The Highlands & North East

Royal Dornoch is one of the world’s great golfing experiences, a course that feels timeless, majestic and completely at home in its landscape. The setting is spectacular, with wide views over the Dornoch Firth and a sweep of dunes that rises and falls with natural grace. The famous raised greens, the firm turf and the beautifully flowing routing create golf that is both strategic and thrilling, asking for imagination, control and a confident short game.

Every hole feels purposeful and memorable. There is a rare sense of purity here, a feeling that the land has simply been revealed rather than shaped. Royal Dornoch is golf of the highest calibre, unforgettable in its beauty and its challenge.

Royal Aberdeen offers one of the finest traditional links experiences in Scotland. The outward nine runs through a stunning corridor of dunes beside the North Sea, with tight driving lines, firm rumpled fairways and beautifully framed greens that reward precision. Every shot feels shaped by wind and terrain, creating a round that is demanding but deeply satisfying.

The inward nine returns over higher ground with wider views and clever changes in elevation that keep the challenge varied. Presentation is first class, the heritage is strong and the atmosphere is quietly confident. Royal Aberdeen delivers classic links golf at its purest, a course that stays with you long after you walk off the eighteenth.

Castle Stuart is modern links golf brought to life by architect Gil Hanse, who shaped the course with a clear vision for fun, strategy and striking visuals. Set along the Moray Firth with views across to the Black Isle, the layout feels spacious and dramatic, yet never intimidating. Wide fairways encourage bold tee shots, while subtle contours and clever angles reward thoughtful play.

The natural terraces of the site create changes in elevation and a beautiful sense of movement, with several greens appearing to float above the water in classic infinity style. Castle Stuart is a masterful blend of artistry and playability, delivering a round that feels uplifting, memorable and unmistakably Scottish.

Cruden Bay is one of the most atmospheric and distinctive courses in Scotland. Set along a sweeping stretch of Aberdeenshire coastline, it moves through towering dunes, rolling valleys and elevated ridges that offer some of the most memorable views in links golf. The layout feels wonderfully varied. Some holes rise high above the sea, others twist through narrow, sandy corridors, and several feature dramatic changes in elevation that make club selection both fun and challenging.

Greens are full of character and the routing keeps you guessing in the best possible way. Cruden Bay is a course that delivers charm, adventure and pure enjoyment, a place where every hole has its own personality and sense of theatre.

Old Petty at Cabot Highlands is a fresh and thoughtful addition to the Scottish golf scene. Tom Doak’s course sits on former farmland shaped into gentle contours rather than dramatic dunes, giving the course a quieter style rooted in strategy. The routing moves beside the tidal estuary and past the historic 1839 church, with views of Castle Stuart from most holes.

Fairways are generous but reward well chosen angles, and the greens have subtle movement that asks for precise approaches. The layout flows naturally with minimal walking between holes and a calm sense of space. Old Petty feels modern yet timeless, a course that favours imagination, touch and smart decision making.

Nairn is a classic Moray Firth links with a wonderfully natural feel and a proud golfing heritage. The opening stretch runs right along the shoreline, bringing sea, sand and wind into play from the very first tee. Fairways are firm and inviting, the greens are fast and beautifully kept, and the course rewards thoughtful strategy rather than brute power.

As the round moves inland the terrain shifts subtly, adding interest without losing its coastal character. The final holes return toward the water with a flourish. Nairn is known for its warm welcome, its championship pedigree and a layout that feels honest, scenic and highly enjoyable from start to finish.

Boat of Garten is a beautifully presented Highland course set beside the River Spey, surrounded by pine forest and views of the Cairngorms. Designed by James Braid, it offers a clever and varied layout that rewards accuracy and touch. Fairways weave through trees and natural contours, creating holes that feel intimate, scenic and thoughtfully shaped.

Greens are true, the heather adds colour and challenge, and the setting brings a calm, unhurried rhythm to the round. Boat of Garten is a course with real charm and personality, a place where classic design and Highland atmosphere come together in a wonderfully enjoyable way.

Brora is a charming and authentic Highland links that feels wonderfully untouched. The layout moves through classic rumpled fairways with the North Sea always in view, offering simple beauty and steady challenge in equal measure. Greens are lively, the turf is firm and fast, and the ever present breeze keeps the course honest.

Local character shines throughout with grazing wildlife sharing the land. Brora delivers golf that feels pure and quietly memorable, a place where tradition, scenery and natural rhythm come together with real warmth.

Fortrose and Rosemarkie is a distinctive links set on a narrow spit of land stretching into the Moray Firth, giving it one of the most striking settings in the Highlands. As one of the oldest clubs in Scotland, it carries real heritage, yet the course feels lively and engaging from the first tee. The layout is tight, clever and shaped by the sea on both sides, rewarding accuracy and smart course management rather than power.

Greens are beautifully presented and often well defended, with subtle slopes that keep your short game sharp. Wind is a constant companion and adds real variety to the round. Fortrose and Rosemarkie is scenic, challenging and full of character, a memorable coastal experience that punches well above its size.

Tain is a welcoming Highland links with real charm and a strong sense of tradition. First laid out by Old Tom Morris, the course makes the most of its coastal setting beside the Dornoch Firth.

The opening holes ease you in before the routing begins to twist through dunes and natural folds in the land, creating varied approaches and greens that reward accuracy and touch. Tain is enjoyable, honest and quietly characterful, a course that blends history, scenery and solid design in a very satisfying way.