The Moray Firth coast has been quietly harbouring some of Scotland's finest and most characterful golf for well over a century. While golfers queue for tee times at Royal Dornoch and St Andrews, a compact strip of Scottish coastline stretching from Forres east through Elgin to Buckie delivers genuine links golf, outstanding parkland, and an authenticity that money-no-object resort destinations struggle to replicate.
Seven featured courses — Hopeman, Covesea Links, Forres, Elgin, Spey Bay, Maverston, and Buckpool — form the spine of a golf trip that combines coastal drama with inland variety, whisky distillery visits, and the kind of warm club welcome that reminds visitors why they fell in love with Scottish golf in the first place. Moray has 16 courses in total, meaning those who want to extend their stay or return have plenty more to explore.
This is a region where a round of proper links golf can be had for £35 to £45 (€40–€52/$44–$57), where the 19th hole might involve a dram from a nearby Speyside distillery, and where bottlenose dolphins occasionally patrol the waters visible from the 12th tee.
Scotland has no shortage of golf destinations, but Moray's combination of quality, variety, and value is genuinely difficult to match. The region sits within a natural microclimate that makes it one of the drier parts of northern Scotland, which matters considerably when planning a multi-day golf trip.
The seven courses in this guide span coastal links, clifftop drama, historic parkland, and modern design — all within a 45-minute drive of each other. Moray has 16 courses in total, so a travelling golfer could comfortably play a different course every day for a week without covering more than 60km (37 miles) between rounds.
Paul Lawrie, 1999 Open Champion and Honorary President of Hopeman Golf Club, once described the club's 12th hole as probably the best par 3 he has ever played. It is a description that stops golfers in their tracks when they encounter it for the first time. The Prieshach plays just 150 yards from an elevated tee, but the green sits over 100 feet below in Clashach Cove, guarded by two bunkers and framed by gorse. On calm summer evenings, dolphins surface in the Moray Firth below.
Originally a 9-hole course established in 1909, Hopeman was extended to 18 holes in 1985 and has undergone a significant improvement programme since 2018 following recommendations from Tom MacKenzie of Mackenzie & Ebert. The fairways are defined throughout by gorse and broom.
Hopeman welcomes visitors seven days a week, with weekend bookings recommended. The Mashie Niblick clubhouse serves freshly cooked, homemade food.
Two miles south of Lossiemouth, down a single-track farm road that reveals nothing of what lies beyond, Covesea Links is one of the most delightful surprises in Scottish golf. The 9-hole course occupies a natural valley of dunes between farmland and the Moray Firth. With the sea visible from every hole, it was built by owners Andy and Angela Burnett as a labour of love.
The course is short, naturally routed, and plays with genuine links character: firm ground, blind shots, a tee played from the edge of the Moray Firth at the 4th, and a completely blind 135-yard par 3 over a great red rock to a tucked green. Angela welcomes visitors from a small hut on-site; the warmth of that welcome has become as much a part of the Covesea experience as the golf itself.
It is one of the most remarkable values in Scottish golf. A round at Covesea in the early evening, with the sun low over the firth, is an experience that stays with you.
Forres Golf Club carries impressive architectural credentials… the original 9 holes were laid out by James Braid, whilst Willie Park extended the course to 18 in 1912. Two Open Champions shaping one parkland course. The result is a beautifully balanced layout set on rolling ground with mature tree-lined fairways, excellent views towards Findhorn Bay and the Moray Firth, and greens that visitors consistently rate among the best in the north.
The course has hosted the Scottish Professional Championship and the PGA Northern Open. The most discussed hole is the 16th, named The Pond, a risk-reward par 4 where a watery grave awaits those who take on the direct line to the green. The front nine is tighter and more varied; the back nine opens up before tightening dramatically for the finish.
Founded in 1906, Elgin Golf Club is set at Hardhillock on the edge of the town of Elgin. The heathland course measures 6,458 yards at par 71 and has a reputation for having some of the best par 4s in Scotland, and it is hard to argue.
The setting is quietly dramatic: the course commands views north over the Moray coast and south to the distant Cairngorm Mountains, with the Highland skyline providing a constant backdrop. Elgin accepts visitors throughout the week and at weekends.
Spey Bay Golf Club occupies one of the most unusual pieces of golfing terrain in Scotland: a series of raised storm-beach ridges that accumulated some 6,000 years ago at the mouth of the River Spey. The 18-hole course was designed by legendary club-maker Ben Sayers in 1907, and the natural topography made of pebble and shingle ridges rising and falling between gorse-filled hollows has produced a layout unlike anything found elsewhere.
