Links House at Royal Dornoch

A restored Victorian manse with just 15 rooms, sitting under 100 yards from the first tee at Royal Dornoch. Links House is small, quietly smart and set up for golfers, with club storage, its own putting green and a two-Rosette restaurant. The Dornoch Firth and the town’s beach are close by

World Top 100 Course

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A Proper Highland House, Right by the First Tee

Links House makes its priorities clear from the start. It’s a Free Church manse built in 1843, now a hotel less than a hundred yards from the first tee at Royal Dornoch Golf Club and an hour’s drive north of Inverness. If you’ve come to play one of the best links courses in the world, you won’t find a hotel closer to it.

It’s a small place. The original house is flanked by two newer buildings, The Mews and Glenshiel, built to match its golden sandstone, and the 15 rooms and suites are spread across all three. The feel is a well-kept country house rather than a big hotel. Expect fires, a library and staff who’ll know your name by the second morning. Rooms have Hypnos mattresses, antique furniture, good artwork and touches of tartan.

Food is the other big draw. MARA, the restaurant, holds two AA Rosettes for a seasonal menu built on Scottish seafood, meat and game, with produce from the kitchen garden right outside. The name comes from the Gaelic word for sea, and seafood is a strength. After dinner, Glenshiel has an honesty bar and an elegant drawing room open to all guests, which is ideal for a dram and a recap of the round.

For golfers, the practical touches are what stand out:

Sporting Bothy: a heated store that keeps your clubs at no charge.
Private putting green: built on the grounds by Royal Dornoch’s own greenkeepers.
Spa access: there’s no spa on site, but the hotel works with the local Aspen Spa, a five-minute walk away, for treatments.

at a glance

Dornoch, Scotland

Stay & Play

World Top 100 Course

Links Golf

Key Information

This is an intimate, golf-first stay. All 15 rooms sleep two, each set up as a double or a twin, across the 1843 Manse House, the Mews House and Glenshiel. Views vary. Rooms in the old manse look across to Glenshiel and the putting green, out to the Dornoch Firth, or over the first tee. If a view matters to you, request one when booking. The standout room is the Mallart Penthouse Apartment in Glenshiel.

Service is personal rather than formal, and arriving is simple. Here’s what you need to know:

Check-in and check-out: check-in is from 3pm, and check-out is at 11am.
Nearest airport: Inverness Airport is the closest, 43 miles away, about an hour by car. There are direct flights to Inverness from London and several other UK airports.

One thing to plan for: MARA runs its full menu Thursday to Monday and a Market Menu on Tuesday and Wednesday. A room booking doesn’t guarantee a table, so reserve ahead.

Really easy to deal with...

Really easy to deal with, quick responses to my questions and helpful advice. Highly professional and stress free booking. Just hope the weather is as good when we go!

Easy way to book your Golf trip

3rd Year running we have booked with the Golf Travel Centre and will probably continue to do so, they always provide what we required at a good price and has managed to sort out any bumps in the road.

Couldn’t recommend a better company...

Couldn’t recommend a better company ! Bradley was fantastic and made everything incredibly stress free. He made it a trip to remember! Thankyou !!

Outstanding

Easy, really polite and helpful. Will defo use again!

How to get what you want for your holiday

Very prompt response to our initial enquiry about our golf holiday. Came back later on the same day with a range of options. Lots of information, which made it so easy for us to make a group decision about all aspects of our holiday. Phone calls returned and polite, sociable and courteous staff.

Golf Travel Centre never disappoints...

Highly recommend Golf Travel Centre, this is going to be our third trip with them and it’s always so easy and stress free, I always book through Daniel who is always on hand to answer our group questions and is quick to reply. If you’re thinking of booking a golf trip give them a try.

Fantastic booking process

I found the company via TikTok, I messaged not expecting much as personally trying to book all the golf trip we was finding it difficult due to foreign booking etc. I received a reply back within a few hours and reached out to via email with multiple quotes. The whole experience was amazing and Luis was great with any queries. Definitely would recommend!

Golf Break

Oliver was unbelievably helpful in arranging our golfing trip to Spain. He gave us our quote and I then wanted to change it, no questions asked he rearranged it straight away. I would highly recommend.

Ian was quality from start to finish...

Ian was quality from start to finish and sorted us a great UK deal for 24 golfers

4th holiday booked with GTC

4th holiday booked with GTC. Our week in March was our 3rd trip to Marrakech and went exactly to schedule. From flight’s, courses, tee times and hotel, Daniel has always been very professional and helpful ensuring that our complete golf package is exactly what we want. Their prices are competitive and make for a stress free golf holiday.

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Why Stay at Links House?

Location is the obvious answer, and it’s a strong one. You can see the club from the restaurant and some of the rooms, and it’s close enough to check who’s on the first tee from a balcony. You can roll out of breakfast and onto the course without starting the car. That’s rare in Scottish golf.

The scale is the second reason. With 15 rooms, it never feels busy, and the public spaces really are shared living rooms. Guests often mention the library, the fires and the honesty bar as the parts of the stay they remember. It suits a golf group of four or a couple who want somewhere calm after 18 holes in the wind.

The food holds up too. Reviewers regularly single out MARA, especially the seafood. For a town this size, having a two-Rosette restaurant on site is a real bonus, though the same quality means tables fill quickly. Dog owners are well looked after too, as there are dog-friendly rooms and dedicated pet services.

For most golfers making the trip to Dornoch, the convenience and quality of the stay justify the cost.

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