Set against storied golf courses and the rugged Ayrshire coastline, Trump Turnberry offers Edwardian opulence on 800 rolling acres where legendary King Robert the Bruce once had his castle. Upon arrival, you breathe in an often gusty breeze, reminding you both of the acres of impeccably green grass and the windy conditions that have bedeviled even the best golfers.
An exceptional staff, including porters in tartan kilts, blends lavish pampering with traditional Scottish hospitality. Perfect for a weekend getaway or a stately retreat, this is a world-class golf destination. Three links courses wind their way along the majestic coastline, including the 7,489-yard par-71 Aisla, which has hosted multiple British Opens and provides visitors with tough, championship-level holes and generous fairways punctuated with crags and cliffs.
When you aren’t golfing, you can stroll the well-curated gardens, visit local villages with tasteful shopping, go horseback riding on the beach and enjoy teatime on a balcony facing the sea. Or you can remain ensconced in the richly adorned setting, including the iconic Turnberry Lighthouse, a treasured highlight among the 198 rooms, suites, villas and apartments available.
The restaurants and bars afford spectacular views of the Scottish coastline, Ailsa Craig (home of the Curling Stone) and Isle of Arran. Even Ireland can be seen off in the distance on a clear day.
The Ailsa's historic links, host of four British Opens, including the iconic 1977 Open Nicklaus vs Watson, was twice converted into runways during the world wars, undergoing periodic renewals to refresh the rolling greens. The latest is by the famed commissioning course architect Martin Ebert, who toughened up the opening holes and provided more dramatic vistas for drives along the terrain.
There’s lots of history to revisit near the property. Culzean Castle, seen from the links of Turnberry, was Robert Adam’s cliff-top masterpiece rising above a world of woods, beaches, secret follies and play parks. The castle also has the Eisenhower Suite, a hideaway that was the holiday home and Scottish White House of Eisenhower and his family from 1945 until his death in 1969. A few miles farther up the road, you will find Robert Burns Cottage and Museum, which offers a unique encounter with Scotland’s national bard. His poetry and songs are known and loved the world over. No visit to Turnberry and Ayrshire would be complete without a visit to Dumfries House, built in 1759. It was saved by the prince of Wales in 2018 (now King Charles 111), and after being fully renovated, it holds one of the nation's most important collections of Georgian Scottish and English furniture.