highland golf links

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And there are few places which offer more stunning golf settings for playing links golf than the Highlands of Scotland. The Highland Golf Links partnership brings together three world class links courses; Royal Dornoch Golf Club, The Nairn Golf Club & Castle Stuart Golf Links.

To the links, are added three luxury Highland hotels equally attuned to the needs of the modern travelling golfer; The Royal Golf Hotel in Dornoch, Culloden House Hotel near Inverness and The Golf View Hotel in Nairn. All establishments serve as a perfect base from which the visitor can enjoy and explore a unique part of Scotland easily combining memorable golf and quality accommodation with historic attractions.

Inverness, Scotland’s most northerly city boasts world-class restaurants, pubs and an active nightlife and of course the majestic and mystical Loch Ness is nearby

with boat trips and scenery not to be missed. Dornoch and Nairn themselves boasts wonderful sea views, quiet sandy beaches and almost immediate access to the world famous Whisky Trails.

With improved road, rail and air travel, golfing in The Highlands has never been more accessible. Inverness International Airport is only a five minute drive from Castle Stuart and it directly connects to international hubs of London, Amsterdam and Paris as well as other major cities across the UK and Europe. It is increasingly accessible by car and less than three hours from the 18th Hole at The Old Course in St. Andrews.

The Highlands of Scotland has always been a destination that fulfils expectations and the partners of the Highland Golf Links look forward to welcoming you on a memorable golfing journey.

Scotland, the esteemed Home of Golf, and blessed with a variety of inspiring courses, is known as the historic host of links golf - the original form of a game whose origins date back more than six centuries.


Welcome to Scotland - Welcome to the Highlands

View of the 9th Green and Clubhouse, Castle Stuart Golf Links

And for those who have already played the wonderful links overlooking the Moray Firth it is hard to disagree.

The first three holes on each nine play away from the art deco clubhouse and hug the Moray Firth coastline while the remainder of the golf course is mostly atop a plateau. Clever shaping creates the impression of ‘infinity greens’ appearing to hang right over the edge of the water.

The views afforded by the golf course are spectacular; from 17th Century Castle Stuart itself behind the fourth green; to the Chanonry Lighthouse across the Moray Firth to the east and the Kessock

Bridge, the gateway to Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, to the west.

Castle Stuart Golf Links has embraced a total visitor experience that starts with the arrival and just carries on from there with use of the full range of clubhouse amenities, a wee warm up on the practice range, the holing of a few putts before play, and the enjoyment of a complete meal and drink in the comfortable and friendly atmosphere of the clubhouse.

On a golf odyssey, what can be more important than fond memories savoured for a lifetime?

“The best golf course built in the British Isles since the Second World War.”

John Huggan, Golf Journalist


Castle Stuart Golf Links

Established in 1887, The Nairn Golf Club runs along the southern shoreline of the Moray Firth. This traditional links golf course was created from a Highland wilderness of gorse and heather, and is a regular venue for world class competitive golf including both the Walker and Curtis Cups. It is regarded as one of the finest courses in Scotland and is consistently ranked in the top quarter of the Top 100 Courses in Britain & Ireland.

Steeped in history, The Nairn Golf Club has been shaped by the giants of the game with its undulating greens and rippling fairways refined by the likes of Archie Simpson, ‘Old Tom Morris’, James Braid and Ben Sayers. The result is a challenging championship course set against a stunning natural backdrop with magnificent views across one of the most scenic coastlines in Europe.

“Nairn is a classic, traditional out-and-back links, and the holes along the coast rival anything at more illustrious Scottish courses.”

Jock Howard, Golf Journalist


The Nairn Golf Club

View of the Clubhouse, Nairn Golf Club

View of the 1st tee and Clubhouse, Royal Dornoch Golf Club

As the multiple Open Champion winner testified to himself, Royal Dornoch is quite spellbinding and its qualities ensure that golfers from all over the world make the pilgrimage to this natural links at some point in their lives.

