Helmsdale
Helmsdale is a village on the east coast of Sutherland, in the Highland council area of Scotland. The village is on the A9 road, at a crossroads with the A897, and has a train station on the Far North Line. Buses operate roughly every two hours Mondays-Saturdays and rarely on Sundays from Helmsdale to Brora, Golspie, Dornoch, Tain and Inverness in the south and Berriedale, Dunbeath, Halkirk, Thurso and Scrabster in the north. West Helmsdale lies on the river from the main village above the railway station. Old Helmsdale is immediately to the north while East Helmsdale is a settlement less than a mile to the east. Helmsdale is a fishing port at the estuary of the River Helmsdale, and was once the home of one of the largest herring fleets in Europe. The river itself is well known for its fishing. Helmsdale Castle, the remains of which were demolished in the 1970s in order to build the brand-new A9 road bridge, was the area of the murder of the 11th Earl of Sutherland in 1567. The Earl and his Countess Marie Seton were poisoned by Isobel Sinclair. The modern-day village was planned in 1814 to resettle groups that had been removed from the surrounding straths as part of the Highland Clearances. Facilities in Helmsdale feature an independent hostel, a culture centre, an art gallery, and an inn. Helmsdale is popular for its Highland Games which are held on the third Saturday in August annually. Best known is the evening Marquee Dance when the village population of 700 more than doubles as a result of visitors attending the dance. Helmsdale is also home to Bunillidh Thistle F.C. and Helmsdale United. For all your home makeovers, be sure to find dependable experts in Helmsdale to make certain of quality.
