DORNOCH

« **on:** January 10, 2005, 01:10:14 AM »

I would like to remind everyone that my house in Dornoch will available for rent during the coming year. It is a 3-bedroom, 3-bath townhouse (with 4 beds) located just off the main square in Dornoch. From our front door, it is a 3-minute walk to the 1st tee at RDGC.

The building and its furnishings are less than one year old. I am assembling what I think will be a very nice library of golf and gca-related books for visitors to peruse and read.

I would prefer to rent it out on a weekly basis, but shorter stays can be arranged. Please contact me via IM or e-mail (tcmnav@aol.com) if you are interested in receiving more information.

A special thank you to Ran Morrissett and GCA.com for indulging this brief commercial announcement.

« **Reply #1 on:** January 10, 2005, 08:46:06 AM »

What would you suggest as an itinerary for a one week trip HQ'd in Dornoch?

« **Reply #2 on:** January 10, 2005, 08:53:37 AM »

Is it affordable...

« **Reply #3 on:** January 10, 2005, 08:58:25 AM »

Does anyone really pay for...........

« **Reply #4 on:** January 10, 2005, 09:04:24 AM »

Quote from: Buck Wolter on January 10, 2005, 08:46:06 AM

What would you suggest as an itinerary for a one week trip HQ'd in Dornoch?

I've yet to visit Scotland but I've always figured a good Highlands itinerary would be

Sunday: Arrive, 18 at Dornoch
Monday: 36 at Dornoch
Tuesday: 36 at Dornoch
Wednesday: 36 at Dornoch
Thursday: 36 at Dornoch
Friday: 36 at Dornoch
Saturday: 36 at Brora
Sunday: 18 at Dornoch, Depart

but then again I have no sense of proportion.

« **Reply #5 on:** January 10, 2005, 12:16:22 PM »

Buck
I did that just last summer (did not stay in David's house but it looks great and can not be more convenient unless you slept in the clubhouse).
Stating the obvious Dornoch is the course you should play as many times as you can afford, there is no day ticket for the championship course. with that being said the Struie is worthy and there is a day ticket for Struie and Championship. Brora is a great experience and worth a visit. I really enjoyed Golspie in spite of yanking a drive on to a road and one bouncing it into a police car

.
We also enjoyed Tain which has a resonable day ticket.
Nairn was very good, though very dear. The greens are fantastic.
Our week was:
72 holes - Dornoch Championship
18 - Struie
18 - Brora
18 - Golspie
18 - Nairn
54 - Tain
In hind site I probably would have played Nairn more and Tain less.
This includes walking a round at Dornoch with Mike Wier who coptered in for a round before heading to Troon.
Slainte
Stan

« **Reply #6 on:** January 10, 2005, 08:04:13 PM »

Buck W.,

It is hard to argue with what Stan and Brent have suggested for a week in Dornoch. Playing Royal Dornoch (green fee about 70 pounds) 7 days in a row could hardly be viewed as a bad thing!

However, what I find equally as attractive to the area are the other local courses (greens fees in the 25-30 pound range). Brora, Golspie, Tain and the improved Struie Course at Dornoch are all worth playing, as is Fortrose & Rosemarkie, another James Braid course about 35 miles south of Dornoch.

My suggestion would be to play Royal Dornoch at least 4 times, buying a day ticket that gets you on the Struie Course at a reduced rate at least two of those times. Then I would play Brora, Golspie and Tain once each and return to whichever of those courses you like for a 2nd or 3rd round.

Personally, I like Golspie, as it is in a beautiful spot and the course does not seem to get nearly as much play as the Dornoch courses or Brora. If you show up before 8:00am on a weekday morning, the odds are good you will have the place pretty much to yourself.

The one time I played Nairn, I was not all that much impressed with it relative to Royal Dornoch. It is a 75-minute drive from Dornoch to Nairn and I would just as soon spend those 2+ hours playing an extra round in the Dornoch area.

But that's just me!

DT

« **Reply #7 on:** January 10, 2005, 08:06:37 PM »

How far away is Cruden Bay? I envision making a pitch to the Mrs for a 40th birthday trip in 2006.

« **Reply #8 on:** January 10, 2005, 08:37:44 PM »

I too would discount Nairn. Not worth tihe time for the money.

Re Cruden Bay. From memory it is a few hours drive from Nairn. A quote from the journal I did on my trip should sum up the drive.

"This portion of the journey was plagued by slow moving traffic on roads with few good passing spots and plenty of oncoming traffic."

That said my schedule for that day was up at 0730. Golf at Nairn 0930. I was then on the road and in Aberdeen before 5pm.

« **Reply #9 on:** January 10, 2005, 09:19:54 PM »

Jason-

I would plan on 2 hrs. minimum driving between Nairn & Cruden Bay, maybe longer if the traffic is bad. It is almost entirely 2-lane road and you have to drive thru the center of most of the villages you encounter en route.

As noted about, it is about 75 minutes from Dornoch to Nairn, although the roads are better on that drive.

DT

« **Reply #10 on:** January 10, 2005, 10:30:38 PM »

I left David's house at 5am (if memory serves) and was in Cruden Bay in about 3-4 hours. Cruden Bay is absolutely worth the drive. Aside from the golf which is great fun, although not on the level of Dornoch in my book, the view from the clubhouse while you are eating is surely one of the top 5 in all of golf.
You couldn't ask for a better base than David's house which is just down the road from the Dornoch clubhouse.

