 in winter |
| Crieff Ferntower and the value layer | Around 30 to 80 pounds | Ferntower 70 to 80 in summer; Highland courses similar or less |
| A week, all in | Around 1,500 to 4,500 pounds per person | Golf, lodging and a car, excluding flights; a Gleneagles stay sits at the top of the band |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Edinburgh and Glasgow airports are both roughly an hour from Auchterarder and Perth, which makes Perthshire one of the easiest Scottish golf regions to reach. The A9 runs the length of the county, Gleneagles even has its own railway station on the Glasgow to Inverness line, and Perth works as a central hub with everything in the county inside an hour's drive. A car is the way to do it, and the driving, through glens, forests and along the Tay, is part of the holiday.
Where to stay
For the full experience, stay at Gleneagles itself, where the five star hotel, spa and estate pursuits, from gundogs to falconry, sit on top of the three courses and guests get booking priority on the tees. For a country house alternative, Murrayshall outside Perth puts two courses at the door, while Blairgowrie and Pitlochry offer characterful small hotels and guest houses for the value tour of the north county. Many groups split the week: a few nights of Highland golf, then a Gleneagles finale.
Plan your Perthshire golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Perthshire golf questions
What is the best golf course in Perthshire?
The King's Course at Gleneagles, a 1919 James Braid moorland masterpiece, is the classic answer, and its sibling the PGA Centenary, the Jack Nicklaus design that hosted the 2014 Ryder Cup, is the championship headline. Away from the resort, Blairgowrie's Rosemount Course, Braid again among the pines and heather, is one of the finest inland courses in Scotland and roughly half the summer price. All welcome visitors.
How much does golf cost in Perthshire in 2026?
It spans the whole market. The three championship courses at Gleneagles run from around 95 pounds in winter to around 325 pounds in high summer. Blairgowrie's Rosemount and Lansdowne are 140 pounds from May to September, 95 pounds in April and as little as 40 pounds in winter. The value layer is deep: Crieff's Ferntower is 70 to 80 pounds in summer, and the Highland courses such as Pitlochry and Dunkeld sit below that. Always confirm directly before booking.
When is the best time to play golf in Perthshire?
May to September is prime, with long daylight, the heather in bloom from late summer and the moorland and heathland turf at its best. April and October are excellent value shoulders, and because Rosemount and the Gleneagles courses sit on fast draining sand and moorland, winter golf is far more playable here than on most inland courses, at a fraction of the price. Book Gleneagles tee times well ahead in summer.
Can you play Gleneagles without staying at the hotel?
Yes. All three championship courses, the King's, the Queen's and the PGA Centenary, are open to visiting golfers, with hotel guests enjoying booking priority and packaged rates. Summer tee sheets are heavily booked, so reserve months ahead for July and August. The five star hotel makes Gleneagles one of the great stay and play resorts in world golf, but a day visit from a Perth or Crieff base works perfectly well. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
New course openings, the Highland value windows and the trips our concierge is quietly building. Every other week.