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Gullane Bents

Gullane is a seaside village in East Lothian, Scotland. It is known as a major destination for golf tourists, as the village is surrounded by several golf courses, including Muirfield, a regular venue for the Open Championship.

Get in

Gullane is located around 20 miles to the east of Edinburgh, on the A198 road which follows the East Lothian coast. There is a half-hourly bus service to and from Edinburgh and North Berwick operated by First Buses, while the nearest train station is 2 miles away at Drem, on the Edinburgh to North Berwick line. Note there are is no regular public transport between Drem and Gullane.

See

  • 1 Gullane Bents (Follow any of the side roads running north from the main road through the village to reach the beach. If you've arrived here by car, take the 2nd left after entering the village from the west, which leads to a large car park from where it's a short walk down to the beach.). Gullane Bents is the name for the village's award-winning beach. This is a broad curve of golden sands, backed by large sand dunes, and with rocks at the eastern end, and low cliffs at the western end. There's usually an ice-cream van here
  • The Heritage of Golf Museum (Adjacent to the Pro Shop at Gullane Golf Club), +44 1875 870277. Open by appointment. The museum shows how the game developed after it arrived in Scotland from Holland in the 15th Century. Free. Donations welcome.
  • 2 The National Museum of Flight, East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian (About 3 miles to the south of Gullane, near the village of Drem), +44 1620 897240. Open daily from 10:00 - 17:00.. Aims to tell the history of flight throughout the 20th Century, and has a large collection of aircraft, including British Airways Concorde G-BOAA. Remember to book in advance to see inside Concorde as these tickets are generally sold out on the day. Another rather good attraction (and well worth the look) is the De-Havilland Comet 4C, a derivative of the Worlds first jetliner. Adult: £5.50. Concessions: £4.50. Child 12 and under: Free!. Concorde: £3 adults, £2 Children.
  • 3 Dirleton Castle (About 2 miles east of Gullane on the road to North Berwick). Daily 9:30 - 17:30 (16:30 in winter). Impressive castle dating from about 1240, set in well kept gardens. £5.50.

Do

  • 1 The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, Muirfield, +44 1620 842123. Open to visitors Tues and Thurs. The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers wrote the first recorded rules of the game in 1744 when they were based at Leith Links. They moved to Muirfield in 1891 and the course has been known as one of the World's finest ever since. Visitor bookings are taken up to a year in advance and are taken up very quickly - plan well ahead and take advantage of the online booking system on their website. £175 for one round and £220 for two rounds (reduced rate Nov-Mar).
  • 2 Gullane Golf Club, West Links Rd, +44 1620 842255. Three 18-hole links courses, plus a children's course. Both number 1 and 2 courses have been used for qualifying for the Open Championship. Much easier to get a round here compared to Muirfield, but you should still book in advance. Various different deals available throughout the year - check the website. Whilst it's the shortest of the three courses, No. 3 isn't regarded as the 'poor relation' of Nos. 1& 2, with many commentators remarking on its challenging nature. The three 18-hole courses all start from the Western edge of the village, with the children's course (adults only allowed when accompanied by a child!) accessed from the old village green, a short way along the high street.

Bear in mind that there are a wealth of golf courses all along the coastline of East Lothian, virtually one in every town or village.

Buy

  • LouLou's, 10A Lammermuir Terrace, Gullane (on the main road, east side of the village), +44 1620 843352. Independent hairdressing salon and stockists of Aveda professional hair products.

Eat

  • 1 La Potiniere, Main St, +44 1620 843214. Lunch 12:30-1:30PM. Dinner 7-8:30PM. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Award-winning fine dining restaurant which prides itself on using the best locally-sourced ingredients. Diners travel here from all over south-east Scotland.
  • 2 Falko Konditormeister, 1 Stanley Road, EH31 2AD (At the cross-roads in the centre of the village), +44 1620 843168. Mo-Fr 0800-1730 (Closed Tues), Sa 0900-1730, Su 1100-1730. After a bracing walk on the beach, what better than a hot cup of tea or coffee and a slice of proper Black Forest Gateau? Get that and much more at this German-style bakery, run by the eponymous Falko himself. If you need an "alibi" for tucking into the cakes, there are some delicious savouries on offer as well.

Drink

  • Golf Inn, Main St, +44 1620 843259. Friendly village pub. Also has a restaurant.

Sleep

  • Greywalls Hotel, Duncur Rd (just off the main road heading east of the village), +44 1620 842144. Very highly-rated hotel, designed by the renowned architect Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1901, and retaining an Edwardian style.

Connect

Go next

The green, rolling East Lothian countryside is all around. North Berwick, Dunbar and Haddington are all pleasant small towns within a few miles of Gullane. Scotland's capital city of Edinburgh is only around 20 miles away.


This city travel guide to Gullane is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.