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DORNOCH, Scotland - Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.
I just happened to be playing Royal Dornoch on the sunniest day less than 24 hours after the famous club announced an incredible expansion that will forever change the Scottish Highlands. By securing 50 acres next to the Struie Course, Royal Dornoch is set to embark on a master plan led by King Collins Dormer Golf to significantly upgrade its long-tenured secondary layout while also adding a brand-new links course, short course, driving range (which it currently does not have), short game area with multiple putting courses/greens and golf accommodations.
After securing 50 acres next to the Struie Course, the Club has appointed US-based @KingCollinsGolf to lead a visionary masterplan, including a new 18-hole course and upgrades to the Struie. The land acquired gives us the potential to offer three fine courses at Royal Dornoch.… pic.twitter.com/Y2laUGnQ41
— Royal Dornoch (@RoyalDornochGC) May 7, 2025
Suddenly, the Highlands is about to be one of the hottest destinations in the world when it comes to golf-related development. The momentum started in 2022 with two big acquisitions. That's when the Canadian-based Cabot brand, led by Ben Cowan-Dewar, bought Castle Stuart (a former Scottish Open venue) and rebranded the property Cabot Highlands. It immediately began building a new Tom Doak course, Old Petty, that will debut in August. New golf accommodations and real estate are in the plans as well.
That same year, AJ Capital Partners bought The Dornoch Hotel and rebranded it Dornoch Station, a Marine & Lawn Hotel, just a short walk from the first tee of Royal Dornoch. The hotel's 122 rooms were reconfigured into 89 more spacious and elegant rooms and suites with the Golden Gorse Restaurant and the Ross Bar serving elevated drinks and dining.
If the controversial Coul Links project by Coore & Crenshaw ever gets approval and built, the Highlands might finally be able to stand up to St. Andrews as Scotland's premier links golf destination.
The impact of Royal Dornoch's master plan
Royal Dornoch's Championship links has always been the magnet that draws golfers to the Scottish Highlands. It's not only one of the world's best links but one of golf's most scenic playgrounds, too. The gorse was in full bloom during my round. A new £13.9-million golf clubhouse is on schedule for completion next year.
The problem for the Highlands has always been too many golfers stopping by for a quick round to check Royal Dornoch off their bucket list and heading back towards other regions. I always felt that was such a wasted opportunity. Castle Stuart remains one of my favorite Scottish links, and any combination of Fortrose & Rosemarkie, Golspie, Tain, Nairn and Brora makes it well worth sticking around for at least a couple more rounds.
The sheer beauty of the Highlands extends beyond the golf course. I've gone fly fishing at the Ness Castle Lodges fishing lodge; toured Dunrobin Castle, followed by a falconry exhibition on the lawn; and searched for 'Nessie' from the ruins of Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness. The Highlands truly are a magical place.
Royal Dornoch's expansion, coupled with the excitement surrounding Old Petty, will finally force golfers to stay longer. The architects hired by Royal Dornoch - Tad King and Rob Collins - have built their reputation by designing two of America's most popular remote inland courses: Sweetens Cove in Tennessee and Landmand in Nebraska. By teaming up with Trevor Dormer, who helped shape Cabot Cliffs and Cabot St Lucia's Point Hardy Golf Course, the new KCD team has become a major contender for fantastic seaside sites. The trio has already been contracted to build the second course at 7 Mile Beach in Tasmania in addition to the Dornoch project.
I've always been a fan of the Struie - so much so that some friends call me 'Struie' - but the improvements will likely transform a secondary "relief" course into another must-play experience at Dornoch.
“The KCD team’s imaginative concept and passion for Royal Dornoch and using the land at our disposal in a different way, captured our imagination," noted general manager Neil Hampton on Royal Dornoch's website. “They will be very much hands-on from start to finish, taking the project from the drawing board to the construction phase and completion."
Scottish Highlands Hidden Gems Golf Package
Staying at the revitalized Dornoch Station, a Marine & Lawn Hotel
Dornoch Station's next chapter is also a major boon in attracting golf travelers to the Highlands. In the past, if the Dornoch Golf Hotel next to the current Royal Dornoch clubhouse was full, the accommodation options dropped considerably in quality and convenience from there.
Dornoch Station boasts all the character and old-world charm (and ghosts?) you'd expect in a building dating to 1902. Modern conveniences like a small elevator to lug clubs up to rooms and an astroturf putting green on the front lawn make life better for golfers.
We imbibed during a special whiskey tasting in The Ross Bar - named, of course, after Donald, who grew up in Dornoch. The Highlands sport its fair share of distilleries, notably Glenmorangie just up the road in Tain.
Best of all, the days seem to last forever this far north. A single golfer was teeing off the first, walking out into the golden hour, as I finished my round around 7:30 p.m. He would enjoy another three hours of daylight.
After a fine dinner at Golden Gorse, I went for a walk to enjoy the views from above the links, watching dusk's shadows dance over the dunes. Past Dornoch Beach, I'd never seen the Dornoch Firth so calm.
It was then that a wild thought crossed my mind: Are the Scottish Highlands better than St. Andrews?
I'm not the first golfer, nor will I be the last, to think such treachery. If it's still a preposterous question right now, it will become harder to answer as golf in the Highlands continues to improve and evolve.
When all these new links open, would you choose the Scottish Highlands over St. Andrews for a golf trip? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Comments (1)
Jason - Very good article that accurately describes the potential for the Highlands to become a golf destination unto itself. I am a nonresident member of Dornoch (actually a Struie member who has now been on the waitlist for 7 years) and was initially encouraged when the club announced last year that it had acquired adjacent property with the purpose of improving the Struie Course. However, I was blown away when I saw the new master plan that not only improves Struie but also adds a third course to be designed in true links tradition. Returning to Dornoch in July for our annual trip my golfing buddies from Richmond, VA who have been members for 15-20 years (I now live full time in FL). Looking forward to seeing the progress on the new clubhouse and to playing the new par 3 9th hole on Struie. Once again, thank you for your well written article.