The golf
Tain: par 70, 6,109 yards
The 1st tee of Royal Dornoch’s Championship links lies just 100 yards from Links House, and it was great to play the revered links again in September 2025 just a few months before the unveiling of its new £13.9 million clubhouse.
Beautiful light on the par-3 13th at Royal Dornoch
But in this article, I’m focusing on Tain’s Old Tom Morris links just a few miles away, which I had last visited 20 years ago.
Looking up the 18th hole towards the clubhouse at Tain
In lovely autumn weather I thoroughly enjoyed my round, heeding the pro’s advice to take just enough club on the 2nd to get over the crest but also stay short of the burn.
I particularly liked 8 and 9 – a lovely self-enclosed par 3 then a clever, sharp-right dogleg. The famous 11th plays right down to the Firth, with its blind approach played over three pronounced hillocks (or on to the left-hand one in the case of my pulled 8-iron).
The signature 11th green at Tain right by the Firth from the 12th tee
The back-to-back par 3s at 16 and 17 are beautifully varied – a lovely little downhiller over a burn then an altogether longer affair where water also gets involved if you leak it right.
The 16th is one of two cracking back-to-back par 3s near the end at Tain
Much work had taken place here for the better since my previous visit, with the clearing of gorse and scrub giving the middle parts of the links a much less claustrophobic feel overall.
The hotel
Links House is the ideal luxury base for any trip centring on the famous golf town of Dornoch.
The original, sand-coloured building is a former manse built in 1843, completely renovated under new ownership since 2011.
The new Glenshiel building arrived in 2013 to bring the total Links House accommodation offering up to 15 luxury rooms and suites.
The Glenshiel building, which opened in 2013, added more room options at Links House
The interior elegance and style is in keeping with the original building’s heritage while The Mara restaurant’s menu matches its ambience.
The Mara restaurant serves first-class local cuisine
The focus in the restaurant is on what is labelled S4+0: Scottish, seasonal, sustainable and slow, with the admirable ultimate goal of achieving zero waste.
The interior elegance of the anteroom in the Glenshiel building
This is a genuinely beautiful and relaxing place to stay, and in the off-season spending a while over a whisky or two in front of a roaring fire takes some beating.
What's not to like about coming home to this after an ouf-of-season day on the links?
Perhaps best of all, its proximity to Royal Dornoch Golf Club means you can join in with the locals often seen arriving at the course on foot with clubs on their backs rather than in the boots of their cars.
Best deal
Links House’s ‘Highland Icons’ golf breaks on the acclaimed North Coast 500 in autumn 2025 and spring 2026 offer keen golfers a world-class experience while playing four of the Highlands’ top links – Royal Dornoch, Brora, Tain and Golspie.
The historic links at Brora is also included in Links House's 'Highland Icons' offer
Two-or three-night stay-and-play packages start from £600 per person based on double occupancy to include accommodation, golf, an excellent breakfast and welcome pack.
Optional enhancements include private whisky tasting at Carnegie Whisky Cellars, a golfer’s massage at Aspen Spa and private transfers to and from Inverness Airport and to the local courses.
Find out more or book at linkshousedornoch. com/offers/golf-offer.
(prices correct at time of publication in November 2025)
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