With the Open done and dusted, life is returning to its luxurious norm at the Turnberry resort. Just re-opened after a £30 million re-fit, the rather swish hotel now boasts several new eating and drinking options.
One of the most fun is the Grand Tea Lounge which is staffed with tea sommeliers trained to guide guests through the hotel’s choice of thirty different brews. Apparently, they ask what you normally prefer to drink and then gently suggest something suitable from their own range. I like to imagine that nestling among the Oolongs and Assams is a tea which corresponds to the popular preference for a mug of builder’s.
Named after the year in which the hotel was originally built, 1906 is Turnberry’s signature restaurant. Classic dishes given a little twist form the back bone of the menu so look out for lobster bisque, beef tartare, Rossini fillet beef and our old friend tarte tatin.
The golf courses surrounding Turnberry are some of the most famous in the world and have hosted several historic golfing battles. For a much more modest option, try the Golf Tavern in Edinburgh. The 36 hole pitch and putt course just outside its front door may not have quite the same prestige as a round on the Ailsa but it has the advantage of being free.
