Remote and Rugged – The Unforgettable Golf Journey to Durness
- Tero Parkkinen
- Jun 11, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 9
There is something special about remote golf courses. The stories I had heard about Durness were so fascinating that I managed to convince my golf friends—quite easily, in fact—to take a trip to the far north of the Highlands.
The journey itself is part of the experience, and nowhere is that more true than on the way to Durness. Though the distance from Inverness is only about 100 miles (160 kilometres), it’s wise to allow more than three hours, depending on the weather. Much of the drive follows a breathtaking single-track road where the passing etiquette works seamlessly, and even visitors unused to driving on the “wrong” side soon adapt.
As you head further north, the scenery grows ever more dramatic. When you finally arrive in Durness, you need to pause and take it all in. The turquoise sea is nothing short of magical, its shifting shades creating a spellbinding view.
Durness itself is a tiny village of fewer than 350 residents, and here the overused phrase “hidden gem” actually applies. Its little nine-hole links course is a treasure for true golf enthusiasts. A round here is more than just golf—it’s a real adventure. If you’ve been, you know the feeling: this will be one of the most unforgettable days you’ll ever spend on a course.
On our visit, we experienced classic links weather. The rain eventually eased, but the wind was so fierce that walking was sometimes a challenge. With only one member of the grounds staff in sight, we dropped our green fee into the honesty box and set off.
What surprises many is that the course is relatively new. Designed by three local golfers—Lachie Ross, Ian Morrison, and Francis Keith—it opened in 1988. Durness is a par-34 nine-hole course, but with two sets of tees it offers a very satisfying 18-hole experience. Make time for the full round; this is not just a novelty stop. Beyond its remote location, Durness is a genuinely fine course, and many rank it among the best nine-holers in the world.
The trip also gave us a taste of Scotland’s celebrated North Coast 500 (NC500), a 500-mile coastal driving route that showcases the raw beauty of the Highlands. It quickly became clear that there is far more up north than just golf.
Still, since we were on a golf trip, we wanted to push as far as the mainland would take us and include two other links courses of the area on our itinerary. We chose Reay and Wick, playing them both on the same day after spending the night in Thurso.
Thurso, the northernmost town on the British mainland, is not a place you’d normally visit unless you’re a golfer. But even here, in this windswept corner, you can find a surprisingly good curry.
With our expectations focused so heavily on Durness, it was a pleasant surprise that Reay turned out to be such a highlight. The course, designed by the legendary James Braid, holds the distinction of being the most northerly 18-hole links on the British mainland. The value is exceptional: day tickets are £50 from April to October, and just £30 from November to March (2023–24). For links golf of this standard, it’s hard to imagine a better deal.
Perched on the edge of Sandside Bay, Reay combines sweeping views with memorable golf holes. We had the course entirely to ourselves, and after finishing our round, we drove 45 minutes southeast to Wick.
Wick Golf Club, the oldest established club on the NC500, celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2020. It is a friendly Scottish members’ club. Our reservation seemed to have disappeared, but the locals welcomed us warmly, even lending us their trolleys, and we happily agreed to pay £15 for a round.
This time we skipped one of our all-time favourites, Brora, and instead made our way back, arriving late in the evening at our cottage in Dornoch. Our two-day adventure to Durness and the northern shores of the Highlands is one we will never forget.
