Destination Golf - March 2016 Destination Golf - March 2016 | Page 43

Kevin Markham discovers so much
more than just world-class golf in the
northern Scottish Highlands. Raise a
glass to the world’s newest driving
route.
What is 500 miles long, slides between endless mountain and seascapes,
and has 27 golf courses?
The answer is Scotland’s newest driving route. Named the North Coast
500 (NC500) it is pitched as Scotland’s answer to Route 66… in reality, it
more closely resembles Ireland’s dramatic Wild Atlantic Way. Route 66
can’t boast the sort of epic coastline found here.
The NC500 wraps around the northern Highlands, stretching from
Inverness, up to John O Groats, the most northerly point on the British
mainland. It then switches west for 90 miles to the isolated and beautiful
village of Durness. From here the road peels south through one of the
most dramatic and inspiring landscapes imaginable, winding its way
towards Applecross, another remote outpost on the Scottish coastline.
This is the wild and beautiful Scotland that so many people imagine. In
November, I drove this route to play all the golf courses and experience
the magic of the Highlands. It promises the best of both worlds: scenery
to leave you breathless and golf that plays over two of the world’s best
courses.
The NC500 starts in Inverness, the region’s capital. There is a non-stop
bustle to the city’s restaurants, shops and nightlife, which all fall under
the gaze of Inverness Castle. In one shape or another, the castle has been
watching over this part of the Highlands for a thousand years. It must
never tire of the views that spill away to the north and up the Moray
Firth, which begins beneath the castle walls.
One of those views is Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club [www.
fortrosegolfclub.co.uk], just up the Moray Firth. This is a low-lying links,
set on a narrow peninsula which juts sharply into the sea. Holes stretch
out to the tip, called Chanonry Point, where people gather daily at the
lighthouse, waiting for a pod of dolphins to put on a daily show. Golfers
can enjoy the performance from the 4th green. Sadly, the show was
cancelled on the day I played.

Volume 3 • Issue 32

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