Few golf courses in Scotland can match the sheer visual drama of Newburgh on Ythan's setting. Perched on the Aberdeenshire coast alongside the Ythan Estuary, with the Sands of Forvie National Nature Reserve rolling away to the north and the North Sea glittering beyond, this is a course that stops you in your tracks before you've even reached the first tee. Founded in 1888, the club has been a cornerstone of Aberdeenshire golf for well over a century.

The course is a tale of two distinct halves. The back nine is traditional Scottish links at its most natural — gorse-lined, rolling and honest — while the front nine, developed on new land in the 1990s, brings tiered greens, more dramatic topography and a contemporary feel that complements the older holes beautifully. Quirky details add to the appeal: the stone wall sitting in the fairway of the 4th hole is the kind of feature that would only exist on a course with genuine character and history. Writer Tom Coyne, during his research for A Course Called Scotland, put it directly onto his list of top holes in the country.

Located just 15 miles north of Aberdeen, adjacent to Trump International Links, Newburgh is an Aberdeenshire hidden gem well worth seeking out.