SCOTLAND
Highlands'golf with Harry Potter's train

- Where to play

The Official Golf Guide of Scotland says that “the north all but guarantees your round will be played amid a series of breathtaking backdrops” and it is absolutely true. Royal Dornoch is certainly the most famous of the 50 Highlands and Islands courses but visiting this country, Inverness is the centre place to set up base surrounded by some good courses.

- Inverness Golf Club is a parkland course overlooking the Beauly Firth. Created in 1883, the course is situated one mile from the city centre and has been used for The Northern Open. It measures 6256 yards and although considered short by modern day standards it has many fine features which makes it a most enjoyable test of golf.

- Loch Ness Golf Course and Fairways is the Inverness city new course opened in 1996 by Sam Torrance, Ryder Cup-winning captain 2002. There is an Old and a New Course, the new being shorter than the Old one but they are neighbours on the slopes of the hills over Castle Heather at a few minutes from the centre of Inverness. As the game is going up on the hill, the views over the city and the Firth are more and more spectacular. There is also a 9-hole Family course.

- Island hopping

Sometimes it is good to forget the musts of the best guides to follow the out of the beaten path and embark on an adventure like "island hopping". This is the name given by locals to experience some hidden gems courses located in a remote fishing village or a on windswept long sandy beach.

- At a few miles east from Inverness after Culloden, Nairn is fortunate in having two championship golf courses, both set close to the shores of the Moray Firth.The older The Nairn Golf Club was founded in 1887 and has hosted a large number of prestigious tournaments down the years, while its slightly younger neighbour, Nairn Dunbar Golf Club , was founded in 1899 and has been earning itself a growing reputation having been described by golf commentator Peter Alliss as one of Scotland's hidden gems.

- Ballachulish House Golf is a 9-hole completed in 2001. It is a challenging 5038 yard, par 68/65 course, with spectacular views to Loch Linnhe and the Munros to the north.

- Fort William Golf Club sits along the Jacobite train railway in the shadow of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain. Opened in 1974, the fairways slalom along and around the cliffs, going up and down, with some spectacular views over the city and the Loch Linnhe and the Neptune’s staircase on the Caledonian canal. This is a challenging course to walk

- Traigh Golf is located at Arisaig which is the Britain's most westerly mainland railway station and could be therefore the most westerly mainland golf course (?). Anyway! The documentation says “a challenging seaside course amidst some of the most beautiful scenery in the West Highlands” and it is true! Traigh (say Try) means beach and the decor is made of white sandy beaches and green rocky islets with a backdrop on the islands of Eigg and Rum and the Cuillins of Skye. Golf has been played here till 1900 but the course has been redesigned in 1994. A newspaper wrote probably the most beautifully sited nine hole golf course in the world. We agree with this opinion but… it can be very windy!!!
Photo courtesy of www.traighgolf.co.uk

Royal Dornoch

View from Loch Ness Golf

Nairn near Inverness

Ballachulish golf


Fort William Golf


Thraigh Golf

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