This Might Be Scotland’s Best New, Old, Play And Stay Venue…

There’s a beautiful painting by Sir John Lavery, depicting Lady Astor playing golf at North Berwick. It dates from just after the First World War and for me it invokes the sense of a golden age of leisure and luxury – the start of the roaring 20s.

I was made to think of it as I walked into the foyer of the Marine Hotel, then onwards through the stylishly furnished lobby area to the huge windows offering an incredible view over North Berwick’s famous West Links and out to the rippling Firth of Forth.

History exudes from the walls of the Marine Hotel and the recent works by Marine & Lawn to restore it to its former glories deliver you back to that time of Lady Astor, of swinging parties and sophisticated soirees.

I’ve always loved North Berwick and I’ve made a number of trips to the vibrant seaside town over the years, both with the family and, of course, to play golf. But I’d never stayed at the Marine.

I knew it had been one of the great golfing hotels of the 20^th century, a grand establishment frequented by the great and good. But I also knew that it had lost some of its lustre in more recent times.

It was exciting then to hear that management of the hotel had been taken over by Marine & Lawn – a group I had come to know because of their incredible transformation of the Rusacks in St Andrews – A hotel that my wife and I have always loved and is now, in my humble opinion, back to being the best in the “Old Grey Toon.”

With that in mind, she and I decided to drive south from our home in Aberdeenshire and spend a night at the Marine Hotel, North Berwick.

We arrived in good time – I had an afternoon tee slot, and Jessie (that’s the wife) was booked in for a spa treatment at the same time.

As mentioned, as soon as you walk in, you’re transported to a bygone age of splendour and grandeur, the leather-clad reception desk, the William Morris print wallpaper, chandeliers, Persian rugs. It’s very nicely done indeed.

Our room was palatial, with near floor to ceiling bay windows and views of the course, the town and the iconic Bass Rock.

The finish throughout the hotel is characterful and stylish. There’s a great blend of modern comfort and historical touches, think USB charging beside a telephone (with an old-school dial) sitting on a writing bureau.

After a delicious brunch in the lobby. It was time for afternoon activities. Jessie and I parted ways, and I wandered down the back steps of the hotel into the garden, with my clubs on my back.

I had 10 minutes to spare so I made use of the hotel’s own short game practice facility with a real bunker! Of course they have that! What an asset for a golfing hotel.

Then, suitably (deludedly) convinced my short game had been improved, I opened the gate of the walled garden and stepped out, basically onto the famous 16^th green – the one with a huge valley in the middle of it. What an amazing spot to be.

It was just a five-minute walk round to the first tee and, after a brief chat with professional Martyn Huish, son of the famous North Berwick pro David Huish (who led the 1975 Open Championship through 36-holes,) I went to the tee.

Whether it was by divine plan or merely a series of coincidences, the East Lothian coast seems to have been designed for golf. Since humans cottoned on to this, the number of superb links courses built on the shoreline to the East of Edinburgh has been staggering.

Fans of seaside golf are spoiled for choice. Gullane, Muirfield, Dunbar, Luffness… No visit to this golfing Elysium would be complete, however, without a round at North Berwick.

Beginning and ending in the town, the West Links feels as though it’s a part of North Berwick. It’s a similar symbiosis to that at St Andrews.

Dating from 1832, the course offers pure links golf. You can glance at the sea on every hole while you find yourself negotiating walls and burns, bumps and hollows.

The stretch from the 13^th to the 15^th contains some of the course’s most famous holes - “The Pit,” “Perfection” and “Redan.” The last of these three, a 192-yard tester to a hugely sloping green, is one of the world’s most copied par-3s.

It’s a hugely memorable course, right down to the driveable last – watch out for the cars parked down the right-hand side. I narrowly avoided them!

Thoroughly well golfed, I strolled back round to the hotel and had a quick putt on the putting green. I’m a glutton for punishment.

As I did that, I noticed laughter coming from the outdoor hot tub area and thought – ‘That’s next!’

The spa at the Marine is exceptional and, after a round of golf, what could be better than some hydrotherapy and thermal suite treatment? There’s a pool, two saunas, two steam rooms and an indoor/outdoor jacuzzi. It’s superb.

There’s a wide variety of further treatments available. Jessie opted for a massage and it was, to summarise her words, “So incredibly relaxing.”

Next stop was the Bass Rock bar, which is an ideal place for a post round golfing debrief. Once again, it offers an opulent feel and a grand selection of cocktails and other drinks.

Dinner in the Lawn restaurant exceeded expectations – I pushed the boat out and had mussels and then steak with some rather fine Sauvignon Blanc then an excellent Pinot Noir.

After memorable golf and feeling suitably sated, I slept like a log in our sprawling suite and, with no early tee time alarm call, I was in danger of missing out on my full Scottish breakfast.

We made it in time though and took another chance to sit in the comfortable restaurant, gaze out to the links and enjoy the wonderful service on offer.

After checking out, we took the short stroll into North Berwick to look into some of the funky shops on the high street and check out the world-famous Seabird Centre. If we’d had more time, we could have taken a boat trip out to the Bass Rock to see the gannet colonies there. Next time.

As it was, there was just time for a quick coffee before departing.

What a place. A beautiful town, an incredible hotel fusing history with modern amenities, a historic and fabled golf course on the doorstep (and many others within striking distance), the Marine North Berwick might just be Scotland’s best new, yet old play and stay venue!