First-hand Highlands guide
The best four-day Highlands golf itinerary from Nairn to Dornoch
The Highlands rewards golfers who slow down and plan the route properly. Dornoch is about an hour and a half from Nairn, and you pass too much good golf on the way to treat the drive as dead time. Base the trip around Nairn and Dornoch, then use the journey between them to add Castle Stuart, Brora, Golspie and the Moray Firth.
Day 1
Nairn and Nairn Dunbar
Start on the Moray Firth with Nick’s home club, then add Nairn Dunbar for a fun, slightly easier second round if the group wants 36 holes.Day 2
Castle Stuart
Give Castle Stuart its own day. It is a tough walk, so a caddie or forecaddie is sensible if you have not played it before.Day 3
Royal Dornoch
Build the trip around Royal Dornoch Championship: the course, the new clubhouse and the views from the third tee onward are the Highland centrepiece.Day 4
Brora and Golspie
Stay north and play two characterful Sutherland courses: Brora for remote links purity and Golspie for underrated variety and brilliant greens.Best bases
Nairn first, Dornoch second
Nairn works beautifully for Nairn, Nairn Dunbar, Castle Stuart and Moray Old. Dornoch is the better base once the trip moves north for Royal Dornoch, Brora and Golspie. Trying to do everything from one base adds unnecessary driving and makes the Highlands feel harder than it needs to.
Courses to plan around
Six Highland courses that define the trip
The region is strongest when you combine the obvious world-class names with the quieter courses that make the north feel different: traditional Nairn, remote Brora, underrated Golspie and the modern theatre of Castle Stuart.
Royal Dornoch
Royal Dornoch (Championship)
The Highland pilgrimage: Nick’s favourite course in Scotland, with a spectacular new clubhouse and unforgettable views from the third tee onward.Explore the course →Nairn
Nairn (Championship)
Nick’s home club and one of Scotland’s best traditional links, with magical Moray Firth golf and the Bothy halfway house.Explore the course →Castle Stuart
Cabot Highlands (Castle Stuart)
A polished modern Highland course with one of Scotland’s best modern clubhouses and outstanding holes along the water.Explore the course →Brora
Brora Golf Club
Simple, remote links heaven: rolling land, brilliant green complexes and cattle and sheep still roaming the fairways.Explore the course →Golspie
Golspie Golf Club
A fun, underrated Highland stop with a genuine 6/6/6 blend of parkland, links and heathland, plus excellent greens.Explore the course →Nairn Dunbar
Nairn Dunbar Golf Club
Easier and less linksy than Nairn, but great fun with excellent turf and a strong second-round option around Nairn.Explore the course →Course-by-course notes
How each Highland course fits into the route
The Highlands is not just Royal Dornoch with a long drive attached. The best trips use the route itself: Nairn and the Moray Firth first, then Dornoch, Brora and Golspie once you move north.
Nairn and Nairn Dunbar
Nairn is Nick’s home club and one of the best courses in the country: magical, traditional and properly exposed beside the Moray Firth. The Bothy is the best halfway house in Scotland. Nairn Dunbar is a little easier and not quite as linksy, but it is great fun, has lovely turf and works beautifully as a second local round.
Royal Dornoch Championship
Royal Dornoch Championship is Nick’s favourite golf course in Scotland. The new clubhouse is stunning, the second is famously described as the shortest par five in the world despite being a par three, and once you reach the third tee the whole course opens up. The walk from the sixth green to the seventh tee is tough, but the view from the top is worth it alone.
Castle Stuart
Castle Stuart gives the Highlands a modern contrast. It has one of the best clubhouses among Scotland’s modern courses, but it is a tough walk and first-timers should consider a caddie or forecaddie. The water-side opening stretch, especially holes one, two and three, is as good as modern Scottish golf gets.
Brora
Brora is simple in the best possible sense: rolling links land, great green complexes and a feeling that you are in golfing heaven with almost nothing around. Cattle and sheep still roam the fairways, with electric fences around the greens, which tells you plenty about the character of the place.
Golspie
Golspie is far less famous than the headline Highland courses, but it is absolutely worth playing if you are spending time in the region. It has a real 6/6/6 feel: parkland, links and heathland. The greens are some of the best around and there are very few flat putts.
Moray Old and the wider Moray Firth
Moray Old belongs in the conversation when the trip is based around Nairn and the Moray Firth. It helps turn the Highlands from a Dornoch-only pilgrimage into a proper northern Scotland golf route, with enough variety to make the driving worthwhile.
Places to stay
Where to stay for a Highlands golf trip
Choose the base around the shape of the trip. Golf View works well for Nairn and the Moray Firth. Dornoch Station is the classy choice once Royal Dornoch becomes the focus.
Classy Dornoch base
Dornoch Station
The obvious Dornoch base if Royal Dornoch is the centrepiece. Classy, convenient and close enough that the golf feels woven into the stay.Nairn base by the water
Golf View Hotel & Spa
A strong Nairn base with a classic coastal feel, ideal if you want Nairn, Nairn Dunbar, Castle Stuart and Moray Firth golf within easier reach.Food and drink
Where to eat and drink around Nairn and Dornoch
Keep this simple: The Bandstand is the Nairn pub-food-and-drink recommendation. In Dornoch, eat at Royal Dornoch Golf Club or Dornoch Station and let the golf day feel complete.
Nairn pub food and drinks
The Bandstand
The easy Nairn recommendation for pub food and a drink after golf. It fits a Nairn-based trip perfectly.Dornoch clubhouse food
Royal Dornoch Golf Club
If you are playing Royal Dornoch, eating at the club is part of the day. The new clubhouse makes the visit feel even more complete.Dornoch hotel dining
Dornoch Station
A smart Dornoch dinner option, especially if you are staying in town around the Royal Dornoch part of the trip.Practical planning notes
Small details that make the Highlands work
- Do not underestimate the driving. Dornoch is roughly an hour and a half from Nairn, so split the trip rather than forcing every day from one base.
- Stop for the golf between bases. Castle Stuart, Nairn Dunbar, Golspie and Brora are not filler; they are the courses that make the route feel complete.
- Consider help at Castle Stuart. It is a tough walk, and a caddie or forecaddie makes sense for first-time visitors.
- Expect proper Highland character at Brora. As of 23 June 2026, cattle and sheep still roam the fairways, with electric fences protecting the greens.