Wide Moray Firth links five minutes from Inverness Airport, now with a second course.
Castle Stuart opened in 2009 on the shore of the Moray Firth east of Inverness and quickly became a Highland favourite, hosting the Scottish Open four times. In 2022 the Cabot group bought it and renamed the property Cabot Highlands. A second course, Old Petty, has since opened alongside. Few Scottish links are as easy to reach: the airport is five minutes away, and Inverness is ten.
Visitors are welcome every day during the season, and booking is required. Reserve through the Cabot Highlands website. Rates step up from the early season (27 March–14 May 2026) to the main season (15 May–11 October) before easing again until closing on 14 November. Cancellation terms are strict: a full refund more than eight weeks out, a 50% charge between four and eight weeks (or rebooking for a £50 fee), and no refund or transfer inside four weeks. Members of Scottish golf clubs receive substantially reduced rates. Stay-and-play packages combine a night in a four-bedroom lodge with two rounds.
Visitor green fee, early (27 March–14 May) and late (12 October–14 November) 2026. £385 in the main season; 36 holes from £400. 2027 rates run £290–£395. Prices change by season and booking route, so confirm the current rate with the operator. Official rates ↗
The established course, ranked among the best in Scotland and host of the Scottish Open in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016. Generous off the tee, with firm surfaces and greens that reward a well-chosen line. Open from late March to mid-November.
Tom Doak’s new course, built with lead associate Clyde Johnson on land to the east of Castle Stuart. It runs a shorter season, from 15 May to mid-November, and the 36-hole ticket pairs a round on each course in one day.
Mark Parsinen, who had developed Kingsbarns, built Castle Stuart with Gil Hanse. The course sits on three levels of land stepping down to the firth, with wide fairways, sandy waste areas and bunkers with ragged, revetted edges. Wide landing areas leave the difficulty to the approach, where angle matters more than distance. The opening holes run right along the water, and the view across to Chanonry Lighthouse and the Kessock Bridge stays with you for much of the round.
Because the airport is so close, Castle Stuart works well on arrival or departure day of a Highland trip. Book early-season or late-season dates if you want the lower rate, but remember Old Petty does not open until mid-May. A two-round day on both courses is the efficient choice if your time in the Highlands is short. The clubhouse restaurant and top-floor lounge cover lunch and a drink after the round.
Inverness Airport, with flights from London, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Amsterdam among others, is about five minutes away by car. Inverness city centre and railway station, with services to Edinburgh, Glasgow and an overnight sleeper to London, are about 15 minutes west.
Nearby: 1. Nairn Golf Club (12 km) · 2. Nairn Dunbar Golf Club (15 km) · 3. Tain Golf Club (32 km) · 4. Royal Dornoch Golf Club (39 km) · 5. Moray Golf Club (Old Course) (50 km) · 6. Brora Golf Club (56 km) · Compare all The Highlands & Aberdeenshire tee times
Cabot Highlands has lodges on site that sleep groups of up to eight, sold with golf as stay-and-play packages. Culloden House, a Georgian country house hotel, is ten minutes away. Inverness offers the widest choice, from the Kingsmills Hotel to riverside guest houses on Ness Bank. Nairn, 15 minutes east, has the Golf View Hotel facing the sea.
Nairn Golf Club, a classic links that hosted the 1999 Walker Cup, is 15 minutes east, and Royal Dornoch is about an hour north. Fortrose & Rosemarkie, on a narrow spit across the firth, makes a short, scenic third round. Away from golf, Culloden Battlefield is ten minutes away, Cawdor Castle about 20 minutes, and from Chanonry Point you can often watch bottlenose dolphins feeding on the rising tide.
These packages have a confirmed round at Castle Stuart Golf Links (Cabot Highlands) in the itinerary, with the other courses, nights and hotels listed so you can compare like with like.
10 nights B&B, 6 rounds
Rounds: St Andrews New Course · Kingsbarns · Moray Old Course · Royal Dornoch · Cabot Highlands
Stay: St Andrews, the Highlands and Edinburgh
Fife and the far north in one trip, for golfers who want Royal Dornoch and Cabot Highlands as much as the Home of Golf.
7 nights, 5 rounds
Rounds: Cabot Highlands · Royal Dornoch · Nairn · Cruden Bay · Royal Aberdeen
Stay: The Highlands and Aberdeenshire
The north-east links at a lower price than a Fife week, with Royal Dornoch and Cruden Bay in the same itinerary.
Prices are Golfbreaks’ published per-person guide prices in US dollars, checked November 2026; your quote depends on dates and group size. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we work
Castle Stuart is open from 27 March to 14 November 2026 and from 26 March to 13 November 2027; Old Petty from 15 May in both years. The Moray Firth is one of the drier corners of Scotland, sheltered by the hills to the west.
Explore golf by monthYes. Cabot bought Castle Stuart in 2022 and renamed the property Cabot Highlands. The original course is still called Castle Stuart Golf Links, and the new Tom Doak course is Old Petty.
In 2026 a visitor round costs £285 in the early and late season and £385 from 15 May to 11 October. A 36-hole day costs £400 in the early season, £695 in the main season (Castle Stuart and Old Petty) and £520 late in the year.
Cancel more than eight weeks ahead for a full refund. Between four and eight weeks, there is a 50% charge or a £50 fee to rebook. Inside four weeks, bookings cannot be refunded or transferred, so travel insurance is worth considering.
About five minutes by car. That makes it one of the quickest Scottish links to reach from a plane, and practical for a round on the day you land.
Last checked 4 October 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
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