4 Day East Lothian Golf Itinerary
East Lothian, the stretch of coast east of Edinburgh, holds the densest run of classic links in Scotland outside St Andrews, and you can play its very best in four days from a single hotel. North Berwick, Gullane and Muirfield sit within a few minutes of each other, with the value of Dunbar to finish. No long drives, no changing base, just four of the great links one after the next. Here is the four day plan, with indicative 2026 green fees and drive times.
Photograph: North Berwick Golf Club, via Google · Rob R.
Who this trip suits
This is the short, high quality Scotland links break, built for the golfer who wants the famous names without a week away or hours in the car. East Lothian is a tight cluster of world class links along one bay, so you set up in North Berwick or Gullane, never move hotels, and drive ten to twenty minutes to each first tee. It suits a long weekend group, a couple for whom the golf is the holiday, or a warm up before a wider Scotland trip. The quality across the four rounds barely dips, and the coast itself, with its views to the Bass Rock and the Forth, is part of the pleasure.
The one fixed point is Muirfield, which takes visitors only on certain days, usually mid week, so build the four days around the day it offers and fit the rest around it. Aim for May to September for the firmest turf and the longest daylight, and book the marquee tee times as far ahead as you can.
The 4 day plan
North Berwick, West Links
Open with the most charming links in the country, a Victorian original of stone walls, blind shots and the famous Redan thirteenth that has been copied around the world. It is golf as invention, played hard by the beach in the centre of a seaside town, and the perfect, characterful start to the trip. Indicative 2026 green fees are around 320 pounds in peak season; book ahead, as the West Links is popular.
Gullane Golf Club, No.1 Course
A ten minute drive along the coast brings you to Gullane Hill, where the No.1 course climbs to one of the great views in golf, the Forth, the Edinburgh skyline and a dozen courses laid out below. A recent host of the Scottish Open, it is firm, fast and exposed, a proper test in the wind with a glorious run home. Indicative 2026 green fees are around 325 pounds; the No.2 and No.3 courses offer fine value alongside if you want an extra round.
Muirfield, Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers
The grandest name on the coast and, to many, the fairest of all the Open courses, a clever two loop routing where the wind never blows from the same quarter twice. Muirfield admits visitors only on certain days, typically mid week, so this round must be locked in early. Indicative 2026 green fees are around 395 pounds, with lunch in one of the great clubhouses a tradition worth keeping. Confirm visitor days and dress code in advance.
Dunbar Golf Club
Finish to the south east at Dunbar, a narrow, old fashioned links that runs right along the rocks and the sea wall, exposed to the wind and full of character. After three marquee rounds it is a joy and a reminder that the best of East Lothian need not cost the earth, at an indicative 110 pounds. A relaxed, scenic close to the four days before the drive back to Edinburgh. Always confirm current rates before booking.
Green fees, drive times and logistics
| Round | Indicative 2026 fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| North Berwick West | Around 320 pounds | Single base; about 45 minutes from Edinburgh |
| Gullane No.1 | Around 325 pounds | 10 minutes from North Berwick |
| Muirfield | Around 395 pounds | Visitor days only, usually mid week; 5 minutes from Gullane |
| Dunbar | Around 110 pounds | About 25 minutes south east of North Berwick |
Green fees and drive times verified indicatively in June 2026 from course and ranking listings; they vary by season and change without notice, so always confirm current rates and availability directly before booking. Find a links hotel base.
When to go and where to stay
Play the trip between May and September for firm turf, long daylight and the best chance of dry links weather, accepting peak fees and busy tee sheets, or take the April and late September shoulder for lower prices and fewer crowds. Base all four nights in or around North Berwick or Gullane, the two seaside towns at the heart of the coast, and you are within ten to twenty minutes of every round with no change of hotel. Edinburgh is under an hour away for arrival and departure, and a hire car or a driver makes the short hops simple, leaving the evenings for the clubhouses and the seafood. Build the week around the Muirfield visitor day and the rest falls into place.
Plan your East Lothian golf trip
We hold the marquee tee times, navigate Muirfield's visitor days, match a single hotel base to the golf, and arrange transfers so the four days run smoothly. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
East Lothian itinerary questions
What is the best 4 day golf itinerary in East Lothian?
Four days lets you play the coast's best from a single base without moving hotels. Open at North Berwick West Links, the most charming Victorian links in Scotland, then Gullane No.1 on its breezy hill, the great Muirfield on a visitor day, and finish at Dunbar along the shore for value and views. Every course is within about half an hour of the next, so you stay put in North Berwick or Gullane and drive ten to twenty minutes a day. Always confirm current tee times and fees directly before booking.
How much does a 4 day East Lothian golf trip cost in green fees?
Four rounds on this route add up to roughly 1,150 pounds per golfer in green fees in peak 2026 season, led by Muirfield at around 395 pounds and North Berwick and Gullane around 320 to 325 each, with Dunbar a value finish near 110 pounds. You can lower the total by playing in the shoulder season or swapping a flagship for one of the many fine value links nearby. These are indicative figures, so always confirm current fees directly before booking.
Can visitors play Muirfield?
Yes, Muirfield admits visitors on certain days, typically mid week, by advance arrangement, so the round must be locked in early and worked into the week rather than dropped in on a whim. There is a dress code and a traditional lunch in one of the great clubhouses worth keeping. Build the four days around the day Muirfield offers, then fit North Berwick, Gullane and Dunbar around it. Always confirm current visitor days, dress code and rates directly before booking.
Where should you stay for an East Lothian golf trip?
Base yourself in North Berwick or Gullane, the two seaside towns at the heart of the coast, and you are within ten to twenty minutes of every round with no need to change hotels across the four days. Both put you among good restaurants and the wider cluster of links, and Edinburgh is under an hour away for arrival and departure. A hire car or a driver makes the short hops simple. Always confirm current rates and availability directly before booking.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Indicative green fees and drive times verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.