Dunrobin and Golspie – Castle, Falconry and Lunch
A few hours.
The route
Dunrobin Castle stands above the sea just north of Golspie, long the seat of the Earls and Dukes of Sutherland, its pointed turrets rising over formal gardens inspired by Versailles.
This half day leaves time to see it without any rush, and finishes with a sit-down lunch in the village. It's an easy one to fit in on the road up the Sutherland coast.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Links House at Royal Dornoch in Dornoch, 7 miles away.
The day
Dunrobin
A slow morning at Dunrobin, with the castle's rooms, birds of prey flying on the lawn and the sea beyond the garden. Lunch is at the Golspie Inn, at the north end of the village, 5 minutes down the A9.
About three and a half hours
Dunrobin Castle
An attraction
Dunrobin opens daily from April to October; its gate is on the seaward side of the A9 just north of Golspie, and tickets are sold at the door. Arrive at half past ten for the rooms, and be on the lawn by a quarter past eleven for the falconry at half past; the birds fly again at half past two. Afterwards, the formal garden has clipped hedges and fountains.
Golspie Inn
Lunch
Lunch is 5 minutes south down the A9 at the Golspie Inn, with free parking at the inn. Food is served all day, from 8am to last orders at 9pm, and there's no need to book for two; ring 01408 633234 for a bigger party. The haddock and chips are cooked to order. Dogs are welcome, and step-free access is partial, so ring ahead if you need it. If you'd rather eat at the castle, its tearoom does soup and a hot meal for ticket holders.
If it rains
The castle's rooms and its museum are under a roof, and so is lunch at the Golspie Inn. The falconry and the formal garden are not: in heavy rain or a strong wind, ask at the ticket desk whether the birds are flying, and keep the garden for a dry spell.
Worth a detour
- Golspie's beach and pier
Golspie has a small harbour and pier of its own, with sand running away on either side, just below the A9 as it passes through the village. The car park on Shore Street is 4 minutes' drive from the Golspie Inn and on the road south anyway, so heading that way it adds only about a minute. In dry weather, walk out along the pier for the view back to the village, keeping children well back from the edge.
- Loch Fleet
Loch Fleet is a tidal basin a short drive south of Golspie, where seals rest on the sandbanks near low water, though they can never be promised. Heading for Dornoch, cross the Mound and take the single-track Skelbo road along the loch's south shore to the lay-by, 14 minutes' drive from the inn, then carry on into Dornoch in about 8. It adds only a minute or two to the drive. Let others by at the passing places and keep off the mud.
Golspie Inn, a restaurant in Golspie.