Mara

Scotland

While Links House isn’t actually on the world-famous Royal Dornoch golf course in the Scottish highlands, it’s a shortish putt – maybe a chip – from the clubhouse. But its restaurant, Mara, is no fusty golf-course restaurant. Chef Theo Creton naturally holds the local produce in reverence, but he’s not afraid to mix in bold flavours – for instance, when he pairs a rich sweetcorn velouté with Ross-shire pork loin and a crispy porkfritter. He flips things too, such as deconstructing cullen skink so we can appreciate all its parts – cold-smokedhaddock, charred leeks and a creamy sauce – withouteverything merging into a homogenous stew. This is modern, considered, comfort food, making the restaurant worth a visit in its own right – it just happensto have one of the world’s best courses as a neighbour.

Words by Alex Mead. Photography by Basia Wright. linkshousedornoch.com