The course was acquired by LinksDAO in 2022, bringing significant investment and ongoing renovation work by CDP Architects with ambitions to restore and enhance the original routing. The 8th hole is the signature, a short par 3 played to a green perched atop a sizeable hillock with nothing to stop the ball except accuracy.
Spey Bay operates on-site accommodation pods through Spey Bay Pods (speybaypods.co.uk) — a novel option for golfers wanting to wake up beside the course. The club also operates a camping and caravanning site in the grounds.
Moray's newest course opened in 2014 and was designed by former Scottish international golfer Euan McIntosh. Set in the Maverston Highland Estate near Urquhart, just minutes from Elgin off the A96. The 18-hole parkland course of 6,284 yards plays to par 70 across gently undulating, free-draining ground with spectacular views towards the Cairngorm Mountains and the Moray Firth.
Maverston was designed with year-round playability in mind: the free-draining soil means the course remains open and dry during winter conditions that close neighbouring courses. A 9-hole par-3 Kempston Course alongside the main layout makes it accessible for families or for golfers wanting an evening warm-up round.
The clubhouse sources food from locally selected ingredients, and the backdrop of the Cairngorm skyline from the 19th hole terrace is one of the better post-round views in Moray. Visitors are welcome throughout the week and at weekends.
Buckpool occupies a remarkable position in Scottish golf history, as the course was created in the 1930s as part of a job creation scheme for unemployed workers from Buckie's herring fishing industry. Designed by J.H. Taylor, the course that emerged from this project remains one of the funnest links layouts in the north-east of Scotland.
The course sits on an elevated clifftop position above the town of Buckie, measuring 6,169 yards at par 70. Fast, firm fairways are lined throughout by mature gorse, and the undulating greens — routinely praised as the best in the north-east - all surrounded by swales, hollows, and cavernous bunkers. Paul Lawrie claimed his first professional win here in 1986. The views across the Moray Firth towards the hills of Caithness are spectacular on clear days.
Buckpool is the easternmost of the seven featured courses and provides natural geographical bookends to a Moray golf itinerary. Visitors are welcome every day; advance booking is recommended at weekends.
Moray Golf Club sits on the edge of Lossiemouth and offers two distinct links experiences on the same stretch of Moray Firth coastline.
The Old Course, designed by Old Tom Morris in 1889, is the more celebrated of the two — a classic out-and-back links of 6,643 yards that rewards local knowledge and punishes anything wayward in the wind.
The New Course, added by Henry Cotton in 1979, is shorter and more forgiving but no less characterful, sharing the same firm, fast turf and sea views. Whilst most will focus on Moray on the Moray coastline, there is plenty more to see here!
The distances between Moray's courses are short enough that back-to-back rounds are perfectly achievable without long drives. The following five-day outline suits golfers flying into Inverness Airport, which is approximately 35km (22 miles) from Forres and around 50km (31 miles) from Elgin.
Fly into Inverness Airport and collect a hire car — essential for exploring Moray. The drive east on the A96 to Forres takes approximately 25 minutes. An afternoon round at Forres Golf Club eases visitors into the trip without the immediate coastal wind challenge of the links courses. Dalvey House near Forres provides elegant country house accommodation ideal for a first-night stay, with private grounds and a genuinely luxurious base from which to explore the week's golf.
Morning round at Hopeman Golf Club — book the tee time in advance if visiting at a weekend. The 12th hole (The Prieshach) demands to be experienced rather than described. From Hopeman, it's a short drive of around 8km (5 miles) west to the turn-off for Covesea Links. An evening 9 holes at Covesea, with the Moray Firth lit by late afternoon sun, provides an extraordinary contrast to the morning's conventional links challenge. Stay in Elgin or take a second night at Dalvey House before moving east the following day.
Morning round at Elgin Golf Club. The parkland setting and quality of greens make Elgin a natural highlight of any Moray trip. Afternoon visitors might consider a tour at Benriach Distillery in Longmorn, just south of Elgin (benriachdistillery.com) — the distillery's experimental approach to cask maturation and single malt production makes for an excellent post-round visit. The combination of golf at Elgin followed by whisky at Benriach has become something of a Moray classic. Johnstons of Elgin cashmere mill on the northern edge of Elgin is worth a visit for non-golfing partners on this day. After the round, move east to check in at The Seafield Arms in Cullen — the natural base for the final two days.
Morning round at Spey Bay Golf Club — allow additional time to absorb the completely unique terrain. The WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre on site is worth 30 minutes before or after the round if dolphins are actively in the estuary. Afternoon round at Maverston, approximately 10km (6 miles) south on the A96, provides a contrasting parkland perspective with views south to the Cairngorms. Buckpool Golf Club in Buckie is just 20 minutes from The Seafield Arms and can be added as an evening round. More in Moray Tours & Transport can arrange transport on days when driving between multiple courses, allowing golfers to relax fully between rounds.
