Links House at Royal Dornoch, the UK’s most northerly luxury destination has strengthened its commitment to sustainable tourism with the introduction of private tours focused on their kitchen garden and neighbouring Seaview Farm available for guests to enjoy from the end of June.
Led by head gardener Skye Buchanan, those taking part can look forward to discovering a brief history of the Links House gardens, complete with the planting ethos which inspired them, as well as the about the key growing processes needed so far north. There will also be the chance for those taking part to tour the kitchen garden at Links House, where many of the herbs used in the hotel’s 2AA Rosette restaurant MARA are grown and enjoy the chance to help handpick the crop for the evening’s dinner service.
Once the hotel garden tour is completed, the experience will continue at the nearby Seaview Farm – a 110-acre working farm located nearby, with sweeping views over the 7th & 8th holes of the iconic Royal Dornoch Golf Club. Here, guests will be shown through the walled Scottish formal garden, large wildflower meadow, upland heath and heather moor, with attention paid to the strawberry, blueberry and raspberry cages, finishing in the established lavender fields with adjacent honey bee apiary yard, Scottish apple orchard, and heritage barley fields.
Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a hands-on take at harvesting and processing the lavender plants, which are dried for display and for potpourri, as well as used for small batch lavender oils and sprays. Upon completion, guests will receive a gift pack of lavender goodies to enjoy along with a sample jar of Seaview honey as a delicious memento of their time in the gardens.
Speaking about the introduction of new tours, Managing Director Phil Scott has said: ‘these tours are a celebration of the work that the Links House team has undertaken in creating a luxury destination which promotes authentic and sustainable tourism practices. For a number of years, we have celebrated local produce and producers in our menus at MARA, and now we invite our guests to meet with Skye and learn about how much we value our ethos of S 4+0; where our menus are slow, seasonal, sustainably sourced and Scottish with an emphasis placed on zero waste.”
The new tours are one of several pursuits available exclusively to guests of Links House, which have each been designed to celebrate the Highlands region. From a partnership with Highland Aviation which allows guests the opportunity to charter a personal sightseeing flight, to experiences with Manor Falconry at neighbouring Dunrobin Castle, their varied natures ensure each guest can enjoy an unforgettable time during their stay.
