What Is Scotland's Golf Coast and Why Visit East Lothian's Links Courses?

Scotland's Golf Coast is the stretch of links golf country in East Lothian, on the coast east of Edinburgh. It is the setting for Dunbar Golf Club, a championship links course established in 1856 and described by the club as one of the finest links courses anywhere in the world. Visit if you want true links golf—holes shaped by shoreline and natural contours—combined with a long documented golf history and a straightforward visitor route through booking, green fees, and open competitions.

Where Scotland's Golf Coast Is

East Lothian sits on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, east of Edinburgh. Dunbar, the town where the club is based, is on that coast; the club's address is Fluke Dub View, Dunbar, East Lothian, EH42 1BW. The club presents itself explicitly as located on "Scotland's Golf Coast" in East Lothian, so the phrase functions as a regional label for this cluster of coastal links courses rather than a single site.

For planning purposes, treat East Lothian as the search area and Dunbar as one confirmed anchor point within it.

What Makes a True Links Course

A links course is coastal, built on sandy ground between the sea and inland farmland, and shaped by wind and natural terrain rather than heavy earthmoving. Dunbar's own description gives a concrete example of what that means in practice:

• A narrow strip of linksland between the old red sandstone deer park wall and the rocky shoreline.
• Well-defined holes that follow the natural contours of that strip.
• A course moulded by nature for over 150 years, with redesign work over the years by figures including Old Tom Morris.

That wall-and-shoreline corridor is the clearest way to picture links golf at Dunbar: the sea on one side, an old estate wall on the other, and golf threaded between them.

Heritage: Why This Coast Matters for Golf

Dunbar has over 400 years of documented golf, and the club itself was established in 1856. Its history section is organised in periods—Foundation 1856–1914, 1914–1945, and 1946–Present—so you can trace how the club and course developed. The club also notes that playing the course means walking in the footsteps of some of the greatest golfers in the world, and that it is regularly voted among the best courses in the country.

If heritage is part of why you travel for golf, this is a place where the record is long and specific rather than marketing shorthand.

Planning a Visit

The club's visitor pages point to a clear sequence for trip planning:

1. Check course status and weather first. The site carries a "Weather & Course Status" section; on the captured page it showed "Course Open" with a short forecast (for example, 11–13°C across three days). Coastal links weather changes, so confirm status before travelling.
2. Review visitor information. The Visitors section covers what to expect as a guest.
3. Book. There is a dedicated "Visitor Booking" page, including a "Visiting in 2026" entry point.
4. Check green fees. A Green Fees page sits alongside booking, so you can see the cost structure before committing.
5. Consider open competitions. If you want a competitive round rather than a casual visitor tee time, the Open Competitions page is the route.
6. Arrange accommodation and location. The "About The Area," "Accommodation," and "Location" pages cover where to stay and how to get there.

The site also lists a Pro Shop and a New Clubhouse, useful if you need equipment or facilities around your round.

Practical details to have on hand

Is It Worth Visiting?

Yes, if your priority is authentic links golf on a course with a long record and a clear visitor pathway. Dunbar combines three things that matter for a golf trip: genuine links terrain defined by shoreline and an old estate wall, a documented history stretching back centuries with the club founded in 1856, and an organised visitor system covering booking, fees, and competitions.

It is less suited to you if you want a quick, casual round without planning—booking and fee pages exist precisely because visitor play is structured. Check the course status and weather before you travel, then work through the visitor booking and green fees pages to confirm availability and cost for your dates.