Castle Stuart: Under the spotlight

Located 15 minutes outside of the city of Inverness in northern Scotland lies Castle Stuart Golf Links. Opened in 2009, Castle Stuart has quickly become one of the more popular golf courses in Scotland, an incredible achievement considering the standard of golf in the area.

Situated on the Moray Firth, the golf experience at Castle Stuart is truly unique; 6 of the 18 holes border the waters of the Moray Firth with elevation changes not typically found on links-style courses. Just two years after opening, the course hosted the 2011 Scottish Open (won by Luke Donald) and drew many big-name participants such as Matt Kuchar, Justin Rose, Phil Mickelson, Shane Lowry, and many more.

The course itself plays between 5,200 and 7,000 yards depending on what tees you play, so you can make the course as long or as short as you please (permission from the golf shop is required to play the tips).

A large steep bank of thick gorse bushes runs the length of the course and separates holes 1–3, 10-12 at the base of the bank near the water from the rest of the course on the upper plateau. The course offers very generous fairways with wide landing areas for your tee shots. Bunkers do not play a huge role throughout the course as most of the bunkering is around the greens with a few fairway bunkers strategically placed on some of the longer holes.

For those looking to do a golf tour of the Inverness area, Castle Stuart pairs extremely well with the likes of Nairn Golf Club, Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club, and Moray Golf Club. For those looking to travel a little further, Tain Golf Club and Royal Dornoch would make the perfect additions to a golf tour of the Scottish Highlands.

For accommodation, we would recommend staying in Inverness with most of the golf courses being accessible within an hour’s drive of the city. Hotel options in Inverness include the Kingsmills Hotel, Royal Highland Hotel, and the River Ness Hotel. There are also a plethora of B&B options in the area including a customer favorite, the Sandown House B&B.

Recommended package

• 4 nights accommodation at Kingsmill Hotel
• 3 rounds of golf at: Castle Stuart Golf Links, Royal Dornoch Golf Club, and Nairn Golf Club

View package: 4 nights, 3 rounds in Inverness

Location

• Inverness, Scotland, United Kingdom

• 160 miles from Edinburgh Airport

• 180 miles from Glasgow Airport