Discover Tain: Heritage, Golf and Walking Trails

In Tain, medieval heritage, walking trails and golf appeal to different types of travellers. If you’re looking for a hotel, you can first consider whether the town’s history, a walking or hiking route, or the golf club will shape your stay. Information about the buildings, walking times and getting to the golf club answers different planning questions.

St Duthus: Churches and History

St Duthus’s Collegiate Church in Tain is preserved as a roofed building in the churchyard; it is no longer in use and is a Category A listed building. St Duthus’s Chapel is another protected medieval monument. While the Collegiate Church was built in the 14th century, the chapel probably dates from the 13th century. It stands on a small rise in St Duthus’s churchyard, east of Tain, near where the River Tain flows into the Dornoch Firth. The medieval church and churchyard complex is connected with Tain’s development as a sanctuary and, later, a centre of pilgrimage. In this way, the history of individual buildings is linked to the development of the town.

Walking Trails, Recreation and Beach Access

The Links recreation area includes a bowling green, a children’s playground, a skate park, a wildlife pond and a football pitch. There is also access to Tain beach. The signposted Pictish Trail runs through Tain and adds to the opportunities for exploring the surrounding area on foot.

Two easy walks near Tain can be compared by length and walking time: one is 1.6 km long and takes 30 to 45 minutes, while the other is 2 km long and takes about an hour. This makes it easy to compare the two time frames. Check trail conditions locally.

The Moss Road Circular offers a longer and more challenging option. The route links town and countryside, is 5 km long, is graded moderate and takes about 1 hour 40 minutes. The ground can be muddy. Compared with the two easy walks, this route is both longer and described as having a moderate difficulty level.

Golf in Tain

Tain Golf Club has an 18-hole course that combines links and heathland character and measures 6,404 yards. The club’s history dates back to 1889, when locals invited Tom Morris to design a golf course in the area.

The club can be reached by train from Inverness; the journey takes about 1 hour 15 minutes. Tain station is about a five-minute walk from the first tee. Both the train journey and the short walk to the course are relevant when planning your trip. Check the timetable for your travel date.

Discover more destinations: Kyle Of Lochalsh, Auchlunachan, Totscore, Arisaig, Spean Bridge, Fassfern, Invermoriston, Bowermadden.

Go to the main travel overview: Highland.