The Highlands: Dornoch and Beyond

Everyone knows Royal Dornoch. Almost no one plays what's around it.

This is proper Scotland. Not the Scotland of Edinburgh Castle tours or Loch Lomond wedding photos, but the kind you see in whisky adverts and imagine when you think about what the Highlands should feel like. Remote. Dramatic. Windswept links next to empty beaches with the kind of quiet that makes you actually want to talk to your playing partners.

Royal Dornoch is about an hour north of Inverness Airport, which makes this absurdly accessible for a long weekend. But once you arrive, you'll feel like you've driven to the edge of the earth. The entire stretch (Dornoch, Brora, Golspie, and if you have time, Fortrose & Rosemarkie) sits within 20 minutes of each other along the coast. Links golf in the shadow of the Moray Firth, with towns that feel like locals' clubs rather than tourist traps.

This works for any group size, but I think it's best with 2-8 people. You're not here for nightlife or group dinners at resort restaurants. You're here to play golf and drink in the Scottish Highlands at its finest.

The Golf

Royal Dornoch doesn't need me to sell it. It's one of the best links courses in the world: dramatic, strategic, and as pure a links test as you'll find anywhere. The greens are sublime, the routing is perfect, and on a clear day with the mountains in the background, it's impossible not to appreciate what makes this place special. But here's the thing: everyone plays Dornoch. Not everyone plays what's around it.

The view from the 18th green at Brora

Brora Golf Club might be my favourite course in the Highlands. It's the perfect antidote to the hub of activity at Dornoch, criminally underplayed despite becoming better known in recent years. This feels like a locals' club that you've been given the privilege of playing. The course is always in amazing condition: a fun out-and-back loop with challenging holes and great greens. The surrounding landscape is awe-inspiring, and if you grab an afternoon tee time, there's a decent chance you'll have the place to yourself. Just you, the links, and the mountains.

Standing on the 16th tee at Golspie

Golspie Golf Club is the palate cleanser you didn't know you needed. Unlike Dornoch and Brora, Golspie is a combination of links and heathland, a welcome change of pace when you're surrounded by links golf. The course is in fantastic condition and even less played than Brora. It's another proper locals' club, with wooden scoreboards lining the bar and a warm welcome when you walk in. You're still right next to the sea, but the heathland holes give you a completely different feel. It's quirky in the best way.

Fortrose & Rosemarkie is worth a shout if you have an extra day. It's squeezed onto a peninsula with a dolphin colony, water on three sides, and views that won't quit. The course itself is in good condition but lacks the intrigue of Brora and Golspie. Still, it's a warm welcome, slightly away from the NC500 tourist trail, and a nice way to round out a long weekend if you're not ready to leave yet.

The Weekend Flow

If you're arriving in Inverness and playing the same day, hit Golspie first. It's the easiest of the three, perfect for shaking off travel legs, and you'll still have time for a proper dinner in Dornoch afterward. Play Royal Dornoch on Saturday: it's the marquee round, so give it the prime slot when you're fresh. Then finish with Brora on Sunday. It's a brilliant closer: quieter, more intimate, and honestly my favourite of the three. If you have an extra day, Fortrose & Rosemarkie is 45 minutes south and makes for a relaxed bonus round before heading home.

Where to Stay

Dornoch should be your base. It's the most golf-centric town on this stretch of coast, with the best selection of pubs, restaurants, and that intangible feeling of being somewhere that actually cares about the game. There aren't a ton of outstanding hotels to call out given the remote location, but depending on your group size, an Airbnb is absolutely worth considering. You can find great places within walking distance of Royal Dornoch. If you're looking for something more remote, you can find plenty of lodges located a little more inland.

Budget & Logistics

Book Royal Dornoch first - Royal Dornoch receives lots of visitors at peak times, so it can be worth booking your tee time at least 6 months in advance, and more if possible. Brora and Golspie are far more flexibly, so once you've got Dornoch booked in, you'll be able to line up tee times to suit.

On a budget? Twilight tee times are your friend (mostly) - If you're going to the Highlands in the summer, you won't be short on daylight - in June/July you'll easily have daylight until 22:00! This makes twilight tee times especially attractive if you're on a budget. For Brora and Golspie, this means booking from 15:00 and 14:00 onwards respectively.

However, be careful with Royal Dornoch. Twilight times don't start until 18:00 and given that the pace of play is usually a little slower, you'll struggle to get round in time. If you're doing this trip with Dornoch as your centrepiece, I would thoroughly recommend using your savings from the other courses to pay the full fee here.

Green Fees - total per person

• Peak (May - October) - £655
• Peak (twilight, excl. Dornoch) - £520
• Off-peak (November - March) - £330

Something else to look out for is the 'Local Golf Course Partnerships' from Brora Golf Club - Brora & Golspie is £260 for international visitors and £190 for UK members.

Car hire is a necessity - Even though these courses are relatively close together, you'll definitely need a car (or driver) to get around. Aside from the golf, this will enable you to get out and explore the best the Highlands has to offer!

Where to Eat & Drink

Milk & Honey. Your coffee and breakfast spot. Grab something before your round or settle in for a proper Scottish breakfast if you have time.

Highland Larder. Fresh seafood right on the beach. If the weather cooperates, this is where you want to be.

Surf and Turf. Another solid seafood option. The name tells you what you're getting.

Luigi. Italian in the Highlands sounds suspect, but it's good and hits the spot when you need something other than fish.

The Eagle Hotel. The best pub in Dornoch. This is where you end your evenings.

Locals' Tip

In the summer, the local pipe band plays every Saturday evening in Dornoch. If you time it right and grab an afternoon tee time at Royal Dornoch, you'll have bagpipes as the soundtrack coming down the 18th. It's absurdly Scottish and worth planning around.