The Scottish Highlands’ leading golf courses and hotels are stepping up efforts to attract more visitors, having committed over £10 million to upgrading facilities in the last 18 months.
Work has been progressing among members of the Highland Golf Links (HGL) partner organisation to improve conditions on and off the course for players from home and abroad.
HGL brings together Castle Stuart Golf Links, The Nairn Golf Club and Royal Dornoch Golf Club as well as the Kingsmills Hotel and Culloden House Hotel, Inverness; the Royal Golf Hotel and Links House, at Royal Dornoch; and the Golf View Hotel in Nairn to promote destination breaks.
The partnership offers attractive packages for visiting golfers to enjoy the finest links golf and luxury accommodation while exploring a unique and beautiful part of Scotland.
The latest member of the partnership is Links House which opened in June and overlooks the first tee at the famous Royal Dornoch Golf Club.
Its eight bedrooms have been individually designed to the highest standard and golfing guests can also enjoy the gardens complete with a private putting green maintained by Royal Dornoch’s green keepers.
Castle Stuart Golf Club near Inverness, which attracted record crowds in its third year of hosting the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open in July, has opened three new luxury lodges on the links for visitors and is progressing work on the Dormy House golf hotel which will welcome guests next year.
The Royal Golf Hotel has recently completely refurbished 16 of its 22 bedrooms and upgraded the public areas, including the conservatory restaurant.
Recent investment at the Golf View Hotel has seen the creation of a new reception area to provide even better facilities for guests ahead of the golf season.
Work has also started on the Kingsmills Hotel Phase 3 development, which will be completed by January and consists of 38 new luxury bedrooms and conference and banqueting facilities.
Royal Dornoch Golf Club has introduced some improvements to both its Championship and Struie courses, including a manned half-way house next to the 10th tee, and a four-bay driving range on the Championship course, while new markers and signposts have been installed on the Struie Course.
Nairn Golf Club’s modern clubhouse has recently been refurbished and the Whitelaw Lounge, named in honour of former Home Secretary William Whitelaw who was a club member, is to be given a make-over this year after consultation with members.
And Culloden House has restored the four-acre walled garden to its former glory as well as upgrading common areas, dining room, bedrooms and the hotel technology so that the it now offers wi-fi and HD TVs.
Fraser Cromarty, chairman of HGL, said: “The scale of investment in the partner organisations is indicative of the importance we place on quality in all aspects of our business in attracting repeat and new visits to the Highlands.
“Visitors expect very high standards at our courses and hotels and we constantly strive to ensure we match those expectations and provide a product in keeping with our wonderful destination.”
HGL was formed in summer 2011 and since then 1,497 stay and play packages for ‘shoulder’ months of April and October-November have been booked as a result of the campaign. This represents 4,491 rounds of golf, 2,994 bedroom nights and spending worth £441,615.
Highland Golf Links www.highlandgolflinks.com