Why visit Dornoch
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 16 places to eat and 8 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Dornoch Castle, Historylinks, Championship Course and Struie Course.
Weather in Dornoch
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Dornoch
Dornoch (; Scottish Gaelic: Dòrnach [ˈt̪ɔːrˠn̪ˠəx]; Scots: Dornach) is a seaside resort town, parish and former royal burgh in the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east.
From the Wikipedia article Dornoch (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks9
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes16
4 more on the map.
Where to stay8
Dornoch Caravan & Camping Park
Campground · 0.5 mi
The Links, Dornoch
History
Archaeological excavations during the development of a new business park in 1997 revealed a building, evidence for ironworking and part of a whale, dating from the 8th to the 11th centuries AD. The archaeologists surmised that the findings were of an industrial area on the edge of a settlement and that a settlement existed at Dornoch from at least the 8th century.
The first direct reference to a settlement in Dornoch is not until the early 12th century when David I, as recorded in the Dunfermline Abbey register, orders Rognvald, the Earl of Orkney, to respect the monks at Dornoch.
Dornoch has the thirteenth-century Dornoch Cathedral, the Old Town Jail, Dornoch Sheriff Court and Dornoch Castle, which is now a hotel.
It is also notable as the last place a witch was burnt in Scotland. Her name was reported as Janet Horne; she was tried and condemned to death in 1727. There is a stone, the Witch's Stone, commemorating her death, inscribed with the year 1722.
On 13 January 2005, Dornoch was granted Fairtrade Town status.
From the History section of Dornoch on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Dornoch
Economy
Royal Dornoch Golf Club was founded in 1877. It was named No. 2 on the 2024 Golf Digest list of Top 100 International (outside U.S.) courses.
Dornoch distillery has been operating at the former 19th century fire station house since 2016.
Education
The town is home to Dornoch Primary School and Dornoch Academy secondary school.
The Burghfield House Campus of the University of the Highlands and Islands in Dornoch is the home for the Centre for History, teaching undergraduate and postgraduate history degrees to students around the UHI network and worldwide.
From the Wikipedia article Dornoch, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Dornoch
George Gordon, 15th Earl of SutherlandScottish noblePhoto: Stephencdickson, CC BY-SA 4.0- Donald RossProfessional golfer, golf course architect (1872–1948)
- Rory MacdonaldBritish musician
- Alec Rossprofessional golfer (1879–1952)
- Cameron Ross McIntoshCanadian politician and centenarian
- Jim ClarkScottish footballer (1923-1994)
- Wilson Fairweatherassociation football player (1924-1989)
- Jack CameronScottish footballer
- John TallachFree Presbyterian minister in Scotland
Born in Dornoch, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Churches and places of worship4
Shopping6
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Healthcare1
Map of Dornoch
50 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Inverness Airport (INV) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 24 miles away.
- Golspie 7 mi north, about 11 min by car
- Evanton 19 mi southwest, about 30 min by car
- Nairn 21 mi south, about 34 min by car
- Fortrose 21 mi south, about 34 min by car
- North Kessock 27 mi south, about 44 min by car
- Strathpeffer 28 mi southwest, about 45 min by car
- Inverness 29 mi south, about 46 min by car
- Elgin 31 mi southeast, about 49 min by car
- Fochabers 39 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- Rothes 39 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Dornoch
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Doors And Windows - panoramio, Dg-505, CC BY 3.0
- Dornoch Cathedral and cemetery seen from the east, Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dornoch High Street 6-7, Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dornoch Cathedral 20090615, Otter, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dornoch High Street Mercat Cross, Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dornoch Castle seen from the northwest, Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, rudolfmayer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, rudolfmayer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, thingomy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, thingomy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, thingomy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, rudolfmayer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, rudolfmayer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, rudolfmayer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, rudolfmayer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, rudolfmayer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, thingomy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, rudolfmayer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, thingomy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, rudolfmayer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, rudolfmayer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, thingomy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, thingomy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, rudolfmayer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, rudolfmayer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, thingomy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, rudolfmayer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, rudolfmayer, CC BY-SA 4.0
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