Carnoustie
Carnoustie is situated on the East coast of Scotland in the Angus region. It sports a number of hotels, guest houses and other tourist accomodation. It's famous as the scene of a battle that took place many centuries before the current town was established as well as for the more modern "battles" of competitive golf.
History
Back in the early 11th century a Danish army arrived in Scotland intending to march on Dundee. The Scots gathered in wait at Barry Sands, surprised the Danes and were able to defeat them. The battle is said to have been so fierce that the river ran with blood for three days after the battle.There is a theory that the name "Carnoustie" is derived from "Craws Nestie". The story goes that in revenge for the defeat of the Danes at Barry Sands the Norse Gods cursed the area with a plague of crows.
Golf
Scotland is, of course, the home of the game of golf. The average person probably associates Scottish golf with St Andrews or Leith, however Carnoustie has a good claim to being the game's home. Many more people are probably aware of this following the 2007 Open Championship.The Carnoustie Golf Club was established in 1842, making it one of the ten oldest golf clubs in the world. However the game was being played in Carnoustie centuries before the modern club was formed. The earliest known record indicates the game being played as early as 1527. It's written of one Sir Robert Maule that:
"he had gryt delight in haukine and hountine… lykewakes he exercisit at the gowf and oftimes past to Barry Lynks, quhan the wadsie was for drink…Barry Lynks is thought to refer to an area west of the Barry Burn that is today part of the main links.
this was the yeir of God 1527 or thear abouts"
Today Carnousite has three courses: the Burnside Golf Course, the Buddon Golf Course and the famous Championship Course.
The Dibble Tree
Carnoustie is home to the Dibble Tree, an ancient willow listed as one of Scotland's 100 greatest heritage trees.The Dibble Tree is over 200 years old. Local legend says that a local farmer, one Tom Lowson, lost his dibble stick in a field and that stick grew into the great tree. A dibble stick is used to make holes in the ground for planting seeds, so there's a certain poetical logic in one sprouting into a tree.
