Links House at Royal Dornoch

This exquisite, honey-hued manse on the edge of the golf links and endless dune-backed beach in picture-postcard Dornoch, oozes luxury and old-world style. The passion project of an American businessman, he transformed what was a rundown property on the northeast coast into a palatial pad.

There are now 15 rooms, scattered across three buildings, all named after Scottish salmon rivers, and peppered with the finest antiques, gilt-framed oil paintings and trimmed with tartan and tweed. Along with a fine dining restaurant, Mara, they have a bistro, the Courtroom, in the village for more relaxed dining.

This sumptuous little hotel is the perfect choice for well-heeled golfers and classic car, top-down, wind-in-your-hair motorists on the North Coast 500.