Bridge of Allan Golf Club

The golf course at Bridge of Allan sits just outside Stirling, a proper 18-hole layout that's been going since 1889. It's a scenic enough track through parkland - nothing too brutal, nothing too flat either. The greens are well-maintained and the routing takes you through some decent Scottish countryside without the eye-watering green fees you'd pay elsewhere in the region.

This is a members' club first and foremost, but they do welcome visitors - just book ahead. You'll need a handicap certificate or a letter from your home club to get a game. It's not a championship beast, more a straightforward day out on the course. Allow a full four and a half hours for eighteen holes, longer if you're playing with someone who takes forever over the ball.

Families with non-golfing members might find it heavy going - there's nothing much to do here if you don't play. But for keen golfers wanting a few rounds in Perthshire without travelling too far from Stirling town centre, it fills a gap. The course is only six miles from Craighead Howf holiday park, which is handy if you're basing yourself that way.

Best visited midweek when you'll get a faster game and quieter greens. Weekends fill up with members pretty quickly. Spring through autumn plays nicest, though Scottish weather being what it is, bring waterproofs whatever time you visit.