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Are the Scottish Highlands the Greatest Pilgrimage in Golf?

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The Scottish Highlands offer some of the best venues to play golf in Scotland, but there is also more than golf on offer in this spectacular part of the world…

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There are golf trips, and then there are golf pilgrimages. The Scottish Highlands certainly offer the latter, being a golfers paradise that offer breathtaking landscapes and storied links, as well as the very soul of the game.

For NCG Top 100s Tom Irwin and Mike Robertson, a whirlwind 48 Hours in The Highlands proved what many of us golfers know, that this corner of the world is one the ultimate golfing destinations

The pair fell in love with familiar tracks and discovered the essence of what makes The Highlands so special. After all it is the land where golf was originally born. Whether you’re chasing birdies through gorse-lined fairways or sipping whisky on the road to Dornoch, this is a pilgrimage that offers everything.

Incredible Golf Courses

The remarkable thing is, looking purely at the four courses Irwin and Robertson played (Royal Dornoch, Fortrose & Rosemarkie, Cabot and Nairn Golf Club) resemble all the different ideas about what people like about golf. Irwin touched on the fact that Dornoch is all about a chipping and a putting, dealing with big run off.

Whilst Fortrose & Rosemarkie is 5000 yards of trying to avoid as many gorse bushes as possible and how many birdies can you make, basically golf in it’s purest self.

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It goes to show just how much variety there is to offer in the Highlands alone, and not to mention those stunning view. They certainly took the ’48 hours in’ guys’ breath away.

More than just golf

It’s not just some of the best golf courses in the United Kingdom that the Scottish highlands offer, there is also plenty to see and do away from the golf course. Beyond the courses, it’s the rhythm of Highland life that stays with you.

“The thing that gets me most about coming up here is how the everyday struggles of life are removed”, Tom Irwin said. “Because there is no transport, because there is no big corporations and careers to have, you have to accept everyday as it comes.

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“I think this is reflected by some of the golf courses (Royal Dornoch). They aren’t bothered by lengthening it or toughening the set-up for championships because they know that no big championship is ever going to go up there.

Scottish Highlands Winter Golf

“One day the weather and the conditions may let you shoot 61, the next day it will be 75 and the day after that golf won’t be possible because the wind and rain will be howling sideways. That’s just how it is.

I think what you learn by going up to the Scottish Highlands is that you sometimes just have to learn to accept what life has given you, and make the best of it.”

Hamish McColm, professional golfer, who has lived his whole golfing life in the Highlands spoke on the joys and perks of the area. He said: “It’s quite a fluid thing for a lot of people to do, you’ve got a lot of whisky distillers up here. On the way to Dornoch you probably pass three or four of the best ones in the world. There’s plenty of things to do in the leg of the Highlands.

“A lot of the golf courses almost speak for themselves I think. So, it’s quite an interesting thing if you didn’t want to play golf. The golf part is fantastic, but there is so much to do outside of it too.”

There’s no place like The Highlands

Playing The Highlands can create memories to last a golfer a lifetime. It’s truly a bucket list sort of trip.

Robertson said:”It’s got a bit of everything. Dornoch was out of this world, Fortrose and Rosemarkie was my first time there and is a really great course. Cabot is ultimately a bit more playable being really wide off the tee, bonkers green complexes, a bit more manicured but still a really good golf course. Then there is Nairn which is very traditional and very ‘linksy’.

“Come to The Highlands.”

Watch 48 Hours In The Highlands

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Now have your say on The Scottish Highlands

Have you pilgrimed to the Scottish Highlands before? Will you play golf in some of the most storied of golf venues? Have you played at Royal Dornoch, Nairn, Fortrose & Rosemarkie or Cabot? Let me know your experiences of the Scottish Highlands by leaving a comment on X.

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About the author

Max Mcvittie

A bit of a late bloomer to the game of golf, Max fell in love with the sport when he attended Saturday coaching sessions down at his local golf club after being inspired by friends and family members.

Max has remained a member of Eden Golf Club in Carlisle for a number of years now as he looks to get his handicap down into single figures. Most of his golfing career has been spent battling a permanent slice off the tee, which has led to some ugly rounds.

Having studied at the University of Sunderland, Max is starting out his dream career in sports journalism. During his time at university, he picked up valuable work experience at Reach PLC, BBC Radio Cumbria and GiveMeSport, whilst also getting work published in the Teesside Live. He also spent time working at a local weekly newspaper, Eskdale and Liddesdale Advertiser, as a general news reporter partially covering some local sport just north of the border in Langholm.

Max has just started his journey with the NCG working as the assistant equipment editor. He looks forwarded to reviewing the latest golf equipment, taking up an interest in reviews when buying his first golf club, a Cleveland RTX wedge.

With his bag not going under too many changes throughout the last few years, Max carries an M3 driver, Titleist GT3 Fairway Wood, M2 hybrid, a set of M2 irons, Callaway Jaws wedges and a TaylorMade Spider putter. And yes, Max is a bit of a self-proclaimed TaylorMade fan boy.

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