Today was the big day for our Nairn GC round. I booked this one before we came, but when we stopped by the course yesterday, an earlier tee time had opened up. It would be with two Americans who booked through an agency. They would have caddies which worked out well for us the other day, so we agreed to join them.

We started the day with Veronica’s traditional Scottish breakfast. Have I told you about porridge? It’s a very creamy cooked grain eaten with fruit and cream on top. It’s quite tasty so I might bring some home in my luggage (uncooked that is!)

We arrived at the golf course just in time to gather ourselves and find the first tee. Amazingly, we had a friend waiting! Jim, the caddie from Boat of Garten, greeted us wearing his caddie bib. Could it be that he was one of the caddies in our group? Sadly, no, but he saw our names on the tee sheet and wanted to say hello. He also had a gift for John, a yellow Calloway!  (The other day, both caddies had done their best to make sure John didn’t lose a ball so he knew John’s brand well.) When he found one on another course, he saved it—just in case. Now that’s a Scottish welcome!  (He was in the group behind us, so whenever we crossed paths, he made comments like, “Good shot,” or “Why so many in the bunker?”

Nairn is a classic links course. The ocean is always in view and the beach comes in to play on several of the first holes. Bunkers are well placed, but unlike Nairn Dunbar, they have been lifted so that good fairway shot do not roll into them. I suppose when so many of their patrons are from the States, the greens keepers have to make it as easy as possible. In fact, we were playing with Texans and behind us were fellows from Ohio. Not a chance of playing with locals here. And there’s nothing the greens keepers can do about the wind.. When it blew, our shots flew left and right in the breeze! Even our putts blew off course!

Our caddies were young men so II quizzed them about college and their majors (“What did you read?” is the proper question.) The Texans were friendly, but on a schedule with wives waiting. John was hitting his drives much straighter today and everyone in the party had something to cheer about once in a while. After the 9th is an old fisherman’s ice house called, The Bothy, that works a snack shoot now. No 13 seemed to go straight uphill. On my third shot, I asked Harry, one of the caddies, how to hit the shot. “Longer than you think and aim right.” And right he was! I was close to the hole and made par, hooray. No. 14 is a par3 from on top of the hill, with great views of the Moray Firth beyond. On the tee of No. 15, I was just moving my trolley when a ball came crashing out of the sky next to me, from the 14th tee box. Another chance to chat with Jim! He thought it very smart to make an arrow out of grass to mark where the ball entered the deep rough.

On No.16 tee, we had to wait as a party of Americans gave us their story. They were walking in from 15, giving up on the game, because they were scheduled to play Castle Stuart that afternoon, and the times were too short. Whoever they paid to schedule their trip, made a huge mistake there. Poor guys. Like characters from “Red Badge of Courage,” they marched wearily and eagerly for their next battle.

Trees on the edges, gorse in the middle, sea views, deep bunkers, and lots of wind—we had it all. Nairn was a good test (as the Scots say) and we loved it. Our view from the restaurant was right over the 18th and putting green. When Jim walked by after his round, he doffed his cap our way. We waved our thanks back.

But the day wasn’t over! We had time to do something that we meant to do yesterday, visit a castle in castle country!! The closest one was Rait Castle. Neither caddie knew about it and the barman said Cawdor (of Macbeth fame) would be better, but we decided on Rait, anyway. But it took a wrong turn to a large estate, with the front door wide open to get us there. Backing up and down the lane, we found a single-track road next to a pasture of cows! John was going to turn back, when we saw etched on a post “Rait Castle” with an arrow. Next came a large gate to keep the cows in. Open close, drive through. Then a path and another cow gate. Then a path and the castle. What a lovely piece of stonework it was!. Just one large hall and one turret without stairs, but the whole thing was tall and majestic. In the long light of afternoon, it seemed to glow.

And that’s how we ended the day. The rest was spent reading, writing, and resting up for tomorrow! See ya then!