New flights to London’s Heathrow could turn Inverness into a top golf destination, it has been claimed.
Stuart McColm, general manager at the Castle Stuart Golf Links, said the route would give the Highland capital an advantage over rival regions in its bid to entice high-spending golf tourists.
British Airways announced on Wednesday that it would revive the daily Inverness-Heathrow link that was axed 18 years ago.
Business leaders have hailed the move as “game-changing” for the region’s economy.
The Castle Stuart links course on the Moray Firth is just a few minutes drive from Inverness Airport.
The new flights will start running in May, just two months ahead of Castle Stuart hosting the Scottish Open for the fourth time in six years.
Work is also starting in the spring on a planned new course with the Arnold Palmer Design Company, which will be the legendary golfer’s first course in Scotland.
Mr Malcolm said: “The announcement is one of the most exciting developments in our short history. The benefits it could bring for Castle Stuart, Inverness and the Highlands are massive.
“It gives us an advantage over other destinations and a unique selling point in that golfers can be on our course within five minutes of touching down at Inverness.”
With the European Tour – organisers of the Scottish Open – based in Wentworth in Surrey, the new flights will enable easier connections to Inverness for officials, partners, sponsors and tournament players.
Direct services will also benefit players, tour operators and spectators from home and abroad coming to the Scottish Open and for other visits to Castle Stuart.
“The future implications of this new service cannot be overstated,” said Mr McColm.
“It connects Inverness more widely to the world and adds to Castle Stuart’s global status.
“It will undoubtedly help inward investment and business in general.”
Castle Stuart Golf Links opened in 2009, and staged the Scottish Open for three successive years from 2011-2013, with the 2013 championship, won by Phil Mickelson, reaching a worldwide television audience of more than 500 million.