a demanding journey over a crumpled landscape. And how marvelous
it all is. Mach Dunes has a caddie program, and for first-time visitors, it’s
very sound advice to make use of it,
even just to find the intended route.
Former Apple executive Brian Keating was the original developer
with the imagination to build the
second Machrihanish Course, and set
in motion a rejuvenation of a corner of
Scotland that had been suffering some
decline. His dream of adding top-class
accommodations, along with a first-class restaurant, and a traditional
pub was a brave but inspired one.
Southworth Development, the U.S.
company that owns and manages
world-class golf properties, came in to
help make this dream a reality.
David Southworth, founder of the
company, is keen on the view that
“a dream is a goal with a deadline”
and the deadline for The Village at
Machrihanish Dunes arrived very
recently when their Graces the Duke
and Duchess of Argyll officially reopened the Ugadale Hotel as the
latest stage in the Machrihanish
Dunes project.
This splendid building has stood
for more than 100 years and was
once the pinnacle of luxury accommodations in the west of Scotland.
It closed its doors in the 1990s, but
has now been lovingly restored to reclaim its former glory with 22 superb
guest rooms and suites, the classic
and inspired Kintyre Club private
restaurant, and the international
class Serenity Spa at the Ugadale.
It is a remarkable transformation
of this remote but tantalizing community on Scotland’s most westerly
mainland shore. The hotel now sets a
standard for small hotels in Scotland,
and indeed anywhere else, that the
rest will find difficult to follow. The
accommodation and the excellent
service delivered with the friendly
smile of local faces makes the Ugadale
and the Village at Machrihanish well
worth keeping quiet about in case
anyone gets there before you.
With two of Scotland’s great links
courses as well as the ongoing plen-
tiful supply of single malt, you won’t
need any other reasons to take the trip
down Paul McCartney’s “long and
winding road.”
And don’t be surprised if you see me
sitting in the corner!
