Culcrieff Golf Club

Eighteen holes of proper Highland golf just outside Crieff, where the fairways roll across a landscape that actually makes you want to be there rather than stuck in a bunker. Culcrieff sits high enough to give you views across Perthshire without being so mountainous that you're chasing golf balls downhill all day. It's a members' club primarily, though visitors can usually get a round if you ring ahead and have the right credentials - check their website or phone to sort it out beforehand.

The course itself is straightforward rather than championship-level tricky, which means keen golfers of middling ability won't spend five hours hacking through rough. The layout takes in some gentle elevation changes and the usual Scottish rough patches. Allow three to four hours for a full round, longer if your group moves slowly or you're prone to losing balls.

Stay at Braidhaugh Holiday Lodge just 1.5 miles down the road and you're perfectly placed for a round followed by dinner in Crieff town centre. It's only 25 minutes from Comrie Croft if you fancy exploring further west into Perthshire. Not the sort of destination that makes grown men weep, but a solid day out if golf's your thing and you're already holidaying in the area. Winter can be boggy, so spring or early autumn plays better.