For Mother's Day, bring mom along on your Scotland links golf trip

“Do people even visit Scotland that don’t want to golf?” I semi-joked in Scotland to some tourist officials the last time I was there, who didn’t seem too amused. Personally, I have a one-track mind when I’m in Scotland: play as much golf as my feet will allow and then head for the nearest pub.

But Scotland has plenty going on off the golf course, and golf actually accounts for a surprisingly small percentage of travelers to the country. So while you may be thinking buddy trip before Mother’s Day gift when it comes to a Scotland vacation, you could very well combine the two into one. Tour operators agree a large segment of their business comes from non-golfers tagging along with golfers, including couples and families. And if your mom is a golfer with a thirst for links golf, even better (I’ve just never met a mother-child pairing on the links with my own two eyes just yet).

Castle tours, festivals, cruises through one of its many lochs, and even ancestry tours are why non-golfers head for Scotland, which is why you should partner up with dad and think about taking mom to Scotland on your next vacation, whether she’s a golfer or not.

One of my favorite off-course days in Scotland was in Edinburgh, which is a great city to explore in particular, thanks to its Royal Mile and plenty other sights and activities around town. It’s much smaller and easier to explore compared to some of Europe’s larger capitals like London, Paris and Rome that can be a bit overwhelming.

And of course, St. Andrews will capture anyone’s heart, golfer or not. For dinner, take mom to the fourth floor of the Old Course Hotel and the Road Hole Restaurant. You could even take mom to the Himalayas putting course next to the Old, or one of two public putting greens in the town of North Berwick.

If countryside is mom’s thing, there’s no better spot than the Scottish Highlands (or Northern Ireland’s A2 Coastal Route).

Whether you plan on taking Ma or not to Scotland, we just posted a new feature on ScotlandGolf.com: Five tips for planning your Scotland golf trip. Just be sure to spend a couple days off the course with mom - or she’ll see right through your little scheme.

And if mom is more of a warm-weather soul, there’s always Hawaii.