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A grand stone mansion glows with lit windows at dusk, bare autumn branches framing the facade.
Sutherland

Links House at Royal Dornoch

With a restaurant and room for the dog.

Book on their website
Welcome

A Free Church manse of 1843, now a hotel of fifteen rooms beside the first tee at Royal Dornoch, with MARA, its restaurant.

Links House is a Free Church manse of 1843 in Dornoch, 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. Its rooms, across the old manse, the Mews House and Glenshiel, are each named for one of Scotland's great salmon rivers, with Hypnos mattresses, antique furniture, notable artwork and touches of tartan. Spend the evening with a dram by the fire in the Manse House Library, or over a game of chess in the sitting room. MARA, the restaurant, holds two AA Rosettes for a seasonal menu drawn from Scotland's waters, fields, forests and skies, finished with produce from the kitchen garden outside its door. There's a clipped putting green, and the whole house can be taken for a group.

Scotland's most northerly luxury destination.
Links House
What is here

MARA restaurant with two AA Rosettes, the Manse House Library and a sitting room for guests, a clipped putting green, a kitchen garden, and the Sporting Bothy for golf clubs and fishing kit.

Fireplace
Accessible rooms
Bar
Breakfast served
Dinner Served
Private Dining
Restaurant
TV
Wifi
Good to know
Rooms
Fifteen rooms for two across three houses; each a double or a twin, in the 1843 Manse House, the Mews House or Glenshiel.
Dogs
In Helmsdale (Main House) and Laxford (Mews), both on the ground floor, by arrangement, at £20 a night; not at MARA.
Children
Welcome; a child bed in the parents' room is £40 a night.
Access
Helmsdale, on the ground floor of the Main House, is fully accessible for a wheelchair; Thurso, Naver, Laxford and Carron are on the ground floor too.
Dinner
MARA opens Thursday to Monday; the Market Menu on Tuesday and Wednesday. A room does not hold a table: book ahead.
Breakfast
In MARA each morning, for guests staying.
Golf
Under 100 yards to Royal Dornoch's first tee; the heated Sporting Bothy keeps clubs at no charge.
Parking
Free, in two car parks: behind the Main House and behind Glenshiel.
Smoking
Outside only: the terraces in front of Glenshiel and MARA, and by the putting green.
Book direct
A cocktail on arrival, and an earlier check-in and later check-out when there is room.
Where it is

Links House is on Golf Road in Dornoch, IV25 3LW, on the Sutherland coast, less than a hundred yards from the first tee at Royal Dornoch Golf Club and 43 miles north of Inverness, an hour’s drive.

Rooms in the old manse look across to Glenshiel, the putting green and the Mews House, to the Dornoch Firth, or over to the first tee.

Getting hereOn Golf Road beside the first tee: from the A9 follow the signs to Dornoch, then through the town centre following the signs for the golf course; Links House is just ahead on the left as you near the clubhouse. Inverness Airport is the nearest.

Close byWhere Links House sends its guests, nearest first.
  1. Golf green with yellow flag before a clubhouse overlooking the Firth of ClydeRoyal Dornoch Golf ClubOne of Scotland's oldest courses, laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1886, with the Struie, its second course, ranked in the UK's top 100.Under 100 yards on foot
  2. Sandstone church with pointed arch window, framed by autumn trees and gatepostsDornoch CathedralFounded in 1224, its mellow sandstone walls and stained glass still at the heart of the town square.Five minutes' walk on foot
  3. Marram grass on dunes above a sandy beach with flat rocksDornoch BeachWide, quiet and backed by dunes, for walkers, swimmers and seal-watchers; a stroll for early morning or sunset.10 to 15 minutes' walk on foot
  4. Sandy beach and dunes stretch towards distant hills under a grey skyEmbo BeachA quiet beach up the coast, a vast stretch of sand with barely another soul on it.3 miles 7 min by road
  5. Flock of birds taking flight over a wide estuary near a wooded shorelineLoch FleetA favourite with locals and wildlife photographers: seals on the sandbanks at low tide, ospreys, red kites and roe deer around.5 miles 8 min by road
  6. Waterfall cascading through a moss-covered rocky gorge into a dark poolThe Big Burn, GolspieA family walk under the old viaduct to the waterfall; in spring the wild garlic grows thick, and goes on MARA's menu.12 miles 20 min by road
  7. Turreted white castle overlooking manicured gardens with rose beds and lawnsDunrobin CastleThe Dukes of Sutherland's home, like a French château above its gardens and the sea, with falconry in the garden in summer.12 miles 22 min by road
  8. Salmon leaping up a peat-stained waterfall between dark rocky ledgesFalls of ShinOne of the best places in the country to watch Atlantic salmon leap upstream, usually between May and October.road
  9. Red and white lighthouse tower rising above a dense treelineTarbat Ness LighthouseOff the beaten track and well worth the detour: a walk round the lighthouse built by Robert Stevenson.22 miles 46 min by road
  10. Rocky overhang above a grassy slope overlooking a misty glenThe Bone CavesA short walk in Assynt to caves where the bones of bears, wolves and lynx were found.road
  11. The hatch of the Seafood Shack trailer, with its crab sign, open for orders.The Seafood Shack, UllapoolThe end of a cross-country drive west by Loch Shin or Oykel Bridge: a meal here, then a walk along the shore.road
  12. Wooden viewing platform inside a large cave with rocky floor and green-lit wallsSmoo CaveA day trip north-west: the walk into the cave and its waterfall chamber is free, and raft tours go deeper.road
  13. Durness Golf ClubNine holes at an unusual course by the sands at Durness, if the clubs came along.road
  14. Aerial view of a curving sandy beach with dunes and coastal hillsSandwood BayOne of Scotland's most sensational beaches, with no road to it: four miles on foot each way.road
  15. John O'Groats signpost showing Edinburgh 273m and Orkney 8m beside a turreted white buildingJohn o' GroatsUp the coast past Dunrobin and the Brora distilleries, and back across the open Flow Country.road
Walks from here
  1. Dornoch to EmboDornoch to Embo5½ miles, about four and a half hoursFrom the door
  2. Ben BhraggieBen Bhraggieabout four hours11 miles away
  3. Pulpit Rock and Aldie BurnPulpit Rock and Aldie BurnA mile, pulpit Rock ¾ hour; Aldie Burn ½ or 1 hour10 miles away
  4. The Big BurnThe Big Burn1¼ miles, about an hour11 miles away
Directions
Sandstone terraced houses and shopfronts line a leaf-strewn streetAttractionsDornoch TownA step away
Ivy climbs a turreted stone tower beside a slate-roofed manor houseRestaurantsDornoch Castle Hotel0.3 miles
Wooden sign reading "milk & honey" mounted on a sandstone buildingCafeMilk & Honey0.3 miles
ShoppingBritton Scotland, Dornoch0.3 miles
Stone building with arched windows bearing the sign Cocoa Mountain, blue picnic table outsideCafeCocoa Mountain Dornoch0.3 miles
AttractionsCarnegie Links at Skibo Castle4.7 miles
Aerial view of a river estuary winding through sandbanks to the seaAttractionsLoch Fleet5.2 miles
Copper stills line the Glenmorangie Distillery still house in rowsAttractionsGlenmorangie Distillery8.2 miles
Weathered standing stone against a sandstone wall behind green railingsAttractionsArdjachie Stone9.2 miles

