Travel: Tee off in style

All eyes turn to the East Coast this summer. First of all there's the golf: the Scottish Open in East Lothian, followed by the 147th Open Championships at Carnoustie, in Angus.Then the UK's most eagerly anticipated museum opens in Dundee in September.

CARNOUSTIE GOLF LINKS. Golf has been played in Carnoustie for well over four centuries.

Golf tourism is worth £286 million a year and supports 4,700 jobs according to research from 2016. It brings thousands of visitors from across the world who want to play and watch tournaments in the home of golf.

Carnoustie is a bit of an outsider in terms of hosting the Open – having only been the tournament venue seven times before. It is a decade since the players teed up to compete for the Claret Jug on what is considered one of the world’s most challenging links courses thanks to its thick rough and devilish bunkers.

This year the world’s eyes will be on the Angus links between 19 and 22 July.

Before that – on 12 to 15 July – the Scottish Open at Gullane is the perfect warm-up act. The slightly more intimate gathering takes full advantage of being close to Edinburgh on the pretty East Lothian coast.

Angus itself has many attractions for the summer visitors. Its coast is home to spectacular wildlife, there’s the natural beauty of the glens – not to mention the castles and stately homes – to explore and, of course, there are more than 20 golf courses to try out.

Through the summer, ospreys make their home in the Angus Glens, then, heralding autumn, flocks of geese descend on the the Montrose basin.

Royal connections mean Glamis Castle is famous the world over: both Macbeth and the Queen Mother ensure a procession of visitors to the ancestral seat to the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne.

Like many stately homes, Glamis also has a full programme of events to enhance the visitor experience. Its ever-popular prom, which this year is on 25 August, includes music around the theme of the Great British Songbook.

Traditionally you take your own picnic and dress up for this glamorous occasion.

As summer draws to an end, it will be the turn of Dundee to be in the media spotlight.

You can’t have missed the news that the V&A, one of Britain’s most iconic institutions, is opening a design museum in the stunning building added to the city’s revitalised waterfront.

Not only will there be the official opening of the building, but there is a two-day festival celebrating design, music and performance.

The 3D Festival – a name that pays homage to Dundee, design and the city’s spirit of discovery – will be co-designed by young people from across the city.

It opens with a one-off outdoor performance involving music, design and dance, followed by family activities, hands-on design workshops, music and creative collaborations.

Up to 20,000 people are expected to attend the festival, which is a key event in Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018. a