Fortrose and Rosemarkie: 2026 Access and Booking Update
Fortrose and Rosemarkie is the ancient links that runs out along a narrow spit on the Black Isle, where dolphins surface off Chanonry Point a few steps from the fairways. For 2026 it remains one of the warmest welcomes in Highland golf.
The news: an open and affordable Highland links near Inverness
While the new course at Cabot Highlands grabs the 2026 headlines, the Black Isle next door offers one of the most charming and accessible rounds in the region at Fortrose and Rosemarkie. The club is a welcoming visitor venue, not a closed members preserve, and it sits around twenty minutes from Inverness, which makes it an easy and affordable addition to any Highland trip.
Its position on the Chanonry peninsula is the draw. The links runs out and back along a slim finger of land into the Moray Firth, and Chanonry Point at the far end is one of the best places in Europe to watch bottlenose dolphins from the shore, often within a club length of the golf.
The course, and a James Braid pedigree
Golf has been played here since the eighteenth century, which makes Fortrose and Rosemarkie one of the oldest courses in the world, and the layout was redesigned in 1932 by the five time Open champion James Braid. It plays as a par 71 of around 6,100 yards, modest on the card but a true test when the wind comes off the firth.
Braid used the narrow site cleverly, with holes that hug the shoreline and greens that demand a precise approach. There is little hidden trouble and few tricks, just honest, traditional links golf with water close on both sides and the hills of Ross and the Black Isle framing every shot.
How to play it in 2026
To play Fortrose and Rosemarkie in 2026, book a visitor tee time with the club in advance, particularly for weekend and summer rounds when the small course fills quickly. As a guide, peak green fees reach around 95 pounds at the busiest weekend times, with weekday and off peak rates lower and regular offers through the season. Treat these as indicative for 2026 and always confirm directly before booking.
The season here runs from spring to early autumn. May, June and September bring the firmest turf and the best light, and the dolphins are most often seen on a rising tide through the summer, so it is worth timing a round or an evening walk to the point accordingly.
Our take
Our take is that Fortrose and Rosemarkie is the perfect companion round on a Highland trip, a relaxed, affordable and genuinely historic links that provides the human scale counterpoint to the grand championship courses up and down the coast. Few rounds anywhere mix good golf and wildlife quite so happily.
If you are planning a 2026 Highlands tour, pair Fortrose with Cabot Highlands, Royal Dornoch and Nairn for a links week that is hard to beat. Tell us your dates and group, and we will route the whole thing, tee times and stays included.
Plan your Highlands golf trip
From Fortrose and Rosemarkie to Cabot Highlands, Nairn and Royal Dornoch, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the links tour, with no obligation.
Questions
Can visitors play Fortrose and Rosemarkie in 2026?
Yes. Fortrose and Rosemarkie welcomes visiting golfers and tee times are booked through the club, ideally well ahead for weekend and summer rounds. It sits around twenty minutes from Inverness on the Black Isle.
What are the green fees at Fortrose and Rosemarkie for 2026?
As a guide, peak green fees reach around 95 pounds at the busiest weekend times, with weekday and off peak rates lower and offers through the season. Treat these as indicative for 2026 and always confirm directly before booking.
Can you really see dolphins at Fortrose and Rosemarkie?
Yes. Chanonry Point at the end of the course is one of the best shore based dolphin watching spots in Europe, and bottlenose dolphins are often seen close in on a rising tide through the summer.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course, access and fee details verified June 2026 from club, resort and golf travel sources; conditions and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.