Castle Stuart Golf Links

Castle Stuart opened in 2009 — making it one of the youngest links courses in Scotland — but the routing, designed by Gil Hanse and Mark Parsinen, has the feel of a course that's been there far longer. The land sits on a cliff above the Moray Firth, with views east towards the open sea, north across the firth to the Black Isle, and south back to the hills behind Inverness. There is no green that doesn't have a sea view.

The course played host to three Scottish Opens between 2011 and 2013, and was widely admired by the touring professionals for its strategic intelligence — wide forgiving fairways with deep, well-positioned bunkering, large greens with subtle internal contours, and approaches that reward angles over power. The 17th, a clifftop par 3 with the firth filling the entire backdrop, is the photographed hole.

Visitor green fee is £255 in 2026. Booking via castlestuartgolf.com up to 12 months ahead. Caddies and buggies available — buggies are unusually permitted on this course, useful given the elevation changes. For visitors basing in Inverness, Castle Stuart pairs naturally with Nairn (40 min east) and Royal Dornoch (1h 15m north) as the three-course Highland circuit. Closes briefly in winter.