One of the Highlands’ most remarkable stretches of coastline has been spared a controversial golf development after Scottish Ministers refused planning permission for an 18 hole course at Coul Links in East Sutherland.
The decision, announced on Wednesday 21 October, has been welcomed by Scottish Green MSP Ariane Burgess, who says it represents an important victory for wildlife and the thousands of people who campaigned to protect the site near Embo.
Coul Links is an extensive coastal dune system overlooking the Dornoch Firth, recognised for its exceptional variety of plants, wildlife and habitats.
The land forms part of nationally and internationally protected conservation areas, including a Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet Ramsar wetland site.
Plans for a championship golf course have divided opinion for years, with supporters arguing that the development would create employment and attract visitors while conservation groups warned of lasting environmental damage.
Highland Council’s planning committee voted eight to six in favour of the latest proposal in December 2023, but Scottish Ministers subsequently called in the application for further examination.
Following a public inquiry, government planning reporters recommended refusal, concluding that the development conflicted with planning policies and would cause significant harm to important natural habitats.
Scottish Ministers have now accepted that recommendation, bringing the latest application to an end.
Burgess, who previously led a petition attracting 4,500 signatures calling for ministerial scrutiny, welcomed the outcome.
She said:
“I’m delighted that Scottish Ministers have refused planning permission for this destructive development and there are many local people who will be breathing a sigh of relief.
“Coul Links is an exceptionally important place for nature, with a unique range of habitats and wildlife found nowhere else in Scotland.
“Building a golf course on it would have been deeply damaging and completely at odds with Scotland’s commitments to protect nature.
“We can’t keep destroying our natural world in the name of profit.
“The proposed golf course would have caused huge damage to protected habitats and species, and the evidence did not show that this damage could be avoided or mitigated.
“I hope this decision gives reassurance to everyone who has worked so hard to protect Coul Links and the thousands of constituents who contacted me to share their concerns.
“It’s an important win for Scotland’s wildlife and nature.”
The refusal follows an earlier Scottish Government decision in 2020 to reject a previous proposal for a golf course at the same location.
Conservation organisations, including RSPB Scotland, have consistently argued that the site’s ecological importance makes it unsuitable for development on this scale.
They maintain that the dunes support an unusually rich combination of habitats and species whose long term protection should take precedence over construction.
The latest decision does not remove the wider debate about economic opportunities in East Sutherland, where supporters of the project have argued that a championship course could bring investment and employment.
However, for those who have campaigned against the development, the ministerial decision provides reassurance that the environmental protections covering Coul Links have been upheld.
After years of petitions, planning hearings and competing visions for the coastline, the proposed golf course has once again been refused permission.
For Burgess and the conservation campaigners, the priority now is ensuring the natural heritage of Coul Links remains protected for future generations.
