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TRAVEL
Tufted sand dunes, woodland walks, a soft golden
stretch of beach, and the rolling royal golf course,
all conspire to make Dornoch a pocket of peace and
calm in our otherwise busy lives. This coastal town in the
Highlands of Scotland, nestled by the sea in the county
of Sutherland, is a four-hour drive from Edinburgh – if
you’re travelling up here from anywhere else, a stopover
is recommended to make it a little more leisurely. I stayed
the night at The Dunstane Houses in Edinburgh, a Victorian
villa that was once a private residence and still feels like
a home, but is now a luxury boutique hotel. The hotel has
just 17 rooms, and if you choose the Ronaldsay Suite, you’ll
be treated to a ground-floor room with a freestanding
in-room bath that basks in the original bay window. For
dinner, head into town to Noto, where the stripped-back
rustic menu and décor puts simple goodness at the heart
of the dining experience.
Then it’s onwards. The drive up to Dornoch is a dreamscape
of sweeping land that expertly introduces you to what is
to come. Bridge after bridge carry you safely over rivers
and firths, until the sea opens out before you and you have
arrived at beautiful Dornoch. The historic town has a small
fairy-tale castle that was built around 1500 and was set on
fire in 1570 amid a bitter feud between the McKays and the
Murrays. It was soon restored and, following many years
as a castle, it was bought by a private investor and became
a hotel in 1947. Naturally, the town has a well-stocked
whisky shop, the Carnegie Whisky Cellars, where in
non-Covid-restriction times you can indulge in some
whisky tasting. The staff here are knowledgeable and
helpful and will advise you in choosing the right whisky
for your tastes.
As you walk from the town it’s a matter of mere minutes
to the golf course and the beach. On the way, you’ll
pass a pretty church and the hotel Links House, where I
stayed. Links House is the old church manse house that
was built in 1843. It was bought by Todd Warnock, an
American visiting the area to play golf, in 2005, and the
transformation from private manor house to hotel began.
Now spread over three properties, following renovations
and the building of a whole new wing beside the church,
visitors have the choice of luxury accommodation in
the shape of deluxe hotel rooms, luxury suites and
bespoke apartments.
At the top of the road is the Royal Dornoch Golf Club,
and beyond that, the North Sea leaps to shore on the
soft sandy beach. The golf club is a major draw for many
visitors and it’s always full, but this is a peaceful corner
of Scotland to stay in, no matter what you like to do with
your time. If you fancy picking up a club for the first
time, there’s a small putting green at Links House, or
you can play croquet on the lawn. But if all you want to
do is wander and wonder, this is the perfect place for it.
➤➤
Dornoch Links House.
A Luxury Suite at Dornoch Links House.
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