Golf in Angus & Perthshire

Just across the Tay from St Andrews, Angus is home to Carnoustie— "Car-nasty" — widely reckoned the hardest course on the Open rota. Its closing stretch, with the Barry Burn snaking across the 17th and 18th, has broken more champions than any other finish in golf. It is a stern, honest, unforgettable examination, and it welcomes visitors.

Two superb links sit right next door and cost a fraction of the price. Panmure, at Barry, is a subtle, heathery gem where Ben Hogan practised before winning the 1953 Open at Carnoustie. Monifieth is a historic public links and an Open final-qualifying venue — outstanding value, and an ideal warm-up round. Both are genuine championship-standard tests. Up the coast, Montrose is one of the oldest courses in the world — golf has been played on its magnificent natural links since 1562 — and completes a superb, well-priced Angus links tour.

West into Perthshire, Gleneagles is Scotland's grandest resort — moorland golf in the Ochil Hills, host of the 2014 Ryder Cup on the PGA Centenary Course. Its classic King's Course— James Braid's moorland masterpiece, and the connoisseur's favourite of the three — and the Queen's sit alongside a five-star hotel at its heart. Nearby, the beautiful pine-and-heather heathland of Blairgowrie (Rosemount) is one of the loveliest inland courses in Britain. It is a different flavour from the coastal links, and a fine finale to a trip.

Base near Dundee or Carnoustie for the coast, and combine with Fife across the river. See the 7-day Scotland itinerary to tie it together.

The Carnoustie Golf Hotel stands right behind the Championship 18th — the obvious base for the Angus links — while Dundee, ten minutes away, offers lively city hotels by its reinvented waterfront. Inland, the grand Gleneagles Hotel is a destination in its own right, with dining, a spa and country pursuits amid the Perthshire hills.

Off the course, Dundee has reinvented its waterfront around the striking V&A Dundee design museum and Captain Scott's RRS Discovery; the city is a lively, friendly base with good food. Angus itself has the fairytale Glamis Castle and the quiet Angus glens for a scenic drive, while over in Perthshire, Gleneagles offers destination dining and a spa, and Highland Perthshire's lochs and hills are close at hand.