KEPPIE has announced completion of the new clubhouse at the historic Royal Dornoch Golf Club.
The project has delivered a clubhouse that is said to reflect Royal Dornoch’s global stature and pay tribute to the heritage and landscape that define Dornoch. Golf in the Highland town can be traced back over 400 years to 1616.
Conceived as a ‘Cathedral of Golf’, the new clubhouse draws on a vernacular palette of buff sandstone and slate that complements the town of Dornoch. The design is inspired by its surroundings with deep picture windows echoing those of Dornoch Castle, while grand stepped arches at the entrance levels take subtle cues from Dornoch Cathedral.
A clock tower provides a civic gesture and practical reference point for golfers. The building offers a contextually rooted addition to the Dornoch townscape and skyline which is described as ‘particularly striking’ from the 18th approach.
The clubhouse unfolds over three levels, centred around a top-lit exhibition staircase, creating a journey through the club’s history from the pro shop and changing facilities up to the top floor, where restaurant and bar spaces reveal views of the courses, coastline, and town.
Sustainability was integral to the design strategy with the south-facing PV array doubling up as the roof covering itself, complemented by ground source heat pumps, battery storage, highly insulated envelope, and ‘exceptional’ airtightness.
Keppie developed the concept design and led full technical coordination and interior fit-out.
Neil Hampton, general manager of Royal Dornoch Golf Club, said, “From the outset, the team at Keppie grasped the brief and produced an innovative way to address the question, while taking us along with them. The inclusive attitude to the design helped us understand our building, and when it was opened for business, it felt like an old pair of slippers as we knew it so well.”
Fraser Davie, Keppie’s lead architect, added, “The design journey was about honouring Royal Dornoch’s remarkable legacy while creating spaces that feel deeply rooted in place. Every material, detail, and spatial gesture was chosen to reflect the landscape, the Club’s heritage, and the experience that makes Dornoch so special. We are incredibly proud to have shaped a building that feels authentically ‘Of Dornoch’ and worthy of its global reputation.”
The project has already been validated by The R&A’s selection of Royal Dornoch to stage the 45th Curtis Cup match between Great Britain & Ireland and the United States in 2028.
