Dornoch Castle Hotel

Every bit as quirky as I’d hoped for. Comfortable room, friendly and helpful staff, perfect location.

We had an excellent stay at the Dornoch Castle Hotel. The rooms have clearly been freshly decorated and felt both comfortable and inviting. The staff struck the perfect balance of being very friendly while still maintaining a professional standard throughout our visit. Their hospitality really stood out — high‑quality drinks and snacks were available in the room and it was a lovely touch to have fresh milk on request. The toiletries were also impressive, with premium soaps, shampoo, conditioner, and hand lotion provided.

We chose to eat in the bar in the evening, and the food was superb. It genuinely felt like restaurant‑quality dining, with locally sourced ingredients that made each dish shine. The drinks selection was excellent too, especially the large whisky bar, which is a real treat for anyone who enjoys a good dram. Service was consistently excellent from start to finish.

Breakfast the next morning was a generous self‑service buffet with a great variety: cereals including homemade granola, pastries, toast, meats, cheeses, and hot options like eggs and bacon — all fresh and well cooked.

The location couldn’t be better, right in the centre of Dornoch with free parking available outside. Overall, it’s a cracking hotel, and we’ll definitely stay here again. Thank you for a wonderful visit.

Tower room was lovely, good food and very nice staff

I have walked by the hotel many times and always appreciated the aesthetic. To stay in such an historic building, with comfort and lovely staff, has been appreciated and enjoyed. Special thanks to Amy, but all staff were friendly and professional. Our room (Royal Dornoch) was comfortable and warm.

Location, in the middle of Dornoch, was good.
Whisky in the room was a nice touch.
Had to request milk but no fridge.

We spent an amazing weekend at Dornoch castle for my Husbands Birthday.
All of the staff were so friendly and attentive and made our weekend away very special, especially Jamie with his knowledge on whisky and we enjoyed tasting some lovely vintage whisky's. We will definitely revisit x

The staff were friendly.

We absolutely enjoyed our trip in March 2026! Every single staff member was so friendly and helpful. As we didn’t need room service every day we got vouchers for choosing an excellent cocktail on the other nights. Great dinner options, comfortable cosy rooms, real coffee and a French press next to different tea options let us feel instantly at home. We wish we could have stayed longer and will stay there again!

Stunning location, staff are so friendly and welcoming. Food was spectacular. Absolutely love this place

Lovely hotel. Comfortable rooms. Friendly staff.
I’ve been returning each year for eight years now.

We had an enjoyable stay here, our room was at the rear of the property, I think they call them 'garden rooms'. Room was comfortable, but there appeared to be almost no soundproofing to the walls of the adjacent rooms. It was a cold night, so we appreciated the warm radiator below the window, but the curtains, reaching to the floor, gave us a choice: heat the window, or the room. The bar was cosy and welcoming, and the breakfast service was excellent.
The hotel is in a great location, in the centre of Dornoch.

Great staff, and perfect position. Excellent breakfast.

The location, the staff, the style.

A cold winter evening with snow on the ground. The room was large, well furnished and very warm and comfortable. Restaurant was busy but prompt. Exceptionally good value and excellent healthy menu.
The bar did not disappoint with an incredible selection of whiskies, including some great drams from the on property Dornoch Distillery run by the joint owners Phil and Simon Thompson.
I would not miss a trip to the Bottle Shop where there is a large stock of indie bottler’s Thompson Brothers amazing whisky outturns.

Stayed for valentines night. The room was fantastic, all the small touches like the flowers, chocolates, prosecco and Thompson Brothers whisky was superb. The 3 course meal was very tasty and well presented.Breakfast in the morning was fresh and lots to choose from. All the staff were very friendly. Would definitely stay here again.

Lovely clean room which was nice and warm on a very cold February weekend.
We ate in the hotel both nights and the food was good. I’m not overly keen on a set 2 course menu which we had on the Friday evening and 3 course on the Saturday. This maybe suits bigger eaters but not us.
Breakfast would have been better if it was just purely continental. Having to prebook a time to come and no hot food - only bacon and fried eggs offered - being available for 1/2 an hour wait was a bit of a pain.
However the Hotel itself and the town were lovely.

Excellent staff there

Leaving the next morning.

Beautiful hotel with a deep history. Staff are absolutely brilliant and we can't wait to go back. Dornoch is a lovely wee town steeped in history.