Recommend to a friend

Days out from Links House at Royal DornochAll days out from here
  1. A round at Royal DornochA round at Royal DornochUnder half a mile away A day out
  2. The Dornoch links and Embo walkThe Dornoch links and Embo walkUnder half a mile away A day out
  3. Hot chocolate at Cocoa Mountain and Dornoch CathedralHot chocolate at Cocoa Mountain and Dornoch CathedralUnder half a mile away A few hours
  4. An evening on Dornoch Beach and a dram at Dornoch CastleAn evening on Dornoch Beach and a dram at Dornoch CastleUnder half a mile away A few hours
  5. Dornoch Beach's play area and the Tarbat Discovery CentreDornoch Beach's play area and the Tarbat Discovery CentreUnder half a mile away A day out
  6. Dornoch and Loch FleetDornoch and Loch Fleet4 miles away A day out
  7. Loch Fleet's seals and wadersLoch Fleet's seals and waders4 miles away A few hours
  8. A round at Tain Golf ClubA round at Tain Golf Club5 miles away A day out
  9. Pulpit Rock and Aldie Burn, two forest walks above TainPulpit Rock and Aldie Burn, two forest walks above Tain6 miles away A few hours
  10. Ben Bhraggie, above GolspieBen Bhraggie, above Golspie7 miles away A few hours
  11. A family swim at the Sutherland pool in GolspieA family swim at the Sutherland pool in Golspie7 miles away A few hours
  12. The Big Burn walk at GolspieThe Big Burn walk at Golspie7 miles away A few hours
  13. Dunrobin Castle and lunch in GolspieDunrobin Castle and lunch in Golspie8 miles away A few hours
  14. Golspie and BroraGolspie and Brora8 miles away A day out
  15. A walk to Tarbat Ness lighthouse from PortmahomackA walk to Tarbat Ness lighthouse from Portmahomack8 miles away A few hours
  16. The Pictish stones of Easter RossThe Pictish stones of Easter Ross8 miles away A day out
  17. Balintore's play park and the mermaid, with the dogBalintore's play park and the mermaid, with the dog9 miles away A few hours
  18. The Struie viewpoint and lunch in Tain's old stationThe Struie viewpoint and lunch in Tain's old station9 miles away A few hours
  19. The winter geese at Nigg BayThe winter geese at Nigg Bay10 miles away A few hours
  20. A dolphin boat from Cromarty and lunch at Sutor CreekA dolphin boat from Cromarty and lunch at Sutor Creek14 miles away A few hours
  21. The community sauna in CromartyThe community sauna in Cromarty14 miles away A few hours
  22. Cromarty's East Church and a wander round the FishertownCromarty's East Church and a wander round the Fishertown14 miles away A few hours
  23. Dolphins and the Moray Firth: a day over the Kessock BridgeDolphins and the Moray Firth: a day over the Kessock Bridge14 miles away A day out
  24. The Invergordon mural trail walkThe Invergordon mural trail walk14 miles away A few hours
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