Dornoch is a quiet, prosperous little town of honey-coloured sandstone on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, 29 miles north of Inverness. It's the only town in the old county of Sutherland and has about 1,400 people. It became a royal burgh in 1628, but its importance goes back much further: in the 13th century it was the seat of the Bishops of Caithness, and their cathedral still stands on the green in the middle of town. The bishop's palace beside it is now the Dornoch Castle Hotel, and the old jail and courthouse complete a very handsome square.
Most visitors come for the golf. Royal Dornoch is one of the great links courses of the world. It was shaped by Old Tom Morris and ranks second outside the US in Golf Digest's list, and golf was being played on this ground as early as 1616. Beyond the dunes, Dornoch beach is a long, clean sweep of sand that you will often have nearly to yourself.
Dornoch has a darker footnote too. In 1727 Janet Horne was burned here for witchcraft, the last legal execution of a witch in the British Isles. The Witch's Stone, in a private garden in Littletown on the south edge of town, marks the traditional spot. The story, along with golf, the cathedral and crofting life, is told at the Historylinks museum.
Dornoch sits a few miles off the A9 and is an easy detour on the North Coast 500. North of town, Loch Fleet is good for seals and wading birds. Across the firth is Tain, with Glenmorangie, and a little further north is Dunrobin Castle near Helmsdale. The town has had its own distillery, in the old fire station, since 2016.