We're planning a trip to Scotland (with a visit to Northern Ireland as well) in conjunction with the British Open (July 15-18). We're arriving in Glasgow with approximately eight days to sightsee before the golf tournament begins (it's in Troon this year). My questions: How would any of you divide up these days? If we take the ferry over to Northern Ireland at the beginning of the trip, would it make sense to spend three or four days there and then another three or four based in the Edinburgh area before heading to Troon? We definitely want to see Giants Causeway. How much time is Belfast worth? Any thoughts based on the idea of eight days total would be much appreciated.

Well it isn't the most practical use of your time to go across to NI then all the way back across to Edinburgh, then back west again to Troon. But if you have already bought your tickets and are sort of stuck.

In a perfect world you would have booked your dates so the Open was in the middle, taken a ferry to NI and back, gone to Troon and then on to Edinburgh before flying home.

But if you have the dates set - and IF the Giant's causeway is a "must" - I would fly directly from Glasgow to Belfast and get the NI part of your itinerary out of the way right at the beginning. 2 nights would be plenty to see Giants causeway and Belfast. Then fly to Edinburgh. After 2 or 3 nights in the city, pick up a rental car and drive through the Borders and stay the night somewhere like Peebles or Biggar. And then on to Troon on the 15th.

I'm from Belfast, and to be honest I would not recommend spending a huge amount of time in the city itself. It has good restaurants and a few sights to see but up around the causeway, all across the North Antrim coast is very nice, well worth a couple of days.

Picking up on Janis' advice, in Scotland my family and I stayed in a small town south of Edinburough called Melrose for two nights. Burt's Hotel is a nice little inn there. I believe they have a website now, if you'd like to look. Its on the river Tweed, with Sir Walter Scott's home near. We will never forget our picnic and small walk along the Tweed. You can't lose in Scotland. Have fun traveling and golf watching.

Thank you all. I've already checked out the Burt's Hotel Web site. It looks like a charming area, so thank you for the recommendation. We are locked in to flying to Glasgow, but I think our plan now is to head directly to Edinburgh after we arrive. Then, after we're done exploring Edinburgh and the surrounding area, we'll move on to Northern Ireland. We'll come back to Troon for the golf and catch Glasgow for a day or so before we leave . . . as always, all information is appreciated (hotels you enjoyed, restaurants, etc.).