▦ hero—storm light over the links from Castle Stuart's tower
Destinations / Scottish Highlands
Cabot Highlands
Championship links on the Moray Firth, minutes from Inverness.
Courses
Castle Stuart
Old Petty (Doak, 2025)
36-hole tickets
Best season
May – September
Getting there
Fly to Inverness (INV), 15 min
Fly to Edinburgh (EDI), 3 hr
Sleeper train from London
From the airport
Inverness (INV) · ~20 min drive
Price
$$$
Castle Stuart spent a decade hosting Scottish Opens on its firth-side fairways before Cabot bought it and doubled the bet: Tom Doak's Old Petty opened alongside it in 2025, making Inverness a genuine two-course destination on the way to Dornoch and Nairn.
The infinity fairways seem to pour into the Moray Firth, with the Kessock Bridge and Chanonry lighthouse as aiming points. Buy the 36-hole ticket, and use the location—half the great links of the northern Highlands are within an hour's drive.
The courses
Castle Stuart
Reserve →Gil Hanse & Mark Parsinen · par 72 · four-time Scottish Open host with the firth on every hole.
Where to stay
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Golf Lodges at Castle Stuart
Staying off property
On-property lodging sells out well in advance—these nearby stays keep the trip alive.
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Culloden House
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Kingsmills Hotel
Off the course
Loch Ness, 30 min
Culloden Battlefield
Speyside whisky day (Glen Ord is closest)
Day trips to Nairn & Royal Dornoch
Best time to go
MarMayJulSepNov
Late March to mid-November season; May–September is prime. Long northern light means 9pm tee times in June.
Sample itineraries
The 36 · 2-day
Castle Stuart + Old Petty ticket
Highlands loop · 5-day
Both courses + Dornoch & Nairn
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