7 days · 5 links courses · 3 hotels
The north-east coast of Scotland is a quieter corner of links golf, and it is full of surprises.
This journey begins in Cruden Bay, below the ruins of Slains Castle, which are said to have inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Three rounds take you along the coast: Peterhead as a first introduction to links golf, Cruden Bay as the highlight of the east coast and Fraserburgh with its dunes.
Then the route turns west. A night in Aberlour brings whisky into the story before Cullen, a tiny course with an extraordinary setting. The journey ends in Nairn, one of Scotland’s best-ranked championship links.
Five very different courses, a castle, a film village and a very good bowl of soup. That is the north-east.
Day 1
Welcome to the north-east
Aberdeen Airport is the gateway to this journey. It is only about 40 minutes by car to Cruden Bay, your base for the first three nights.
There is no need to rush. If you arrive early, the main attraction is close to the hotel: the cliff-top ruins of Slains Castle. The castle is said to have inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and the view over the sea from the ruins is worth the visit on its own.
If you still have some daylight and energy, you can play nine holes on the St Olaf Course. It is a small course with a lot of entertainment and a good way to get your first taste of Cruden Bay.
Then settle in at the Kilmarnock Arms and save your energy for tomorrow.
Stay
The Kilmarnock Arms is a historic hotel in the village of Cruden Bay and very proud of its links to Bram Stoker, who was a regular guest. It is also the ideal base for Cruden Bay, Peterhead and Fraserburgh. I stayed here with my brother during one of our matchplay weeks. We had a few Bloody Marys, but Count Dracula did not show up.
Day 2
Getting used to links golf
The first round takes you to Peterhead, only about 20 minutes from your hotel.
Peterhead Golf Club was founded in 1841 and is the 18th oldest golf club in the world. Its Craigewan Links began as a nine-hole course designed by Willie Park Jr. in 1892. Archie Simpson extended it to 18 holes in 1908.
It is a good place to get used to links golf before the main event at Cruden Bay. Not every hole is great, but some are really fantastic. My favourite is the 7th, a par 4 called Valley. You play your drive from a massive plateau down into, as the name suggests, a valley. The par 5 that follows, Rattray, is also very strong.
After the round, head back to Cruden Bay. If you did not see Slains Castle yesterday, now is the time. Or take it easy and save your energy for tomorrow.
Day 3
The highlight of the east coast
Today is the day you have been waiting for. The Championship Course at Cruden Bay is the highlight of this journey.
The course was laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1899 and substantially reshaped by Tom Simpson and Herbert Fowler in 1926. It is a masterpiece from start to finish, with many great holes among huge dunes. Even the view from the clubhouse over the course is wonderful before you tee off.
The view from the 9th tee is spectacular. And holes 14, 15 and 16 are a brilliant sequence.
The weather was not perfect on my round, but it was still one of the greatest golfing experiences I have had. I also lost an awful lot of balls. Bring a few extra.
If you still want more after the round, the St Olaf Course is next door for nine more holes. Otherwise, enjoy your last evening in Cruden Bay.
Day 4
From the coast to whisky country
Today you change hotels. The first stop is Fraserburgh, about 40 minutes up the coast.
Fraserburgh Golf Club was founded in 1777 and is the seventh oldest golf club in the world. Parish records show that golf was played here as early as 1613. James Braid reshaped the Corbie Hill Course in 1922.
The course is firmly established among Scotland’s top 100 and is great fun to play, with no really weak holes. The 13th, The Hillocks, is the famous one. My favourite is the 16th, The Valley, because of its dune scenery.
After the round, take a short detour to Pennan, the little village that was the location for the film Local Hero. It is a good place for a stop and a few photos.
Then continue to Aberlour in the heart of Speyside. The drive takes about 90 minutes without a stop. This evening, whisky takes over.
Stay
The Dowans Hotel in Aberlour is the whisky stop of this journey. The hotel has a very good restaurant and an impressive whisky bar. You could add a whisky tasting at the hotel or a visit to one of the nearby distilleries.
Day 5
Golf unlike anywhere else
It takes about 45 minutes to drive from Aberlour to Cullen.
Cullen Golf Club was founded in 1870. Old Tom Morris laid out the original nine holes, and Charlie Neaves extended the course to 18 in 1905. At only 4,597 yards, with ten par 3s and a single par 5, the par-63 course is often described as the shortest true links in the world.
