Castle Stuart Golf Links Top 100 Review

Castle Stuart Golf Links is an 18-hole championship links course situated on the southern shores of the Moray Firth near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, approximately five minutes from Inverness Airport. The course was conceived by American developer Mark Parsinen, who had previously overseen the creation of Kingsbarns in Fife, and was designed in collaboration with American architect Gil Hanse and his partner Jim Wagner. It opened in 2009 and upon debut entered the world top 100 rankings, where it has remained consistently since. The course measures 7,009 yards from the back tees and plays to a par of 72.

The layout occupies a 420-acre site that combines shoreline ground along a raised beach with higher ground atop an old sea cliff, producing dramatic elevation changes and panoramic views across the firth on virtually every hole. The landscape is characterised by gorse, broom, heather, and sea marram, with each nine opening along the shoreline before climbing the bluff and returning. Prominent landmarks visible throughout the round include Kessock Bridge, Chanonry Lighthouse, Fort George, and the sixteenth-century Castle Stuart itself. The course is known for its rumpled, naturally contoured fairways, infinity-edge greens that appear to fall away to the firth, and bold rugged bunkering. Despite its dramatic setting, the course is notably playable for golfers of a wide range of abilities.

Castle Stuart hosted the European Tour Scottish Open on four occasions, in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, with Luke Donald winning the inaugural event and Phil Mickelson winning in 2013 as part of a celebrated week in which he also claimed the Open Championship at Muirfield. The course was acquired in 2022 by the Canadian resort developer Cabot, which has since rebranded the property as Cabot Highlands. A second 18-hole course called Old Petty, designed by Tom Doak and set on land surrounding the historic castle, opened for preview play in 2025 with a full opening anticipated in 2026.