The 6700-yard 18-hole par 70 links sits permanently in the Top Five Courses in Britain & Ireland and high up in the World’s Top 100 best courses. It is perhaps the timeless setting that makes Royal Dornoch such a pleasing place to play golf. It is wild, isolated and, at the same time, picture postcard beautiful.

The blaze of colour in early summer when the gorse is in flower is complemented by the pure white sandy beach which divides the links from the Dornoch Firth and it all combines to style the perfect golfing venue.

Ostensibly the course itself may appear pretty straightforward with it’s out-and-back layout. Many of the greens, though, are built on natural raised plateau making approach play especially challenging and it is of course these raised domed greens that became the trademark of Dornoch’s most famous son, Donald Ross.

“The most fun I’ve ever had on a golf course.”Tom Watson, Scottish Links Golf Expert


Royal Dornoch Golf Club

Culloden House sits in forty acres of private grounds yet is located only three miles from the City Centre of Inverness, the Capital of the Highlands.

Originally home to the Forbes family this remodelled Georgian Country House played host to Bonnie Prince Charlie as his Battle Headquarters at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. There are twenty eight bedrooms ranging from Standard to Suites, a magnificent and highly acclaimed dining room and then there is the Library Bar stocking over 200 of the finest Malt Whiskies.

Culloden House sits as one of the finest Country House Hotels in Scotland and enjoys accolades from guests from across the world as well as awards such as being on the Conde Nast Gold List.

Enjoy Country House luxury near Inverness at the historic Culloden House.


Culloden House Hotel

Culloden House Hotel, Inverness

Golf View Hotel, Nairn

With its views across the sea to the Black Isle and its gardens leading down to the shore which is just a few steps away The Golf View Hotel and Spa is the perfect place to relax after a day of links golf and is located only a short walk from the first tee of The Nairn Golf Club.

Many of the hotels 42 four star bedrooms are sea-facing with traditional interiors that provide guests with an exceptionally comfortable and relaxing place in which to stay.

The hotel Conservatory Restaurant which enjoys beautiful vistas across the golden

sands and Moray Firth coastline beyond serves up fine AA Rosette dining with a selection of the finest dishes.

With an excellent choice of leisure facilities including heated indoor pool, Jacuzzi, tennis courts and a Sonas Spa and beauty salon on-site, there is plenty available to ensure that all guests – golfers and partners – can make the most of their visit.

Relax at The Golf View Hotel & Spa in Nairn with unrivalled views over the Moray Firth.


Golf View Hotel

Many of the 22 en-suite four-star and individually styled bedrooms overlook both the golf course and Dornoch Firth beyond. All rooms are well equipped with direct dial telephone, flat screen televisions incorporating freeview channels, hospitality tray and complimentary toiletries to ensure a comfortable stay and WiFi is free throughout the hotel.

The Conservatory Restaurant serves food all day and provides an array of mouth-watering dishes made from the finest locally sourced, fresh and seasonal ingredients. Menus are complemented by an extensive wine list featuring interesting and varied wines from around the world. The famous Donald Ross golfers’ bar serves ales, spirits and liqueurs as well as a fine range of malt whiskies and The Royal Golf Hotel also offers a secure golf store and drying room.

Located on Royal Dornoch’s First Tee, The Royal Golf Hotel is a Golfers’ Paradise.


Royal Golf Hotel

Royal Golf Hotel, Dornoch

The Highlands of Scotland has attracted visitors even before the poet Robert Burns travelled its length and breadth.

More than ever, you will find something interesting to see or do across the Highlands and the golfing visitor can expect a warm welcome not only at the courses and hotels but in the restaurants, pubs, attractions and shops. Part of the Highland Golf Links experience is simply being part of the unique and rich heritage and culture of the area.

