Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club

The links course at Fortrose & Rosemarkie sits right on the Black Isle, a genuine seaside affair with views across the Moray Firth. It's the sort of place where you'll lose golf balls to the wind as often as the rough, but that's rather the point of a proper Scottish links. The course runs to 6,265 yards and plays surprisingly demanding for what looks like a gentle meander along the shore. Golfers with a handicap get most from it; beginners might find themselves chasing balls into gorse and marram grass for the first nine holes. The club is welcoming to visitors, though it's worth booking ahead, especially in summer when the daylight stretches forever and the course gets busy. Green fees are reasonable for the Highland area - check their website for current rates. Allow four and a half hours for a full round. The real draw here is the setting rather than championship difficulty. You get proper sea breezes, occasional glimpses of dolphins in the firth on a good day, and that satisfying sense of being somewhere authentic rather than manicured. If you're staying at Fortrose Bay Campsite just down the road, this is practically on your doorstep. Walk the course in the evening after dinner and you'll understand why locals treasure it. It's not fancy or flashy. Just good golf in a genuine Highland location.