Fortrose
Royal Dornoch
Royal Dornoch
no shortage of distilleries in the Highlands, as almost
every town has one. They’re as frequent as the tourist
‘discovery’ centres that so successfully explain the
area’s rich history and culture.
Some towns, such as Tain, even boast two distilleries,
but I wanted a taste of Tain Golf Club [www.tain-
golfclub.co.uk] first. 2015 was its 125th anniversary
and a wooden carving of its designer, Old Tom Morris,
greets you as you drive in. The links stretches over
beautifully bumpy linksland, with holes shepherded by
broom and gorse. Several of these enjoy a surprisingly
tranquil isolation and Old Tom’s ‘Northern Jewel’
remains an enigmatic addition to any golfing itinerary.
Tain is renowned for its Glenmorangie Distillery, but it
was the nearby Balblair Distillery [www.balblair.com]
that drew my attention. It is a smaller, more personal
affair and Gabrielle, our guide, gave us a tour of the
oldest distillery in Scotland. It dates back to 1715. We
finished up in one of the dark, low warehouses where
Ullapool Views
the whisky is stored. It was in this same warehouse
where Ken Loach filmed scenes for The Angels’ Share,
in 2012.
I was out early at Royal Dornoch [www.royaldornoch.
com] the following day. There was no one behind me
so I was able to lap up every inch of a course dating
back 400 years. It is widely regarded as one of the
greatest courses in the world, often described by
golfers as ‘magical’. I was certainly cast under its spell
from the moment I arrived. Royal Dornoch is blissfully
beautiful, with a wedding cake feel… three delicious
tiers tumbling down from a high ridge that curls around
the Dornoch Firth. It is a course to be savoured, as is
every other element of the Royal Dornoch experience…
the food especially.
Fish is, not surprisingly, a regular feature on menus
along the North Coast 500. My clubhouse dinner of
blackened sea bass sounded simple, but it was perfectly
prepared… and, the following night, I dared a taste
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