{"id":1183,"date":"2014-09-12T15:25:19","date_gmt":"2014-09-12T22:25:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theaposition.com\/herbgould\/?p=1183"},"modified":"2014-09-27T06:44:51","modified_gmt":"2014-09-27T13:44:51","slug":"traigh-bien","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/herbgould\/travel\/1183\/traigh-bien","title":{"rendered":"Traigh bien!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"With<\/a>

With views like this from its hilltop perch, Traigh is a scenic beauty.<\/p><\/div>\n

I can hardly wait to describe Traigh, a remote and wonderful nine-hole course on the west coast of Scotland. But first, a little chronological preamble. . .<\/p>\n

\"Eilean<\/a>

Eilean Donan Castle, a Scottish classic<\/p><\/div>\n

It may sound like heresy to suggest that an occasional day off on a Scottish golf trip is a good thing. Even I probably wouldn\u2019t do it on a buddies trip.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, a day off can be a great way to play better golf, and enjoy it more, by clearing your head. And Scotland has all kinds of interesting diversions, from photogenic castles to educational distillieries to scenic hiking.<\/p>\n

\"If<\/a>

If you’re a fan of Doc Martin’s Portwenn, you’ll enjoy Portree.<\/p><\/div>\n

Because hiking on the Isle of Skye was high on Liz\u2019s list, we took a golf break,<\/p>\n

driving to Skye from Nairn. It\u2019s a beautiful three-hour drive on pretty good roads, and there\u2019s a bridge to the island. There\u2019s even time to check out the photogenic Eilean Donan Castle, which was featured in Highlander, a 1986 film with Scotsman Sean Connery.<\/p>\n

\"Waterfalls<\/a>

Waterfalls amid meadows. . . the Fairy Pools trail is a lovely Isle of Skye hike.<\/p><\/div>\n

We stayed in Skye\u2019s biggest town, Portree. With a population of about 2,200. it\u2019s a nice little tourist village that features marvelous photo ops and excellent dining options. Driving on the island can be an adventure if you\u2019re not a fan of narrow little roads. But the other drivers were all courteous, a necessity when cars traveling in opposite directions meet and need one to slip into a “Passing Place\u2019\u2019 to allow the other to get by.<\/p>\n

The trip to the Fairy Pools was a nice adventure. When we arrived, the modest car park was nearly bursting with vehicles, It\u2019s a (mostly) gentle walk through a meadow filled with rapids and waterfalls. Be sure to bring bug spray for the voracious “midges\u2019\u2019\u2014Scottish gnats.<\/p>\n

\"Not<\/a>

Not hard to find our bright red Focus on the ferry. . .<\/p><\/div>\n

But you\u2019re here for the golf. And our next round was a special treat.<\/p>\n

\"Traigh's<\/a>

Traigh’s elevated first green, looking seaward. First tee is to the left of the clubhouse rooftop on this uphill par-three.<\/p><\/div>\n

TRAIGH GOLF COURSE<\/strong> <\/em>has only nine holes, and is far off the beaten path for golf trips. But it fit in perfectly with our plan to head down the West Coast from Isle of Skye to Machrihanish, another out-of-the-way mecca.<\/p>\n

And if you detour to Traigh, you will not be disappointed.<\/p>\n

We enjoyed a gorgeous sunny day on the ferry across the Sound of Sleat from Isle of Skye on the Armadale-Mallaig ferry, an easy half-hour boat ride. From there, it was a quick six-mile trip to Traigh through a beautiful but narrow road back to the sea.<\/p>\n