A major upgrade to the services at Royal Dornoch Golf Club is helping the club to move to the next phase of its masterplan to attract new business and boost golf tourism in the north of Scotland.
A new £13.9m clubhouse at the prestigious club on the shores of the Dornoch Firth is nearing completion, and plans have been unveiled for a new 18-hole course, a revamp of the popular Struie course and two new additional short courses.
The club has also invested in new broadband services which it says are a critical part of the masterplan and to its ambitions to grow the business. Neil Hampton, general manager at Royal Dornoch, says that thanks to the “stunning” ultrafast speeds provided by Highland Broadband, the club is in the perfect position to meet the burgeoning global interest in golf and the growing number of international visitors inspired by events such as the Scottish Open
“It’s the crux of our business,” he said. “You have to be connected to the world and doing it quickly and efficiently,” said Mr Hampton of the new ultrafast broadband installed by Highland Broadband, the only broadband provider building network exclusively in Scotland. “The new clubhouse is nearly finished and because of that, we’ve decided to move on with the next phase in the development of Royal Dornoch. We’ve shared our plans with the members and everyone seems to think it’s good. It’s novel, it’s forward thinking and it’s innovative.
“If the internet went down right now and we couldn’t do emails or online bookings, suddenly the whole business stops. Even the tee sheet for people starting on the first tee, the software tells us who’s playing next, and our green staff are out on the course recording everything on an app and analysing it on a computer. The speed and security of our connection is a huge part of what we do.”
The new clubhouse is due to open in December and will feature Highland Broadband’s new ultrafast broadband which Mr Hampton says is proving to be critical to the growth of the business. “The speed they could offer was immediately quite stunning and is much faster than other providers. We are making sure that whatever we do business-wise is through Highland Broadband so we know we’ve got the speed and security we need.” As part of the plans at Royal Dornoch, Highland Broadband has installed a secure business network that ensures the club’s services are available quickly at any time. The club has
members and players all over the world who can book golf 24/7; they are also forecasting a 30% rise in advance bookings for 2026 compared to the same period last year which means they require a stronger and more capable broadband. Highland Broadband’s network will, by the end of the year, extend to 60,000 premises throughout rural Scotland.
Mr Hampton said: “Royal Dornoch was always a happening place and we have man American members and visitors but it has really multiplied in recent years and hasn’t stopped. People get to play one of the greatest links in the world but we want to reinvest in the business and provide more. We’re known for our championship course and that’s why people come and they’ll never stop coming but what we want to do is provide a range of facilities that suit every ability, every age and every style. You can play golf of every variety at Royal Dornoch as well as playing the top championship course in the world.
Highland Broadband’s delivery engine is the fastest throughout rural Scotland, connecting over 30,000 premises per year. By the end of 2025, Highland Broadband will have built the first fibre network throughout 136 rural towns and villages in Scotland. Highland Broadband is part of Highland Broadband Networks Ltd which started in 2015 to help close the digital divide by rolling out industry-leading gigabit-capable fibre to towns and villages who were otherwise being left behind by other providers.
Highland Broadband’s network is the fastest being deployed anywhere in the UK. This network deployment immediately addresses place based inequality throughout rural Scotland by addressing the digital divide that residents of rural areas have experienced for years.
The rapid rollout of Highland Broadband’s network and the resulting improvement in broadband infrastructure throughout rural Scotland has only been possible via the support of the Scottish Government, including investment from the Scottish National Investment Bank, as well as the support of Building Digital UK. Highland Broadband, which installed its 2Gbps symmetrical Broadband for Business at Royal Dornoch Golf Club, is Scotland’s only dedicated broadband provider with local customer support in the heart of Inverness. Its full-fibre broadband delivers the speed and reliability modern business demands with businesses now able to receive up to 10Gbps symmetrical speeds.
Royal Dornoch’s faster broadband connection was made possible thanks to funding from the UK government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme which helped subsidise the cost of the network upgrade.
Colin Woodward, Managing Director of Highland Broadband, said: “We are proud to be able to bring the UK’s fastest fibre broadband network to the Highlands of Scotland. The impact on business and individuals has been remarkable, making our efforts so rewarding and worthwhile. We were delighted to work with Neil and the team at Royal Dornoch to serve a truly international business and enabling the club to thrive through a reliable, full-fibre broadband connection.”