It is probably the strangest golf course I have ever played, and I would not single out individual holes. The setting is the story. The holes criss-cross over very uneven ground, with blind shots and steep drops. Holes 11 to 14 play in, over and around 400-million-year-old red sandstone rock formations. If I had to pick one hole, it would be the 7th, together with the walk down from the plateau afterwards.
Because of the blind shots and the crossing fairways, an early tee time is a good idea.
After the round, you have to try the local speciality, Cullen Skink. The Cullen Bay Hotel serves one of the best in the world. Then continue to Nairn, about 1 hour 15 minutes away. The Golf View is your base for the last two nights.
Stay
The Golf View sits in closest proximity to Nairn Golf Club and has views over the Moray Firth. I stayed here some years ago. What I remember best is my enormous room with an impressive four-poster bed and a really nice view. The hotel is also quite close to Inverness Airport.
Day 6
The final highlight
The last big round of the journey is Nairn Golf Club, only a few minutes’ walk from your hotel.
Nairn was founded in 1887, and both Old Tom Morris and James Braid helped to create and improve the course. It hosted the 1999 Walker Cup and the 2012 Curtis Cup. It features in all the relevant rankings of Scottish golf courses, and it is easy to see why. It is extremely entertaining, with few if any weaknesses.
Two practical points. Nairn has a good driving range, which is not always the case in Scotland. And there is the famous Halfway House, which not only looks great in photos but also serves a very fine soup.
In the afternoon, there is time for a short excursion. The battlefield of Culloden is close by, and so is Brodie Castle. Brodie Countryfare is where the locals go.
For dinner, I have always eaten at the clubhouse or at the Golf View, so I have no tip beyond those two. Both have always served me well.
Day 7
One more round, or the road home
Depending on your flight, there may be time for one more round. Nairn Dunbar is a fine choice. It is less famous than its neighbour, but well worth a visit. I especially like the holes around the turn, from the 7th to the 11th.
From Nairn, it is about two hours to Aberdeen Airport, so plan your round and your flight carefully. If you want to avoid the long drive, check flights from Inverness, which is much closer.
WHY THIS ROUTE
This journey is built around a simple idea: start gently and finish strong.
Peterhead comes first. It is the right place to get used to links golf again, with its wind, its firm ground and its unpredictable bounces.
Then comes Cruden Bay, the highlight of the east coast.
Fraserburgh follows because it is only a short drive from your base in Cruden Bay.
After that, the route moves west for Cullen, a course that is worth the detour for its unique setting alone.
Finally, Nairn adds one more highly ranked championship links.
Three nights in Cruden Bay mean that you only unpack once for the first three rounds. A night in Aberlour adds a taste of Speyside whisky. Two nights in Nairn leave time for a relaxed final round.
Driving times between the courses and hotels stay short, apart from the transfers on Day 4 and Day 5.
Best time: The north-east can have long spells of frost, and courses may close for days at a time. The best time to go is from mid-April to mid-November.
Tee times: Book Cruden Bay and Nairn as early as possible and plan the rest of the trip around them.
Rental car: Pick up your car at Aberdeen Airport. I always follow two rules. First, book an automatic. It costs more, but when you are driving on the left, you will be glad not to change gear with your left hand. Second, choose a smaller car. On the narrower roads, you will be glad it isn’t too wide.
Weather: Pack waterproofs and warm layers, even in summer. The wind is part of every round.
Eating and drinking: Cullen Skink, the famous fish soup, is best eaten in Cullen itself. The Cullen Bay Hotel serves one of the best in the world (Day 5). In Aberlour, the restaurant and the whisky bar at the Dowans Hotel are well worth an evening (Day 4). In Nairn, I have always eaten at the clubhouse or at the Golf View, so I have no tip beyond those two.
Beyond golf: Slains Castle in Cruden Bay (Day 1), Pennan, the village from the film Local Hero (Day 4), and Culloden Battlefield and Brodie Castle near Nairn (Day 6).
Getting home: Nairn is about two hours from Aberdeen Airport. Inverness Airport is much closer, so it is worth checking flights from there. Flying into Aberdeen and out of Inverness saves the long drive back, but a one-way rental usually costs extra. Edinburgh is an alternative for arrival, but the transfer to Cruden Bay takes about two and a half to three hours.
