Reay

Few golf courses in Britain sit as close to the edge of things as Reay. Located on the far north coast of mainland Scotland — just a short drive west of Thurso, the most northerly town on the British mainland — this historic links occupies a stretch of duneland along the shores of the Kyle of Tongue road, with the Atlantic horizon pressing in from the north. It is one of the most remote 18-hole courses in the country, and that remoteness is very much part of the point.

Reay Golf Club dates to 1893, making it one of the older clubs in the Highlands, and the course retains the unhurried, unpretentious character of a genuine community links. The ground is pure links terrain — close-cropped turf, natural undulations, and the kind of wind that renders any fixed idea about club selection irrelevant before you've reached the 2nd tee.

At par 68, this is not a course built around length. It rewards precision, local knowledge, and a willingness to let the land dictate. For visiting golfers making the journey to Caithness, Reay offers something increasingly rare: a links that feels entirely itself.