North Highland Escapes
Dornoch
Dornoch
The historic town of Dornoch sits an hour's drive North of Inverness overlooking the Dornoch Firth and offering a wonderful destination for the active and more relaxed visitor alike.
The town became the focus of attention of the world's media nearly twenty years ago when Madonna chose the town's ancient cathedral in which to get married but it already had a reputation for those in the know for its miles of golden beaches and world class golf. In the near two decades since Madonna was here, there has certainly been an increased investment in tourism infrastructure in the town with improved hotels and a surprisingly wide selection of fine dining to enjoy. Of course, you'll find traditional old- style bars on the main street and a plethora of gift shops offering a range of Highland made arts and crafts.
Dornoch is quite rightly renowned for its championship links golf course; it certainly has the right to claim that it is one of the finest Scottish links courses and it has become a magnet for golfing pilgrims. This is perhaps best seen by the fact that the golf club now has more than 500 overseas members.
The beach sits adjacent to the golf course and runs from Dornoch Point beyond Embo to the mouth of the Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve and it is worth walking whether it's the heart of summer or in midwinter. The beach is flanked by a Site of Special Scientific Interest producing a wonderful protected natural environment for birds and plants alike.
Travel
Dornoch sits an hour north of Inverness just off the A9 which forms the first part of the world famous North Coast 500 driving route. It is around eighty minutes from the arrivals hall at Inverness Airport making it a realistic short break destination from a range of UK and European departure points. The journey from Glasgow or Edinburgh (and their airports) is under four hours by car.