Dornach

First time visitors to the Edwardian town of Dornoch may come expecting something more rugged and isolated in this northern zone, and are pleasantly surprised to find an elegant, rather refined community in a setting that would be equally fitting in Somerset or the Cotswolds. At its centre is the compact but engaging form of Dornoch Cathedral, its friendly cruciform shape surrounded by an island of grass and trees. The town became a bishopric in 1224 and the cathedral dates from then but, as is usual, the Victorians chose to embellish the exterior and, to all accounts, made a right mess of it. In 1924, to celebrate the cathedral's 700 years, the outer fabric was restored to its former glory and it is now one of the most welcoming of Scottish religious buildings.

Opposite the Tourist Information Office in the town square is Dornoch Craft Centre and Town Jail, a rather curious but effective combination. Open daily except in winter, the restored jail gives an impression of conditions in a nineteenth century prison although most of the inmates were probably guilty of too much libation rather than any serious crime. The craft shop is a little Spartan with a few odd woollen ties along with some books and tins of short bread. There is also a coffee shop.

Golf was played in this area at least as far back as 1616 when the Earl of Sutherland was recorded to have ordered golf clubs and balls to take up the game that was becoming so popular further south. This makes Royal Dornoch the third oldest golfing community in Scotland and it is definitely one of the most rewarding. The course would be an Open venue if its situation was more accessible to the modern world and its transport links. Thankfully, for those that love to play crowd-free golf on one of the world's finest courses, Royal Dornoch Golf Course remains out of reach of the masses.