Braemar Golf Club

The course sits at 330 metres above sea level, making it one of Britain's highest golf clubs - and you'll feel every metre of altitude when the wind picks up across the fairways. Braemar Golf Club is a proper Highland experience, all rolling greens framed by Cairngorms views that genuinely distract from your scorecard.

It's a nine-hole layout, which sounds modest until you realise the terrain does most of the work for you. The course plays differently depending on the wind and season. Summer rounds feel almost leisurely; autumn and winter demand respect. Not a championship layout, but that's rather the point - this is golf as it should be in the glens, not overly manicured or intimidating.

You'll want to ring ahead to check rates and book a tee time, especially in peak season. Allow three hours for the nine holes if you're not rushing. The club welcomes day visitors, though membership or advance notice keeps things running smoothly.

For a Highland golf holiday, it pairs brilliantly with nearby Ballater's other attractions and accommodation. Braemar Caravan Park sits just half a mile away, making it dead easy for caravanning families to slip over for a round. The setting alone makes it worth the detour - you're playing golf in genuine mountain country, not just on a course that happens to have hills nearby. Hikers and non-golfers in your group won't complain about the views whilst sitting in the clubhouse.