Beyond Royal Dornoch: 5 Highland Links Worth the Detour

So you've got Royal Dornoch pencilled in. Grand. But if you fly all this way and only play the one course, you're leaving the best of the Highlands on the table. With Dornoch heading into its 150th anniversary and the 2028 Curtis Cup now confirmed, tee sheets are only going to tighten — so here are five links, ranked, that deserve a slot in your trip.

Prices below are 2026 visitor green-fee bands (peak summer unless noted). Always ring or check the club site for the exact rate on your date, and book early — June to August fills up fast.

1. Brora — 20 minutes north of Dornoch

If you only add one course, make it Brora. It's a James Braid 1924 redesign — he was paid the princely sum of £25 — with his signature crowned greens, humpy fairways, and the famous electric fences keeping the sheep and Highland cattle off the putting surfaces. Yes, really. Mind the wires.

"The most natural links course in the world." — Peter Thomson, five-time Open Champion, on Brora

Tom Watson is an honorary member. That should tell you enough.

• Green fee band (2026): around £110–£130 peak; shoulder and twilight rates noticeably kinder.
• Drive from Dornoch: 20 minutes up the A9. Rail: Brora is a stop on the Far North Line.
• Signature hole: the par-3 6th, "Witch" — a plateau green above the beach with the North Sea over your right shoulder. Miss it and you'll know about it.
• Insider tip: Director of Golf Gary Dingwall and his team run a proper welcoming clubhouse — stay for the soup.

2. Tain — 20 minutes south of Dornoch

Another Old Tom Morris design (1890), running along the Dornoch Firth with the River Aldie snaking through the back nine. Tain flies under the radar because Dornoch is next door, and that's exactly why you play it: proper old-school links routing, generous fairways off the tee, and greens that reward a run-up shot.

• Green fee band (2026): around £85–£110 peak.
• Drive from Dornoch: 20 minutes south on the A9.
• Signature hole: the 11th, "Alps" — blind approach over a ridge to a green tucked in the dunes. Trust your yardage.

3. Golspie — 10 minutes north of Dornoch

Golspie is the sleeper. Three courses in one: opens with links holes by the sea, wanders through heathland, then finishes in pines. There's a bit of James Braid in the routing here too. It's the perfect afternoon round after a morning at Dornoch or Brora — half the fee, half the hassle, all the fun.

• Green fee band (2026): around £55–£75 peak. Best value on this list.
• Drive from Dornoch: 10 minutes.
• Signature hole: the par-3 6th over the burn — short but deceptive when the wind's up off the firth.

4. Nairn — 1 hour south, near Inverness

Walker Cup venue (1999), Curtis Cup venue (2021), and a regular on every "best of Scotland" list — so "hidden gem" is stretching it, but visitors chasing only Dornoch still skip it. Don't. You can reach the beach from every hole on the front nine. Firm, fast, honest.

• Green fee band (2026): around £180–£220 peak. Book well ahead.
• Drive from Dornoch: around an hour south on the A9.
• Signature hole: the par-4 14th, "Kopje" — a raised green that shrugs off anything less than a committed strike.

5. Castle Stuart — 1 hour south, near Inverness Airport

The modern one on the list, opened 2009, and a former Scottish Open host. Cliff-top fairways, art-deco clubhouse, the Moray Firth in nearly every photograph. If you're flying in or out of Inverness, this is your bookend round — 15 minutes from the airport.

• Green fee band (2026): around £195–£245 peak.
• Drive from Dornoch: about an hour; 15 minutes from Inverness Airport.
• Signature hole: the par-4 17th along the cliff edge — pick your line and commit.

How to actually plan it

A sensible three-day Sutherland loop looks like this: Dornoch on day one, Brora on day two (with a Clynelish dram after), Golspie or Tain on day three. Add Nairn or Castle Stuart on the way in or out of Inverness Airport and you've got a proper Highlands week.

A few home truths from someone who plays these courses in every wind direction:

• Book Brora and Dornoch 3–6 months out for June–August, and expect that window to shrink as the Curtis Cup approaches.
• Twilight tee times are gold in June — it's light until nearly 11pm this far north.
• Pack for four seasons in one round. The Sutherland coast doesn't care about your forecast app.
• Hire a caddie at Dornoch and Brora if it's your first time. Local knowledge on those crowned greens is worth every penny.

New here? Start with our companion piece on the architects who shaped these links — it's the "why these courses matter" backdrop to everything above.

Plan your trip with us

We're putting together a free Highlands Golf Trip Planner — tee-time strategy, driving distances, where to eat, and the drams worth stopping for. Subscribe to the newsletter and we'll send it your way, along with course updates from Brora, Dornoch and the neighbours through the season. Come say hello on Instagram too — post your best signature-hole shot and tag us in.

See you on the first tee.