Graeme McDowall says he was pleasantly surprised by the standard of the Castle Stuart course after the first round of the Scottish Open.

The Northern Irishman shot a two under 70 and after being critical of the course back in 2011, he says windy conditions made the experience much more enjoyable.

Scott Herd and Felipe Aguilar share the lead on three under par with a large group of players with McDowall on two under.