Morning round at Buckpool Golf Club in Buckie — approximately 35km (22 miles) east of Elgin, easily reached from The Seafield Arms. Buckpool's clifftop views and J.H. Taylor links design provide a worthy final-day challenge. Afternoon departure towards Inverness Airport via the A96. Allow 90 minutes for the journey from Buckie to the airport during peak travel times.
Inverness Airport is the natural gateway, served by British Airways, easyJet, and Loganair from London, Edinburgh, and Bristol. Aberdeen Airport, approximately 105km (65 miles) to the south-east, provides further connectivity with international carriers. Edinburgh Airport, 230km (143 miles) south, connects to virtually all major European cities and works well for international visitors who want to spend a night in Edinburgh before heading north by hire car or train.
The A96 is the primary road corridor linking Inverness, Forres, Elgin, and Keith — a well-maintained route that connects every course in this guide. Journey times between courses rarely exceed 45 minutes, and the roads are generally uncongested outside of summer weekend afternoons. A hire car is genuinely essential for Moray golf; while rail services connect Forres and Elgin to Inverness and Aberdeen, the course locations are not accessible by foot from stations.
More in Moray Tours & Transport operates local transport and tour services throughout the region, making them a practical option for groups who want to be driven between courses, or for golfers who prefer to arrive and hand over the logistics. This is particularly useful for larger groups where not everyone wishes to drive, or for the final night of a trip where a meal with wine is on the agenda.
Scottish Links Golf Tours specialise in Moray golf itinerary design and booking, handling tee time coordination across multiple courses and combining golf with distillery and cultural visits. Their Moray-specific expertise means local knowledge is genuinely baked into the planning.
Moray benefits from a relatively dry microclimate for northern Scotland, with Forres often cited as one of the sunniest towns in Scotland. May through September offer the most reliable weather window, with June and July delivering long evenings and the longest daylight hours. August is the busiest month; golfers visiting in late May or early September will typically find shorter queues, slightly lower accommodation rates, and excellent course conditions. March and April can produce beautiful, clear days, but also unpredictable cold winds.
The essential packing list for a Moray golf trip includes waterproofs (always), an extra base layer, a windproof mid-layer, and sun protection for clear summer days. The temperature difference between a warm inland course like Forres and a north-facing coastal course like Spey Bay on the same afternoon can be surprisingly significant. Pack as if for variable conditions regardless of the forecast.
Golf photography with AKH Golf is available across Moray. Worth considering for groups marking a milestone trip or for golfers who have waited years to visit and want professional images to take home.
Having seen their work, the on-course experience with a dedicated photographer is genuinely different to phone photography. Alan at AKH Golf can join your group for single or multiple rounds, whether that be in Moray or across Scotland.
The Golf Moray website is a useful resource for planning, listing courses, visitor information, and local golf news across the region.
Dalvey House near Forres is a private country house hotel that provides a luxurious western base for exploring Moray's golf courses. The house sleeps small groups in a private-hire arrangement ideal for golf societies or groups of friends who prefer their own space over a conventional hotel. The setting, featuring rolling grounds with views towards the Moray Firth, is genuinely special, and the proximity to Forres Golf Club makes a pre-breakfast practice round entirely feasible.
The Seafield Arms Hotel in Cullen provides a characterful coastal base on the eastern edge of the golf region. The hotel is a traditional Scottish inn with a strong local reputation for food, situated in the attractive fishing town of Cullen above the Moray Firth. For golfers who want to include Buckpool in their itinerary, the Seafield Arms is the natural local choice. Buckpool is just 20 minutes west along the coast road, and Spey Bay is 25 minutes in the same direction.
Spey Bay Golf Club Pods offer the most immersive accommodation option in the guide: camping pods on the grounds of the golf club itself, with direct access to the course and the coastal environment. The pods have proven popular with golfers who want an early morning tee time without a commute, as well as with couples where one partner is a committed golfer and the other values coastal walking and dolphin watching.
Elgin acts as the natural accommodation hub for the region, with several hotels and guesthouses within easy distance of the A96 corridor. The town's compact centre has a good range of independent restaurants and pubs. For golfers on a tighter budget, self-catering cottages across Moray provide excellent value and often come with golf storage — a practical consideration when travelling with a full set of clubs.
Lossiemouth, 9km (5.5 miles) north of Elgin, is a pleasant coastal town that places golfers within easy reach of Hopeman, Covesea Links, and both Moray Golf Club courses. It retains the character of a working fishing town alongside increasing numbers of independent cafés and accommodation options.
