Machrihanish Dunes has partnered with Cultar Restaurant Group, the Glasgow-based operator behind Michelin-starred Cail Bruich, to reshape food and beverage operations across The Village at Machrihanish Dunes. The collaboration covers the resort’s Kintyre Restaurant, Old Clubhouse Pub and wider hospitality spaces, with a separate relaunch of the Harbourview Grille at the Royal Hotel in Campbeltown scheduled for later in 2026.
For golfers making the trip to the Kintyre peninsula, where multi-night stays are the norm, the quality of what happens off the course carries real weight. The partnership is designed to raise the dining offer to match a links experience already ranked among the U.K. Top 100.
About Cultar
Founded in 2006, Cultar Restaurant Group runs four venues in Glasgow’s West End: Cail Bruich, the city’s Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant; Brett, a Michelin-recommended modern European restaurant in Kelvinbridge; The Clarence, a neighbourhood pub in Hyndland; and The Caravan Shop, a wine bar and bottle shop. The group’s co-owners, brothers Paul and Chris Charalambous, are leading the Machrihanish project.
“We are absolutely delighted to be involved in the food and beverage operation at Machrihanish Dunes,” Paul Charalambous said. “As long-time admirers of the exceptional golfing experience on the Kintyre peninsula, we recognise the unique opportunity to complement these world-class facilities with an elevated dining offering. We very much hope this marks the beginning of a long-term and fruitful partnership, one that helps put Kintyre firmly on the culinary map.”
Local Sourcing and Menu Direction
The new menus lean on regional suppliers: Campbells Prime Meat, Kintyre Smokehouse, Loch Fyne shellfish, Cumbrae oysters and venison from Skipness. Dishes will range from homemade haggis with creamed tatties and whisky sauce to crisp beer-battered fish and chips, with Scottish staples shaped by Cultar’s ingredient-led approach.
Ian Ferguson, resort director at Machrihanish Dunes, said: “Machrihanish Dunes has always been committed to creating unforgettable experiences for our guests, and this partnership with the Cultar Group represents an exciting evolution of that vision. Together, we are combining extraordinary surroundings with outstanding food, genuine hospitality, and a true sense of Scottish warmth.”
The Resort
Machrihanish Dunes opened in 2009 on a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the first course ever built on such a site and the first new links on Scotland’s west coast in over a century. Designed by David McLay-Kidd, the course was also the first 18-hole layout in the U.K. to earn GEO Sustainable Golf certification. The resort includes the Ugadale Hotel & Cottages in Machrihanish and the 23-room Royal Hotel in Campbeltown, five miles away.
The Harbourview Grille revamp at the Royal Hotel will extend Cultar’s influence beyond the main resort campus, adding a second venue with a contemporary Scottish menu overlooking Campbeltown Harbour. For golfers planning a Kintyre trip later this year, Cultar’s arrival gives them more to build into the itinerary off the course as well as on it.
For more information on the Resort click HERE.
Related: Golf at The Hawthorn completes major bunker renovation ahead of Galway Bay Hotel opening
Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.