Cabot expands Scottish Highlands portfolio with Old Petty at Castle Stuart

Cabot, the Canadian golf-resort operator, has expanded its Scottish Highlands footprint with a second course at Castle Stuart and a developing lodging village at Cabot Highlands. Old Petty, a layout designed by Tom Doak, is currently in preview ahead of a formal opening targeted for May next year. The moves advance Cabot’s strategy of pairing championship golf with premium on-site accommodations in locations that blend heritage with dramatic landscapes.

Castle Stuart stands as a standout links course that has hosted the Scottish Open and earned praise for its coastal views and challenging winds. Guides describe playing in gusts near 40 mph, with the coastline, tall grasses and marshland framing every hole. Visitors warm up on a tidy driving range before a round, then contest a front nine charged by wind and a turn to reveal more sweeping panoramas. The course, which Cabot has developed a long association with, rewards precision over bravado and maintains a balance that accommodates a wide range of handicaps. The closing stretch is renowned for its wind-driven par threes and a par-five finish that plays toward the clubhouse at about 600 yards, a distance that often feels longer in the blustery conditions.

Old Petty sits to the right of Castle Stuart, currently operating in preview ahead of a formal opening around May next year. The 18-hole design moves away from Castle Stuart's sand-dune links toward farmland, with the Castle Stuart Bay estuary intruding into play from the fourth hole onward and crossing fairways on the first and eighteenth. Doak's plan emphasizes variety: hillier back nine holes, a handful of coastline-facing shots, and greens that invite a test for players across abilities. A distinctive red half-way house stands on the fifth green, a nod to a former residence that housed guests. The layout includes a driveable look on the eighth and a downhill, wind-aided 13th that tempts aggressive play, all of which Cabot plans to refine before the full rollout next year.

Staying at Cabot Highlands is designed to mirror the golf experience: high-spec lodges offer private bedrooms and ensuite facilities while sharing a living room and kitchen. Prices start at around 495 pounds for one night and two rounds, a value when compared with about 330 pounds per round at Castle Stuart alone. Lodges are set across the property, with plans to add a cluster of units directly beside the clubhouse later this year, a development that would bring the total offering closer to a turnkey golf-and-stay experience. The property is a short drive from Inverness, about 15 to 20 minutes into the city center, and the airport is a five-minute drive away, making the Highlands feel unusually accessible for a destination golf trip. Guests have praised the service, from meals prepared in the clubhouse to breakfast rolls that have become a local favorite.

Cabot's footprint in Scotland follows its existing portfolio in Canada and the United States, where the company has acquired and refined dream courses such as Castle Stuart, Lofoten Links in Norway, and projects in St. Lucia and Florida. The Highlands pairing of Castle Stuart and Old Petty represents Cabot's aim to deliver world-class golf experiences in locations with strong cultural and natural appeal. As the company expands, observers say Castle Stuart remains a must-see on any Scottish golf itinerary, and Old Petty is positioned to complement it by offering a different, more accessible link to the landscape. The question of whether Old Petty surpasses Castle Stuart is subjective, but the two together create a compelling, high-end pairing that underscores Cabot’s evolving model in the global golf landscape.