Cabot Highlands (Castle Stuart Golf Links)

The Firth at Every Turn

The Castle Stuart Golf Links at Cabot Highlands opened in 2009, created by Gil Hanse and Mark Parsinen along the Moray Firth. The property joined Cabot in 2022, and Castle Stuart now sits alongside Old Petty as one of two 18-hole courses.

The routing uses the shoreline and higher coastal bluffs to create changing perspectives. Wide fairways cross rumpled ground, while greens appear to merge with the water beyond. Gorse, broom, heather, and marram form the rough edges without hiding the intended lines.

Generous landing areas give golfers room from the tee, yet the preferred side often decides the quality of the next shot. At the 7th, an approach from the wrong angle brings the old sea cliff sharply into view. The short 13th asks how much of a hollow the drive should challenge.

The closing sequence changes pace again. The 16th can be driveable, the 17th is the course's longest par three, and the par-five 18th finishes beneath the clubhouse.