Today was our big day to play Royal Dornoch GC. This is a game that we paid for months ago and were lucky to get because starting times are so hard to get. This is northern Scotland, but the secret is out. Royal Dornoch is a championship course with a hefty price tag and worth every penny farthing. We arrived three hours early because I wanted to do a bit of shopping in the small town. This is a place absolutely full of culture, from locally made ceramics and fashions, to charming jewelry items and more. I considered a sparkling thistle brooch, but decided to buy a perfect plaid skirt (no kilts for women, by the way. Even with buckles, pleats and a pin, it’s just a skirt.)

So that done, we had an early lunch in the restaurant right above the first tee, right where the webcam is. Anytime you’d like to see the action of Dornoch’s first and second holes, go to the website and check out the webcam action. Today was predicted to be rainy, but when we started, with our forecaddie Ivor, it was heavily overcast, but not a drop. The course played beautifully, and the putts were rolling until the 9th hole. Then, after our tee shots, it started raining in buckets, as much rain as could drop from the sky. Focusing on shots and putts was hard, but we finished the hole, then ran for shelter at the Halfway House. There, we hung out and chatted with the amusing attendant. We bought Ivor a drink and me a mini bottle of Dornoch whisky—I can now attest that whisky really does warm up a cold day!

When the weather let up, out we went again, but John admitted to being completely soaked and our caddie was now shivering. John put on more clothes, and I dug in my bag and found an extra pair of waterproof gloves for Ivor. It was his birthday, so how thoughtful that I had a small gift for him!

The golf was terrific. Royal Dornoch GC  is the kind of course that rewards straight shots and punishes shots off-course. The whole game just flowed. Greens were next to tees, we could see the Dornoch Firth from nearly every hole, and if the weather had been clear, we would have taken fabulous photos.

After the game, we used the club’s “Drying Room” to hang our dripping outerwear. Then, after exchanging contact information with Ivor and treating him to a Shandy (beer with lemonade) and lunch, we headed back to Alness, where our hotel was hosting a traditional music group. An accordion and electric guitar played and sang Scottish and Irish music. We were in the bar just a little after 8 pm and stayed as the bar filled up. John watched rugby on the large screen, and I made friends with the young crowd sitting next to us. What a slice of local life this little bar was! We never go to places like this at home. The music was terrific, and the drinking (by others) was constant. One of the slightly older guys danced— not exactly Scottish dance, but it had some steps. There was a table of older folks who usually come in for Sunday brunch, but were here tonight because of a birthday. The little cups of fireball, the pints and pints of lager, and other drinks made everyone very friendly. But among the young crowd, all smoked e-cigarettes, and nearly everyone had tattoos and missing teeth. The lack of dentistry in this country is a shame. Good-looking people are missing a front tooth or an eye tooth, or #15 or 25–noticeable problems. Yet no one seems to care. The fellow next to me and his mate (both with great teeth) said he grew up here in Alness. This was a very close group of friends, but a fight almost did break out. Our table nearly turned over when one guy pushed another. I turned away and held on to John, and then it stopped. Maybe the big ones have nicer teeth because they win most of the fights??

While the music continued, we slipped out and back to our hotel next door. We could still hear the tunes, so the barman/hotel owner had a chance to tell us why there was music tonight. This is the last Friday of the month when everyone gets paid. Local music attracts local people and us for a very fun evening.  Sweet dreams!