Castle Stuart has a number of self-contained accommodation options on-site which variously includes the Castle Cottage, the Golf Lodge and the Farmhouse. These are high quality, comfortable, and modern interiors and afford guests a level of privacy you might not always get in a hotel. They aren’t self-catering. A full Scottish breakfast is served in the clubhouse whereas a special food and beverage service is also available that can be delivered to you. The capacities involved probably means that Castle Stuart is more suited to a team reward type of thing rather than a full blown corporate event however
If you prefer to use a slightly more conventional accommodation, Culloden House is an historic 5-star luxury hotel, a ‘grade A’ listed mansion, which stands in nearly 40 acres of majestic grounds, located about 5 miles from Castle Stuart, halfway between the course and Inverness. You are free to wander about the woodland and private gardens to enjoy the exceptional peace, and serenity of the surroundings. Bonnie Prince Charlie used Culloden House as his lodging and battle headquarters prior to the fateful battle.
We will need a local transfer from course to hotel, but this is no problem
We’ll most likely need to use Inverness Airport, which luckily is Scotland’s smoothest transfer upon landing.
Inverness has direct flights from London, Birmingham, Manchester & Bristol
Castle Stuart is just 3 miles (5 mins) from the airport
The city of Inverness is just 8 miles (15 mins) from Castle Stuart
In addition, Castle Stuart is 6 miles (15 mins) from Culloden & 23 miles (45 mins) from Loch Ness
The golf course would be described as ‘walk onto’ from the on-site accommodations
Castle Stuart is a modern links played on two tiers cut into a hill side overlooking the Moray Firth. Since opening it has been a permanent feature in the world’s top-100 course rankings. Castle Stuart is a European tour venue having hosted the Scottish Open where it counts Phil Mickelson and Luke Donald amongst its champions. The design philosophy stressed enhancing the natural rather than introducing the pastiche. The third is a driveable par 4 with a green that plays onto the waters edge. The par 3, fourth has the castle itself on a line of sight making for an arresting vista. The section ten to twelve is particularly strong and begins with a breath-taking elevated drive from near the top of the property to a green on the shoreline.
No where in Scotland brings history alive quite like the battlefield of Culloden (1746). It would be a gross dereliction not to include it given its proximity. The battlefield is well laid with a series of footpaths and marker boards, as well as a good visitors centre. You don’t need an enhanced strategic insight to understand Culloden. It’s a relatively small battlefield with two opposing armies, the Jacobite’s of ‘Bonnie’ Prince Charlie, and the Crown led by the Duke of Cumberland. The order of battle is well recorded and you can stand on the exact same spots where in 1746 ‘upon this field, was Scotland lost’. Some of the features in the landscape such as the influential perimeter stonewall and the cottage remain as they were. Culloden can be a genuinely spooky and atmospheric place
In truth, we’ll struggle to convince most people that there’s monster living in the depths of Loch Ness, and the attraction of forlornly staring at black water in the hope ‘Nessie’ obliges quickly wears off. That shouldn’t detract however from finishing a day off with an evening sunset cruise on Scotland’s most mysterious loch (dependent on time of year). The cruise departs from Drumnadrochit near the ancient fortress of Urquhart Castle which is the most photographed stretch. Dependent on numbers, we should be able to achieve exclusivity and lay-on drinks and nibbles. Cruises are guided and normally allow you to view the sonar