After an enjoyable 18 holes, golfers need to quench their hunger and thirst and the Highlands of Scotland is a wonderful gourmet’s paradise where the excellent food and beverage offerings of the six links partners sit alongside world class restaurants and top rated pubs. From Nairn to Dornoch, the area abounds with the history that the visitor would expect of Highland

Scotland. The magnificently situated Urquhart Castle, on the banks of Loch Ness, remains an impressive stronghold and the stunning views of the Loch provide wonderful snapshots. Loch Ness is the largest body of water in Scotland by volume and is over 20 miles long, a mile wide and is 700 feet at its deepest. Following the 1746 defeat at Culloden of Bonnie Prince Charlie, George II created the ultimate defence against further Jacobite unrest. The result, Fort George, is the mightiest artillery fortification in Britain, if not Europe and is well worth a visit.

Shopping for Scottish crafts in the Highland towns, and the varied nightlife and the cultural programme of Scotland’s most northerly city, are just a few of the other options that may distract the golfing visitor, just a little, from thoughts of tomorrow’s round and play on some the finest Links Golf Courses in the World.

“My heart’s in the Highlands, wherever I go.”Robert Burns, Scotland’s Bard


Attractions & Local Information

Scotland is famous for its whisky and if you’ve ever tasted it, you’ll know why and after eighteen holes a visit to one of the many distilleries is a must do for many golfers. A distillery visit gives an insight into the world of whisky; discover how the distilleries use barley, water, yeast and peat to create the distinctive taste, texture, colour and smell of whisky and throughout the Highlands the golfer will find beautifully sited distilleries still dispensing individual charm, history and the proverbial ‘water of life’.

Whatever golf course played there are great distilleries easily accessible to visitors and a warming dram in the most traditional of settings is always assured.

Visitors can plan a great Highland golf and distillery route with a visit to:

www.maltwhiskytrail.com

www.tomatin.com

www.glenmorangie.com

Whisky, Uisghe Beatha, The Water of Life, has evolved over more than 500 years to give the range of rich single malts, complex pure malts and distinctive Scotch blends we know today.


Whisky

BY AIR Inverness is the closest airport, located just a couple of miles from Castle Stuart and seven miles from The Nairn Golf Club. Direct flights currently operate to a host of major UK airports including Gatwick, Luton, Belfast, Bristol, Southampton, Birmingham, Manchester and an increasing number of direct European flights such as Amsterdam, Dusseldorf and Paris.

BY RAILThe station in Inverness is the main gateway to the Highlands by rail. There are direct daily services to and from London Kings Cross, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and most other major cities and towns. There is also a nightly sleeper service to and from London Kings Cross. Train timetables and other information can be found by clicking on to www.nationalrail.co.uk

BY ROADFor many golfers travelling to the Highlands is part of the experience with wonderful scenery to enjoy en route.

The three key routes into Highland Golf Links country are:

The A9 - bringing traffic northwards from central Scotland to Inverness and onto Nairn and Dornoch, the A9 is the most direct route by car to Inverness from Central Scotland and England. The scenery is ever changing from the pastoral beauty of Perthshire to the mountainous grandeur of the Cairngorms.

The A82 – a less direct route to Inverness but breath-taking in its beauty. The A82 comes north from Glasgow up beside Loch Lomond’s ‘bonnie banks’, through remote Argyll, the always spine tingling Glencoe, into the Great Glen through Fort William, up by Loch Ness and into Inverness.

The A96 – this road brings traffic from the north east of Scotland and Aberdeen and its international airport the north east into Inverness via Nairn. A96. A road that will lead you to Aberdeenshire and the North East golfing coast.

Approximate Travel Times to Inverness:• Aberdeen - 2hrs • St. Andrews - 2hrs 45mins • Gleneagles - 2hr 30mins • Loch Lomond - 3hrs• Edinburgh - 3hrs • Glasgow - 3hrs 15mins


The Highlands has never been more accessible

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highland golf links

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esteemed home of golf