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Scottish Highlands Featuring Cabot

The Destination – The Highlands region of Scotland encompasses miles of lochs, rugged coastlines, natural forests, castles, whiskey distilleries, kilted culture and great golf.

The Venues

Accommodations abound around Inverness including Kingsmill, Cabot Lodge or home rentals. At Northeast Golf / Golf Inspired recommendation, we booked the historic Culloden House where Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed before the Battle of Culloden and guests are now treated like kings and queens. The mansion made a cameo appearance in the Outlander series, and some say long time employee Kyle inspired the Jamie role. He won our Scottish character award for unparalleled humor.

Dining at the Culloden House delivers authentic Scottish ambience and elegance, from breakfast to dinner and high tea in between. A bagpiper plays in the evening, and a quaint little bar facilitates engagements with global travelers. The secret code to the Forbes Walled Garden is shared with guests and highland hospitality is second to none at the Culloden House.

The Golf

Cabot Highlands in Inverness anchors the golf scene, dishing up scrumptious sea vistas with phenomenal tracks. The clubhouse is tiered like a birthday cake with floor to ceiling windows on every layer, built for parties with a grand view of the courses and Moray Firth.
Starters offer a Scottish shortbread cookie with a comprehensive yardage book. Three pages present the experience and play philosophy by Gil Hanse and the late Mark Parsinen, co-designers of the Castle Stuart course. 18-hole layouts and descriptions include postcard perfect snapshots.

The fairways on Castle Stuart Golf Links are laid out in a stacked fashion such that nearly every hole peers over the estuary. It provides a calm occasion to bide your time watching the tide roll in on a casual round. Across the estuary, the sun shines on the green hill and village. The Chanonry Lighthouse beacons on Black Isle, opposite of Fort George which stands staunchly in gray on the Peninsula.

Castle Stuart’s greens are fast, making it wise to note the approach advice kindly given in the yardage book. Bunkers with walled fronts contain soft tan sand requiring a full, fast, open-faced swing to pop out. Tin cups deliver a loud dink to reward successful putts.

The namesake Stuart Castle with the open spire that inspired the logo is faced on hole 4’s par 3. It is also viewed from the Clubhouse and may be later toured. Built in 1625, the land was gifted to James Stuart by his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots.

Kessock Bridge, connecting Inverness to Black Isle is another landmark seen from many holes. Views are stunning until the clouds blow in. It is advised when you can’t see Kessock, to get your waterproofs on. We lucked out for 17 dry holes and finished 18 drenched by a downpour, nonetheless ecstatic about the experience.

A second course at Cabot Highlands by Tom Doak named Old Petty will open for preview play on August 1, 2025, until September 30, 2025, with a grand opening in the spring of 2026. It rambles through hillsides with several holes along the water. The second hole will play past Old Petty Church and the third past Castle Stuart. Celebrating its 400th year, the Castle is in view from 13 of the 18 holes on Old Petty.

Ben Dewar’s fingerprints are all over Cabot Highlands. Employees note the kind owner’s engagement with everyone he meets, a quality we too appreciated when introduced at Cabot Citrus Farms in Florida.

And More

Après golf, there is no shortage of castles, gardens, beaches, architectural wonders, pubs, Loch Ness, and distilleries to visit. Glenmorangie is popular, themed with giraffes because the necks are the height of their tall stills. Daily tours feature tastings and a signature cocktail that pairs well with the lobster roll at their food truck.

Our Takeaway

The Highlands might not be the first thought of Scotland but there is nothing secondary about the adventures. A couple days are not enough to thoroughly explore the region.

The Journey

Reach the Highlands directly with a flight to Inverness Airport, five minutes from Cabot. Optionally, fly into Edinburgh or Glasgow and embrace the thrill of maneuvering the left side of the road in your own rental. En route to Brora, unique road signs appear warning of big roe bucks, otters in the road and in towns, elderly people, ha. https://cabothighlands.com/


Alice Scott
Author: Alice Scott

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