Inverness and the Highlands Golf Deals to Watch, 2026
The Highlands hold one of the great links trios within an hour of Inverness. Here is how the 2026 packages work, where the value sits across the season, and how Castle Stuart, Nairn and Royal Dornoch fit.
Photo via Google.
How Highlands golf packages work
The links around Inverness make an unusually tight world class trio. Castle Stuart, now part of Cabot Highlands and a former Scottish Open host, sits about seven miles from town, Nairn around sixteen, and Royal Dornoch some forty four miles up the coast, all inside a comfortable drive. Most visitors buy a stay and play package that bases in or near Inverness and gives a round at each, which keeps the driving sensible and the golf the focus.
Below is how the main package shapes break down for 2026, where the value sits across the season, and how the marquee links fit a trip. Every figure is a planning guide rather than a quote, since rates move sharply with season and availability, and you should always confirm directly before booking.
Inverness and the Highlands golf deals, 2026 at a glance
| Deal type | Typically includes | Indicative 2026 note |
|---|---|---|
| The links trio package | Nights near Inverness plus a round each at Castle Stuart, Nairn and Royal Dornoch | The signature product; widely sold as the best trio of links in the Highlands |
| Cabot Highlands stay and play | Nights and rounds at Castle Stuart, with Old Petty, a new Tom Doak eighteen, on the same property | Cabot has published 2026 rates from around 540 pounds per person, rising in main season |
| Add Brora or a fourth links | An extra round at a classic such as Brora to extend the rotation | Rounds out a week beyond the headline trio |
| Group rates | Minimum group sizes and per head rates at Cabot Highlands | Cabot has listed minimum group sizes of four to eight; confirm terms directly |
The deals worth watching
The links trio is the signature
The defining Highlands package is the trio, a round each at Castle Stuart, Nairn and Royal Dornoch, often sold with two nights bed and breakfast at a four star Inverness hotel and described by operators as the best trio of links in the region. Because all three rank among Scotland's top courses and sit within an hour of town, it is a rare trip where the headline names are also the easy logistics.
Cabot Highlands and its rates
Castle Stuart now sits within Cabot Highlands, a 420 acre property that has added Old Petty, a second eighteen designed by Tom Doak, alongside the original links. Cabot has published 2026 rates that run from around 540 pounds per person in the early season up to roughly 905 pounds per person in main season, with late season in between and minimum group sizes from four to eight. Treat these as indicative and confirm directly, as season and group size move the number sharply.
Extend the rotation and play the season
Beyond the trio, classics such as Brora make a natural fourth round for a fuller week. The biggest lever, though, is the calendar: Highland links rates climb into the main summer season and ease in the spring and autumn shoulders, so a group that can travel in the shoulders, and accept cooler weather and shorter light, will usually pay materially less for the same courses.
Our take
The Highlands trio is one of the best value to quality links trips anywhere, precisely because the three headline courses sit so close together. Base near Inverness, build the week around Castle Stuart, Nairn and Royal Dornoch, add Brora if you want a fourth, and let the short drives do you a favour.
Our advice is to weigh the main season premium against shoulder season value, since the same links cost very different money in July and in May, and to book early either way. Our Inverness and Highlands hub and the best Highland courses list lay out the options, our Highlands green fee guide sets expectations on price, and our team can assemble the trio, hotel and transfers, costed to the head, before you commit.
Plan a Inverness and the Highlands golf trip
Want a 2026 Highlands week built around the Castle Stuart, Nairn and Royal Dornoch trio, with the driving kept short from an Inverness base? Tell us your group and dates and one concierge will shape the package, tee times and transfers, costed to the head, with no obligation.
Inverness and the Highlands golf deals, your questions
What golf packages are available around Inverness for 2026?
The signature Highlands package is the links trio, a round each at Castle Stuart, Nairn and Royal Dornoch, often sold with two nights bed and breakfast at a four star Inverness hotel. Cabot Highlands, which now includes Castle Stuart, has published 2026 rates from around 540 pounds per person, rising in main season. Contents and prices change sharply with season, so always confirm directly before booking.
How much does it cost to play Castle Stuart in 2026?
As an indicative guide, Cabot Highlands has published 2026 rates that run from around 540 pounds per person in the early season up to roughly 905 pounds per person in main season, with late season in between and minimum group sizes from four to eight. These move sharply with season and group size, so treat them as planning figures and always confirm current rates directly before booking.
When is the best value time to play golf in the Highlands?
Highland links play through the main summer season at the highest rates, with the spring and autumn shoulders offering better value in exchange for cooler weather and shorter daylight. For the best balance of value and conditions, target the shoulder months and book the trio early, as the marquee tee times fill fast. See our best time to play Scotland guide for the month by month view.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Inverness and Highlands package shapes and rates compiled June 2026 from operator and club sources; prices in pounds are indicative for the 2026 season and change sharply with availability. Always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.