Highland golf breaks combine championship links with Scotland’s most dramatic scenery, where courses wind through mountains, lochs, and rugged coastline. The Scottish Highlands deliver golf experiences unlike anywhere else in the country, with venues like Royal Dornoch ranked among the world’s finest, while Castle Stuart and Nairn provide equally exceptional challenges. Fairways Scotland creates bespoke Highland breaks balancing remote championship golf with the region’s legendary whisky distilleries and natural beauty.
Our award-winning service handles Highland logistics expertly, securing tee times at courses where booking proves essential and arranging luxury accommodation positioned strategically between venues.
A private chauffeur service navigates Highland roads while you enjoy spectacular scenery stretching between courses.
The Highland golf experience differs fundamentally from Scotland’s more accessible regions. Courses here feel remote and wild, with fairways carved through natural duneland overlooking dramatic coastline. Royal Dornoch sits two and a half hours north of Inverness in the small cathedral town of Dornoch, creating a genuine pilgrimage atmosphere for serious golfers.
Castle Stuart opened in 2009 on land beside the Moray Firth near Inverness, bringing championship golf closer to Highland transport hubs. Designer Mark Parsinen created links celebrating Scotland’s traditional golf while incorporating modern strategy and playability. The course hosted multiple Scottish Open Championships, establishing credentials alongside Royal Dornoch.
Nairn Golf Club operates two excellent courses on the Moray Firth coast. The Championship Course provides a traditional links challenge with firm fairways and strategic bunkering, while Nairn Dunbar offers equally excellent golf with different characteristics. Both courses deliver authentic Highland links experiences with significantly less crowding than southern Scotland venues.
Based in Scotland and with over 10 years of expertise, we offer local knowledge and can create a tour to suit every client. Peter, PGA Pro also offers expert knowledge of the game of golf and the many golf courses in Scotland.
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Providing a personal service, we work with our clients closely to provide the best value for money, with no hidden costs or additional admin fees.
With an abundance of amazing golf courses and experiences in Scotland, we have the perfect golf break for every type of golfer and can create bespoke/ tailor-made packages.
Highland holidays extend beyond golf into spectacular landscapes. Between rounds, explore:
Evening dining features Highland game, including venison and grouse.
Highland packages balance golf with travel logistics. Options include:
Accommodation positioning creates immersive Highland experiences.
Royal Dornoch ranks among the world’s top ten courses. The championship links features the following:
Tom Watson called it “the most fun I’ve ever had on a golf course”.
Castle Stuart brought championship infrastructure to the Highlands. The course provides:
The course creates comfortable championship experiences rare in Highland golf.
Highland championship links share unique characteristics. Courses feature:
These courses reward golfers who embrace links golf fundamentals.
Highland luxury focuses on unique experiences. Premium options include the following:
These activities complement championship golf, creating comprehensive experiences.
Nairn’s Championship Course delivers traditional links golf. The courses feature:
Both courses create genuine links and challenges with significantly less crowding.
The Highland coast hosts excellent courses beyond championship venues. Notable options include:
These courses complement championship venues with Highland character.
Weekend Highland breaks require realistic expectations about travel distances. Flying to Inverness Friday evening allows for Saturday morning Castle Stuart or Nairn rounds, followed by afternoon play at the other venue. Sunday morning provides a final round before afternoon flights south.
Alternatively, dedicate full weekends to Royal Dornoch, with Friday evening arrival in Dornoch allowing Saturday and Sunday rounds on the Championship Course plus additional Struie Course play. This focused approach maximises Dornoch experiences without extensive driving between venues.
May to September
April & October
May, June & September
June
Founded in 1877, one of the world’s most prestigious golf clubs with a rich heritage
Established in 1887, renowned for hosting prestigious tournaments, with a rich Scottish golfing tradition
Moray Old Course is another outstanding golf course set along the sparkling shores of the Moray Firth, opened in 1889.
Located just a few miles west of Nairn, Castle Stuart is the newest addition to golf in the Highlands. Even though just opening in 2009 Castle Stuart has attracted visitors in their droves year after year. This Par 72 stretches long over 7’400 yds. However due to a variety of teeing areas, generous fairways and large greens, it is very playable for golfers of all abilities. The course rolls along the Moray Firth Coastline and boasts some of the most spectacular views in golf.
As well as ‘Castle Stuart’ in view from many points on the golf course. Above all, Castle Stuart just oozes class and is one of those walks you would never tire of doing over and over again. For this reason, The European tour has hosted The Scottish Open there a number of times.
