Photo by Ryan Klaus
Scottish Ministers have refused planning permission for an 18-hole championship golf course at Coul Links near Embo in East Sutherland, the second time in six years that the Scottish Government has blocked a golf development on the site. The official case record published by the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) shows the application by Communities for Coul Ltd was refused on 21 October 2026, following a called-in inquiry led by reporters David Buylla and Stuart West.
Coul Links forms part of the Loch Fleet Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet Special Protection Area (SPA) and the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet Ramsar Site. In the decision notice, as reported by the Northern Times, ministers agreed with the reporters that the dune system is “of exceptional importance, with a range and quality of habitat types that may be unparalleled within Scotland.”
A long-running dispute
The decision ends the latest chapter of a contest that has run for the best part of a decade. A previous application was refused by ministers in February 2020. Communities for Coul then submitted a revised scheme in 2023, which Highland Council’s planning committee approved by eight votes to six in December 2023, against the recommendation of its own planning officers. Ministers called the application in during February 2024, with hearings held in Embo towards the end of that year.
The reporters’ report is dated 29 August 2025, meaning ministers took around 14 months to reach a decision, during which a further round of written submissions from the parties, including NatureScot, Highland Council and the conservation groups, was completed in August 2026.
Why the dunes carried the day
According to an analysis by Planning Geek, the reporters concluded that the scheme conflicted with the development plan overall, including the presumption in National Planning Framework 4 against significant development on undeveloped coast, and that significant damage to protected habitats could remain even after the proposed mitigation. Potential employment benefits were acknowledged but judged insufficient to outweigh the adverse environmental effects.
The case is likely to be read as a test of how firmly Scotland’s coastal and nature designations hold when weighed against rural economic need. The Conservation Coalition, comprising seven environmental charities including RSPB Scotland and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, said the outcome sent a “clear signal that developments that damage our most important places for nature in Scotland will not be supported”, the Northern Times reported.
Scottish Green MSP Ariane Burgess, who previously led a petition attracting 4,500 signatures calling for ministerial scrutiny, said: “Coul Links is an exceptionally important place for nature, with a unique range of habitats and wildlife found nowhere else in Scotland.” She added: “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.”
Walking charity Ramblers Scotland, whose petition opposing the development gathered more than 1,100 signatures, also welcomed the outcome. Director Brendan Paddy explained the access concerns: “Up to seven holes would have crossed the John o’ Groats Trail, walkers’ access would have been impacted by greens and fairways, and the pleasure of enjoying the natural dune landscape would have been lost forever.”
Local campaign group Not Coul argued that the decision reflected the purpose of protected site status: “Designations should never be seen as hoops to jump through. They mean something. They’re a line in the sand, evidence-based and legally-defined.”
Economic disappointment in East Sutherland
Supporters see the refusal very differently. The course was expected to attract around £50 million in private investment, with an independent economic assessment forecasting up to 400 full-time equivalent jobs and roughly £12 million a year for the local economy, according to The Highland Times, though these were projections rather than guaranteed outcomes. Communities for Coul also says its plans included £1 million over the first two years for habitat restoration and invasive species control across the wider site, under NatureScot oversight.
Gordon Sutherland, director of Communities for Coul, said: “The Ministers’ decision to reject our application for planning permission is a real blow for our area’s economy and its unique environment, and a slap in the face for local democracy.” He continued: “We do not envisage that this opportunity will present itself again.”
Caithness, Sutherland and Ross MSP David Green pointed to the scheme’s local backing and the question of who now funds management of the site. “Let’s not forget, the proposal had widespread support in the local community,” he said. “Ministers must also explain how they will replace long-term habitat management funding that has now been lost.”
That point is likely to outlast the planning decision itself. With the application refused, attention turns to how the dunes will be actively managed, particularly against invasive species, and how East Sutherland can secure investment and retain working-age residents without compromising its designated coastline.