The day started with an early (ish) morning trip by train to Scotland’s capital but not sunniest city, that accolade is reserved for Dundee and although it is not always obvious, it can be proved by meteorologists. The LNER was busy but comfortable and breakfast was served before we got to Leuchars. The bacon roll may not have been the finest but the staff were warm and friendly. On arrival into Waverley station, we were amazed at the queues of people waiting to board the London bound locomotive and we were glad that we had arrived at our destination.
On exiting the station, our room for the night was just a short walk across Princes Street to the new and iconic “W” hotel, also known as the Walnut Whip for obvious reasons. The hotel foyer was busy with mostly American golf enthusiasts heading for the Genesis Scottish Open in North Berwick. That was where we were heading too, courtesy of our friends at Team Genesis. We confess to not being the most clued up when it comes to golf but during our forty minute chauffeur driven ride in a beautiful Genesis G80, we did have time to Google the movers and shakers of the golfing world.
On arrival at the course, we were escorted to the Genesis hospitality building which was our home for the day along with other members of the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers. The large terraced looked over the 18th hole, perfect for a bird’s eye view later in the afternoon. Although the rain was teeming down, we decided to take a walk around the course to get a feel for it and soak up the atmosphere at this major tournament whilst building up an appetite ahead of lunch. We watched several competitors along the course, and admired the way they made the art of getting a small white ball into a small hole after hitting it from faraway look so easy.
Lunch was a clever fusion of a Korean and Scottish menu expertly prepared by a top Korean chef and our very own Tom Kitchen and their teams and the food was some of the best we have ever tasted.
We had a very enjoyable day and the icing on the cake was that the tournament winner was none other than top Scot Bob McIntyre.
Back at the W hotel, we obtained the key to our room and were keen to relax after a long day. Our room was contemporary and “quirky” and even included a large volcanic rock which housed the fridge. The toilet and shower were housed in separate stalls both with opaque doors which doesn’t suit everyone, however we did enjoy the complimentary cocktails though. As with many modern hotels, the lighting was quite dark but there were controls to change the settings from work/welcome/mood to all off. The hotel has been designed with the future in mind and one bonus is there is need to put your key into a slot to get electricity, how many of us have lost loyalty cards doing this!
After breakfast, we took a tour of the top floor terraces where the views were simply stunning with a full 360 degree view across the bridges, Fife and beyond. Time to check out in the morning and after a short stop at a gentleman’s oufitters, we meandered around a bustling Edinburgh city centre before heading back to Waverley for our train home…… or so we thought! Due to strike action, many trains were cancelled but we were feeling a little smug as ours was displayed as “on time,” until 2 minutes before it was due to leave when it was indeed cancelled. Our son-in-law came to the rescue though and we got home safe and sound but just a little annoyed.
We greatly enjoyed our time with Genesis, maybe next time we will get to drive one……….
