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Home Scottish Links Golf The Basics Detailed information AFSD - how to determine the real length of a golf course Helpful Websites Platinum Page Upscale golfing products & services Aberdeen & Grampian Highlands Royal Aberdeen, Cruden Bay... Ayrshire Royal Troon, Turnberry, Prestwick... Just east of Edinburgh Scotland's Golf Coast NorthBerwick, Muirfield, Gullane... Northern Highlands Boat of Garten Bonar Bridge Ardgay Brora Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golspie Nairn Nairn Dunbar Royal Dornoch Strathpeffer Tain St. Andrews area Other golf courses Machrihanish, Pitlochry... Links Lite Great links golf for the not-so-great golfer Donate What others say |
Northern Highlands (c)
The Northern Highlands is a world apart--a land of great beauty, the clans, the late evening
sun (in June you can play golf until after
11 PM and then tee off again at 4:30 AM if
you wish), history as rugged as the terrain,
wild mountain streams, and golf courses that
will live in your memory forever. This northern
part of Scotland is not as remote as you
might think. In fact, it's very accessible
and should be part of every independent golfer's
golfing experience. It's also the warmest
and driest area in the Highlands. |
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| The "skyline" of the quaint burgh of Dornoch, taken from the Struie Course at Royal Dornoch Golf Club. That's the Dornoch Catherdral towering over the town. Note the yellow gorse in the foreground. (How could you miss it!) It grows profusely in the Highlands, and blooms outrageously in the month of May, a lovely time to be here. |
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Pine Ridge B&B - In the heart of beautiful Cairngorm National
Park... A lovely B&B in Carrbridge, near Aviemore, just 5 minutes off the A9. Shona Rankin has created a B&B of exceptional value. See details on our Boat of Garten page and at her own website, www.pineridgecarrbridge.com. You will not be disappointed in this comfortable traditional Highland home and we are pleased to recommend it to you. Perfect for a golf holiday in this scenic area. |
| Craigerne House Hotel Top quality country house hotel. Small, warm and friendly. Deluxe in every way. If you want excellence at moderate prices, you need look no further. Beautiful accommodations in a beautiful part of Scotland. Ideally located for golf and mountain activities, like skiing in winter. Many challenging golf courses of great Highland character are within easy travel. More details on our Boat of Garten page and of course their own website. www.craigernehotel.com |
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When you are hungry in DornochYou will discover several eateries right in the centre of Dornoch.Royal Dornoch Golf Course Clubhouse restaurant is available to you if you've played one of their courses. Michael Carr, renowned local chef, is now the chef here, and we enjoyed the place immensely -- good food and the view over the golf course is a feast for the eyes. Luigi's on Castle Street is popular for a reason. It's good. Dornoch Castle Hotel has a garden restaurant, nice for lunch. Mansfield House Hotel has a good bar menu, which means less expensive pub-type meals. Sutherland House - our first choice for fine food. Wonderful authentic Scottish dining with warm service. Their excellent chef cooks everything to order. The home-made desserts are exceptional--world's best StickyToffee Pudding!!! Very fine food at fair prices. The Sutherland House also offers a Bar Food menu during the day. For evening meals it's definitely best to call ahead for bookings.
_____________________________________________________________ What to do all day around DornochDornoch has a wonderful aura of the past about it--very small but with everything you'll need for a truly memorable stay. Definitely a walking village, you can cover most of it in a short time. But stroll easily, as almost every building offers something of interest. If your travel companion is playing Royal Dornoch, the best plan is to leave the car right there at the golf course and walk down the street to the corner, where you turn right. In another 100 yards you will be in the town centre. Turn left and begin your walk along the main street and the small streets running off it.The town is dominated by the Cathedral, which you are free to enter. Up until a few short years ago the Dornoch Cathedral was known for its historical value--it was founded in 1224! Now, of course, it receives many more visitors because it is where Madonna and Guy Richie held their son's christening ceremony. Hollywood and the outside world have discovered Dornoch and the Northern Highlands, but this is a hardy, ancient land...and it remains unchanged. And that's the beauty of it, and the joy and peace of being here in this timeless place.
Once you've investigated the cathedral, meander
around and savour the local scene. You'll
find a few good antique shops, an old-fashioned
combination general store and gift shop,
called "The Gift Shop," and another
unusual emporium called the "Dornoch
Pet And Country Store." You can browse
freely in any of the shops, where you'll
see items you may have never seen before
and you'll meet people who are friendly and
helpful.
Donald Ross, the great Scottish golf architect, lived in Dornoch, and if you walk onto the little street off the high (main) street in the village centre you can see the plaque on the house he grew up in. Donald Ross "cut his teeth" on the Royal Dornoch course, and later went on to design several hundred (!) golf courses in the United States, most of which contain some reminder of Royal Dornoch.
History Links Museum -- If you like your history information organized and easy to grasp as well as colourful, walk one block south of the main street to the History Links Museum, tucked behind the Castle Hotel and located on a street called "The Meadows." There are signposts pointing the way. Everything is easy to find in Dornoch, and you cannot get lost. Dornoch is fun to explore by taking the Heritage Trail, which starts at the History Links Museum. But the museum itself is very rewarding. You'll find 7,000 turbulent years packed into one small musuem. Discover Dornoch's fiery past--the treachery and violence of the Picts and the Vikings, the feuding clans and the shameful burning of Scotland's last condemned witch. www.historylinks.org.uk And when you grow weary of walking around, pop into one of the tea shops in the village for a relaxing cup of tea and some homemade scones, for instance. It's a comfortable, unhurried way to enjoy some time to plan your next move. The Dornoch Bookshop is a fine place to browse. I always spend a lot of time in here and if you like books, you will too. Saturday nights in the summer...Pipe bands and Highland dancers perform in the town centre Saturday evenings in summer. A special Highland treat. It's very light at night in these latitudes.
In the surrounding countryside and not far --
Glenmorangie Distillery The Scottish Highlands have the most and some of the best whisky distilleries in the world. And here, at Tain, south of Dornoch just after the A9 crosses the Firth of Dornoch, you can visit one of the most remowned. www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/tain/glenmorangie/index.html Other worthwhile places are listed on the individual golf course pages. Especially see Tain. |
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