Fortrose & Rosemarkie is located to the north of Inverness and is the 15th oldest recorded club in the world. This 6,085 yrd course spans along the Chanonry peninsula in the ‘Black Isle’ that juts out to Rosemarkie Bay on the Moray Firth. It is a favourite spot for many dolphin enthusiasts to catch a glimpse of the local dolphin pods feeding. Although the course is short, it certainly makes up its challenge in other ways. Specifically the course includes narrow fairways guarded by gorse, small undulating greens and pot bunkers at every turn.
As well as also contending with some incredible cross winds that sweep across the peninsula. Fortrose and Rosemarkie is a real quirky, great fun place to play golf in the Highlands. The Luxury Travel Guide Lifestyle Awards also honoured the club with the accolade of ‘Golf Club of the Year for Scotland 2019’.
Moray Old Course is another outstanding golf course set along the sparkling shores of the Moray Firth, opened in 1889. The Old Course was laid out by Old Tom Morris and true to ‘Old Tom’s’ designs there are an incredible mixture of wonderful golf holes. In fact some even claim the Par 4 18th is one of the finest holes in Scottish Golf.
The course has played host to a long line of Amateur and Professional tournaments as well as exhibition matches since 1901. Moray Golf Club also has a neighbouring ‘New Course’, which is a tremendous course in its own right. As a result, Moray Golf Club is a prime location to enjoy a couple of days’ golf in the Highlands. The club also stocks every malt from Moray and Speyside and far beyond – ideal for a dram after 18-holes!
Highland breaks combine world-class golf with Scotland’s most dramatic scenery and wild landscapes. Royal Dornoch ranks among the world’s finest courses, while the region’s remote character creates authentic experiences away from tourism development. Combining championship golf with Speyside whisky tours and Highland wilderness exploration creates unique Scottish experiences.
Inverness Airport provides Highland access with direct flights from London, Edinburgh, and Manchester. Castle Stuart sits fifteen minutes from the airport, while Nairn is thirty minutes. Royal Dornoch requires an additional ninety-minute drive north. We provide private chauffeur service from the airport through the entire Highland break.
Royal Dornoch offers multiple tee positions, making the course playable for recreational golfers from forward markers. The course rewards strategic thinking over pure power. While challenging, Dornoch remains fair with wide fairways allowing recovery from wayward shots. We recommend appropriate tees based on ability.
May through September provides the most reliable weather and the longest daylight. Highland weather patterns create more variable conditions than those in southern Scotland. June and July offer eighteen-plus hours of daylight, allowing extended rounds. Spring and autumn provide excellent conditions with fewer midges, though midges become an issue in July-August around dawn and dusk.
Absolutely. Speyside, Scotland’s premier whisky region, sits ninety minutes from Inverness. We integrate distillery tours at Glenfiddich, Macallan, Balvenie, and others into Highland breaks. Golf days alternate with whisky exploration, creating balanced experiences combining Scotland’s two greatest traditions.
Both rank among the world’s greatest courses but offer different experiences. St Andrews provides more historical significance and pilgrimage atmosphere, while Dornoch delivers more dramatic duneland terrain and a remote character. Many golfers find Dornoch more naturally beautiful, while St Andrews holds greater historical weight. Both are essential Scottish golf experiences.
Inverness provides luxury hotels and excellent dining with easy access to Castle Stuart. Dornoch offers charming guesthouses and the Carnegie Clubhouse, with Royal Dornoch immediately accessible. Nairn provides a coastal town atmosphere. We recommend Inverness for amenities or Dornoch for golf immersion, depending on priorities.
Caddies can be arranged at Royal Dornoch and Castle Stuart, highly recommended for first-time visitors. Local knowledge about wind patterns, hidden breaks, and strategic options proves invaluable, especially at Royal Dornoch, where subtle terrain features deceive unfamiliar players. Booking essential. Fees range from £60 to £100 plus gratuity.
Highland breaks combine well with other Scottish regions despite the distances. Popular routes include flying into Edinburgh, playing East Lothian or St Andrews courses, then driving north through the Highlands to Inverness, finishing at Royal Dornoch before flying home. This creates a a comprehensive Scottish golf journey.
Highland breaks offer exceptional non-golf options: Loch Ness boat tours and Urquhart Castle, Speyside whisky distillery tours and tastings, Cairngorms National Park hiking and wildlife viewing, Cawdor Castle and Culloden battlefield historical sites, and Highland estate experiences including fishing and shooting.
From the initial contact, our team work closely with you to plan each detail of your golf Breaks and provide you with your own personalised Golf Breaks and Holidays itinerary.