« **Reply #11 on:** January 10, 2005, 10:33:44 PM »

Jason-
Your 40th or hers?

I hit that number this calendar year so I should start lobbying now I guess.

David-
How's the village(?) of Dornoch for dinner and an after hours perspective? Too old for night clubs but love pubs and would assume they'd be the real deal there -- not too touristy.

Also any single malt distilleries in the area for days when my back is too tired for 36?

Looks like your timing was good for the fall of the dollar David. Be nice to have a pound income stream these days.

Buck

« **Reply #12 on:** January 10, 2005, 10:51:46 PM »

Buck-

I have only been to Dornoch in lateMay/early June and September. I have not been there during the 'summer season.'

If you are looking for night life, all I can say is things get pretty quiet there in the evening. There are a couple of pubs and couple of hotel bars. There are some good restaurants in Dornoch and a very good new restaurant (The Quiet Piggy) in Brora. the nearest movie screen is in Inverness, 45 miles away.

Nearby distilleries include Clynelish in Brora (15 miles), Glenmorangie in Tain (9 miles), Balblair in Edderton (10 miles) and Dalmore in Alness (25 miles). The bad news is that beer and whisky are much cheaper here in the US than in Scotland. I expect to bring a bottle of single-malt bought here in San Francisco to Dornoch when I go over in May.

If you e-mail me your address, I would be happy to mail you my info packet.

DT

« **Reply #13 on:** January 11, 2005, 08:02:45 AM »

Very excited to hear about The Quiet Piggy in Brora, David! I think the name alone justifies one going along.What is the restaurant called where we met up ? The Sutherland Arms? We always go there because the landlady is delightful, and food pretty good. Is the QP better? At all costs one must avoid the dreadful Malcolm at Mallen (sp?) House Lodge with his heavy hand on the cream and London prices! I wonder if he is still there?

« **Reply #14 on:** January 11, 2005, 09:22:48 AM »

philip-

We met at the Sutherland House, on 'the square' in Dornoch. Based on my still limited experience, it is probably the best place for dinner there.

The Quiet Piggy is located in the train station square in Brora. It opened last spring. We ate there in May and again in September and were very pleased. They feature of small menu of 3 or 4 starters, 3 or 4 mains and 3 or 4 desserts that changes every few days. Prices were quite reasonable and the place has a nice contemporary feel to it. A lot of Range Rovers and Volvo estate wagons in the parking lot!

I recall somone saying when I was over in September that the Mallin House Hotel & Restaurant had closed and the property was going to be developed, but I never walked the 3 blocks down there to see what was happening.

DT

« **Reply #15 on:** January 11, 2005, 09:26:40 AM »

Quote from: Buck Wolter on January 10, 2005, 10:33:44 PM

Jason-
Your 40th or hers?

Believe me, its mine. For hers we are going to a film festival in about 10 days.

« **Reply #16 on:** January 11, 2005, 09:30:45 AM »

The Quite Piggy is very good and unpretentious, even though full of "OK Yah"s (as my wife would say). The Malin House was sold a year or so ago and has been closed ever since. An American owns it.

« **Reply #17 on:** January 11, 2005, 10:58:41 AM »

Rich-

"OK Yah's" (

?)

Unless it requires betraying Goodale family confidences, you will have to enlighten us on that phrase!

DT

« **Reply #18 on:** January 11, 2005, 11:00:51 AM »

David

Similar to a "Hooray Henry!" People speaking with bools in ther mooths, that sort of thing......

See below

http://www.askoxford.com/pressroom/archive/cod/yah/

« **Reply #19 on:** January 11, 2005, 11:09:19 AM »

Rich-

VERY interesting stuff! Can't say I am familiar with "Hooray Henry" either.

The notion of a chowhound as a "greedy person" is a bit surprising. Here in the US, a chowhound is someone devoted/obessed with good food & eating. There is actually a website (www.chowhound.com) devoted to the same subjects that I visit and post on regularly.

Two nations divided by a common language!

DT

« **Reply #20 on:** January 11, 2005, 11:21:12 AM »

OK-yah's come from expensive parts of London, like Chelsea, and hence their presence, all other things being equal, might make you fear for the prices!

« **Reply #21 on:** January 11, 2005, 12:20:17 PM »

philip-

As of September, The Quiet Piggy was no more expensive than the Sutherland House. Maybe even a pound or two cheaper per entree.

The limited menu and modest wine list (about 20 bottles or so), combined with rent in Brora, should allow them to keep prices reasonable, unless their success goes to their head.

They serve lunch and morning coffee as well.

DT

« **Reply #22 on:** January 31, 2005, 12:12:25 AM »

Excuse me for recycling this, but I have come across some photos
of our building (Dornoch Square East) on the developers website. The link is:

www.halstonfleming.com/news1.cfm

I do have some e-mailable interior photos of our townhouse that I can send if anyone is interested. IM me or contact via e-mail (tcmnav@aol.com)

« **Reply #23 on:** February 28, 2005, 12:20:50 AM »

Anyone wishing to see where my place in Dornoch is located can click on the link below, which is a live webcam mounted on the top of the Dornoch Castle Hotel. If you look (during daylight hours in Dornoch), you will see two white buildings with black roofs in the top right center of the picture. The front white building is the Dornoch Inn/One Up pub-restaurant. The white building behind it is
'Dornoch Square East,' the five-unit building that contains my place. Royal Dornoch is on the far side of the trees at the top of the picture.

www.visitdornoch.com/pages/webcam.html

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