No golf trip to Moray makes complete sense without at least one distillery visit. The Speyside whisky region is, in practical terms, on the doorstep of every course in this guide. The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival runs in late April and early May, bringing an extraordinary concentration of distillery events to the region.
Benriach Distillery in Longmorn, just south of Elgin, is an excellent post-golf choice. Experience options range from full distillery tours to streamlined tasting sessions, with walk-in guests welcome or advance booking available online.
The staff are knowledgeable and genuinely enthusiastic about explaining the distillery's history, production process, and the eclectic range of casks in the warehouses — alongside a shop and bar at the visitor centre for a quicker stop. Combine with a morning round at Elgin Golf Club for the ideal Moray golf and whisky day.
Johnstons of Elgin has been working with natural, biodegradable fibres for more than 229 years, and their Elgin mill remains the only vertical weaving mill in Scotland — dyeing, spinning, weaving and finishing everything on-site using soft Scottish water and generations of accumulated craft.
The mill experience gives visitors a genuine look behind the scenes of a working family-owned business, and the on-site coffee shop, featuring locally sourced produce, is one of the better lunch options in Elgin. Non-golfing partners on a Moray trip frequently cite Johnstons as a highlight, and the shop carries the full range at Scottish retail prices.
Forres Golf Club's Muiry Bar & Restaurant is the standout clubhouse dining option in the region — genuinely good food served in a warm environment with views that remind you where you are.
Elgin Golf Club's Hardhillock Bar & Bistro is a close second, combining good bar food with the kind of post-round atmosphere that makes it worth lingering. Hopeman's Mashie Niblick specialises in homemade cooking and has a reputation among locals for quality that outstrips its modest size.
The Seafield Arms in Cullen is the natural dinner destination for the eastern part of the itinerary, combining proximity to Buckpool and Spey Bay with a kitchen that makes good use of locally landed seafood. Cullen Skink — the smoked haddock chowder that originated in this area — is an essential experience for first-time visitors to Moray.
Most courses in this guide accept online booking. Covesea Links operates on a turn-up-and-play basis with payment on the day. Spey Bay should also be booked in advance.
Most courses in this guide accept online booking. Covesea Links operates on a turn-up-and-play basis with payment on the day. Spey Bay should also be booked in advance; all course improvement work is completed over the winter, and the course remains available throughout the season.
Caddies are not normally available at Moray's courses. The courses are easily walkable, but buggies and golf carts should be booked in advance if required — contact the club directly when making a tee time reservation.
Scottish Links Golf Tours handles end-to-end planning, including tee time coordination across multiple courses, accommodation booking, transport, and cultural add-ons. For groups of four or more who want a seamless trip without the logistics overhead, this represents good value. Independent travellers should aim to book tee times at least two to three weeks in advance for summer visits.
Moray rewards curiosity beyond the golf course. Elgin Cathedral, the 13th-century ruin known as the Lantern of the North, sits in the heart of the town and is among the most atmospheric medieval buildings in Scotland.
Sueno's Stone in Forres is one of the tallest and most elaborately carved Pictish standing stones anywhere in Britain, dating to around 900 AD. Both are free to visit and accessible without a significant detour.
The Speyside Way is a 100km (62-mile) walking and cycling route that follows the River Spey from the Cairngorms to the Moray Firth coast, which makes for excellent non-golf half-day walks.
The WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre at Spey Bay is particularly rewarding in summer, when the resident bottlenose dolphin population is most active in the estuary. The Moray Firth holds the most northerly resident dolphin population in the world.
The Speyside Cooperage near Craigellachie is a working cooperage where visitors watch craftsmen making and repairing casks for the whisky industry — a 30-minute detour well worth making.
More in Moray Tours & Transport offer bespoke tours around Moray and Speyside distilleries, as well as the transport services referenced throughout this guide.
Moray's green fees occupy a range that makes multi-round visits affordable without sacrificing quality. Buckpool and Covesea Links represent genuine bargains by any Scottish standard; Spey Bay's recent investment is reflected in its pricing, which now sits at the premium end of the local range.
Moray's golf is worth travelling for. The combination of coastal links drama, historic parkland pedigree, extraordinary value relative to better-marketed Scottish golfing destinations, and a wider cultural offer that includes the world's greatest whisky-producing region makes this compact stretch of the Moray Firth coast one of the most rewarding golf destinations in Scotland.
What visitors consistently discover is that the region's relative obscurity works in their favour: tee times are available, courses are quiet, and the welcome from staff and members retains an authenticity that disappears when a destination becomes a tourist trap rather than a community hub. That authenticity is Moray's most valuable characteristic… and it is worth experiencing before it becomes more widely known.
A hire car and a willingness to follow an evening round at Hopeman with a dram in Forres is genuinely all the planning required. The rest takes care of itself.
