Dornoch Scotland

The Royal Burgh of Dornoch is an historic small town on the edge of the Dornoch Firth, a designated National Scenic Area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its tranquil location, scenery and climate have attracted visitors for decades. Some come to test their golfing skills on Royal Dornoch's championship course, or to walk and view wildlife in the National Nature Reserve at nearby Loch Fleet. Others simply want to relax and enjoy our unhurried way of life. Dornoch is a smart, sunny holiday resort on the east coast of the northern Highlands, famed for its cathedral and championship golf course - one of the best in the world.

Welcome to Dornoch Scotland

On the north side of the Dornoch Firth, on the east coast that runs from the Moray Firth up onto Sutherland, Dornoch enjoys the status of a well-to-do holiday resort. It is blessed with a particularly sunny climate (in Scottish terms!) thanks to its sheltered position, and has miles of sandy beaches to match. The extensive sand dunes in the area are perfect for links golf, and the Royal Dornoch championship course is up there with Pebble Beach et al, being ranked 13th in the world. The coast is also a favourite with wildlife, such as seals, and a sizeable population of both breeding and wintering birds.

Come and hear our Pipe Band play on summer Saturday evenings, or choose Dornoch as your Wedding location - Madonna did!

Accommodation in and around Dornoch

Price Guide - per person based on sharing room: under $40 - $41 - 70 - more than $70

Hotels and Guesthouses below - Self catering cottages click here

Dating from the 12th century, the town is steeped in history. The impressive cathedral was founded in 1224, and though the Mackay clan sacked it in 1570, it was restored by the Countess of Sutherland in 1835, and again in the 20th century. Top Scots philanthropist Andrew Carnegie paid for some of the stained-glass windows. Other buildings of note are the 16th century Bishops Palace and the Old Town jail. The Historylinks Museum chronicles the history of the town. The town is also reputedly where the last witch in Scotland was burnt, in 1722 - a fact commemorated by the Witch's Stone.

Once the spiritual and administrative capital of Sutherland, Dornoch remains a thriving community today. Small in population (under 2500) but large in hospitality, Dornoch offers visitors and residents a wide range of shops and businesses, five hotels, two golf courses, two schools, a further and higher education college and an award-winning sandy beach. Its fine buildings include the 13th Century cathedral, a bishop's palace (now a hotel), courthouse and old town jail. Sandstone cottages and town houses line its peaceful streets and lanes.

Dornoch might feel off the beaten track, but it's only an hour from Inverness Airport, five minutes from the A9, and now has 8MB BT Broadband internet access.

Things to do
Spinningdale, on the Dornoch FirthDornoch is lucky enough to be sandwiched between the Dornoch Firth (an area of outstanding natural beauty) and Loch Fleet nature reserve (where bird lovers from around the world congregate and ospreys can be seen diving for fish at dusk). The Sutherland hills are a short drive away and there are forest walks nearby.

Check out areas of interest from the menu at the left.
A leaflet with details of activities you can watch or do in and around Dornoch is available free from the Tourist Information Centre and most Dornoch shops, pubs and hotels.

Take time to explore our sandy beaches and woodlands. Wander through our pleasant town, where sandstone buildings open on to little streets and closes. We have a traditional Scottish Square, a wide open space where the Pipe Bands march, overlooked by the Castle on one side and the Cathedral on the other. Behind the Cathedral is our High Street, the retail heart of the town, with the site of our street markets, Mercat Cross and small, independent specialist shops to tempt you

An ancient landscape Every hillock or pile of stones in our historic Royal Burgh could have a story to tell. There has been human settlement in the area for over 4,000 years.

Take a walk into the fields and forests around the town and, if you know where to look, you'll find chambered cairns, hut circles, a standing stone and even an Iron Age broch - relics of the Picts, our earliest settlers. This ancient people lived out their lives here for thousands of years, until the Vikings arrived and forced them off their lands.

The continuing story of the area is told in our HistoryLinks museum, where displays, artefacts, games and role-playing provide interest and discovery for all ages, bringing Dornoch's past to life.

Getting to Dornock
By road - A9 trunk road from Perth (3 hours drive to Dornoch, with modern trunk road all the way)
By bus - from Glasgow/Edinburgh/London to Inverness, then onwards to Dornoch (hourly service)