In October 2023 I headed way north to get an early peek at Marine & Lawn’s newly renovated Dornoch Station hotel beside the 1st hole on Royal Dornoch’s Championship course - one of the most highly regarded links in the world and a regular feature at, or very close to, the top of any best courses in Scotland list.
Dornoch Station hotel
The railway originally opened the Dornoch Station in 1902, with the line’s demise coming in 1960. The painstakingly renovated hotel overlooking the 1st hole at Royal Dornoch has now reclaimed its former glory, with bedrooms, bar and public spaces just oozing with the ambience of its earlier years.
Bar Ross conjures up the ambience of a former, more elegant era
The rooms are elegant and cosy, with many looking out over the links. Bar Ross, named after famous Dornoch native, Donald Ross, is a cracking spot for a whisky or two before sauntering through to the magnificent snooker room where I spent an hour being reminded just how tough this game is on a full-size table. The Golden Gorse restaurant cleverly blends classic with contemporary in both its décor and menu.
Dornoch Station's snooker room is a great place to while away an hour or two
At the time of publication, the ‘Dinner at The Golden Gorse’ offer started from £187 per room per night to include a two-course table d’hote dinner as well as a full Scottish breakfast. The Marine & Lawn collection consists of four more hotels close to iconic links and all have built strong relationships with their neighbouring golf courses, with the hotel concierge teams on hand to assist with local golf bookings.
A view of Dornoch Station hotel through the wispy grasses on Royal Dornoch's 1st hole
Royal Dornoch’s Championship links
My trip coincided with this world-famous Sutherland club announcing that work was about to start (and has now started) on a grand £13.9 million clubhouse redevelopment. Its revered Championship links remains both a delight and challenge in equal measure. I managed to survive the infamous par-3 2nd, with its precariously perched green, relatively unscathed before moving on to one of my favourite stretches along the foot of the ever-steepening gorse bank from the 3rd to the 6th, especially the supremely well bunkered 5th and the devilish par-3 6th, where you just can’t miss the narrow green right… or left, or short!
Light and shade on the 1st green of Royal Dornoch's famous Championship links
It was also great to see the fairly recently redesigned long, par-4 7th along the higher ground, which now plays dead straight to a wonderful new infinity green. Some think it would make a worthy Open venue were it not an hour north of Inverness, and they're possibly right as it is an intriguing links that will test your short-game versatility to the full. Missing the green on many holes poses a unique challenge, nowhere more so than on ‘Foxy’, the famous 14th with its steep bank front-left that rises as much as 10ft in places.
The Struie course
The supporting Struie course was strengthened 20 years ago courtesy of major works by Robin Hiseman in which just three of the original holes were retained. More is afoot here to raise its game yet further and take fuller advantage of the serene setting along the Firth where the 9th to 13th holes currently play.
Five holes on the Struie courses currently play close to the Firth but there could be more in the future
A new par-3 9th hole is well underway that will offer lovely views to Dornoch Point and across to Portmahomack and, in the longer term, there is talk of more holes along this stretch, with the course potentially starting on the current 3rd
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