Mark Wright, general manager of Cabot Highlands, says the resort is getting ready for what will be an eventful year.
Most golfers know you by the name of your signature course, Castle Stuart. Tell us a bit about the history of Cabot Highlands.
After opening Kingsbarns in the summer of 2000, Mark Parsinen turned his attention to a beautiful piece of land on the Moray Firth in the Highlands. He enlisted the support of American architect Gil Hanse to design and build Castle Stuart, which was opened in 2009.
After 13 years of successful operations, including hosting the Scottish Open four times, The Cabot Collection acquired Castle Stuart to begin the creation of Cabot Highlands resort.
What should players expect out on the course?
Castle Stuart is a traditional links course ranging in length from 5,179 years from the shortest tees and a slope of 128 to 7,009 yards from the back tees, where the slope is 141. It was deigned by Mark Parsinen and Gil Hanse.
Tom Doak designed our new 18-hole course, Old Petty, which will open to preview golf in 2025.
Both play around the sublime backdrops of the Moray Birth and the historic 17th century Castle Stuart. We currently have a restaurant with a top floor lounge, a pro shop, and changing rooms in our three-level art deco clubhouse, as well as three 4-bedroom cottages and a driving range with complimentary golf balls.
Who comes to play at your golf resort?
Cabot Highlands does not have any members, but is open to book by everyone and anyone from April 1 through to October 31.
Our guests come from all over the world, with a healthy blend of golfers from the local Highlands market as well as from North America, Europe and beyond. It’s a course that is on many people’s golfing bucket list, but is just as magical to play every week.
What’s coming up in 2025?
There wasn’t much that was new in 2024, apart from operational improvements, but there are large developments coming this year and beyond.
Old Petty will offer our guests more world-class golf, giving travellers even more reason to visit the Highlands. From 2026 we will begin renovations of our clubhouse while adding five new four-bedroom cottages, a golf park, a short Par 3 course and a new pro shop.
We are excited about these developments and even more to come in the future as we continue in the creation of a world-class resort with golf, hospitality and a luxury real estate, all with a commitment to creating unforgettable experiences for our guests.
(Image: Eric Karlsson)What events are you most looking forward to in the upcoming season?
The annual Highlands Pro Am is always a very special competition hosted between us, Royal Dornoch and Nairn Golf Club. With 75 teams involved, it’s an incredible event showcasing the best the Highlands have to offer across hospitality.
However, the opening of Old Petty to preview golf will without a doubt be the most exciting moment for us in 2025. Seeing it develop over the last two years has been a blessing, and we simply can’t wait to have guests experience the beauty of it.
What makes Cabot Highlands truly special?
There are many elements that make Cabot Highlands unique, from the golf design to awe-inspiring nature, but our most valuable asset is our team.
Staff retention since our original 2009 opening and the relaxed yet professional culture that permeates throughout allows our team members to offer the most genuine and heart-warming service to all of our guests. It’s also the comment that the vast majority of our guests make, whether a first-time visitor or regular: the team make the experience and bring it to life. I couldn’t agree more!
Access the entire series of Around the Greens here.