Helmsdale
Helmsdale is a village on the east coast of Sutherland, in the Highland council region of Scotland. The village is on the A9 road, at a junction with the A897, and has a train station on the Far North Line. Buses run roughly every 2 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 across the river from the main village above the train 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 when 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 destroyed in the 1970s in order to create the new A9 road bridge, was the setting of the murder of the 11th Earl of Sutherland in 1567. The Earl and his Countess Marie Seton were poisoned by Isobel Sinclair. The present day village was set out in 1814 to resettle groups that had been gotten rid of from the surrounding straths as part of the Highland Clearances. Facilities in Helmsdale consist of an independent youth hostel, a culture centre, an art gallery, and an inn. Helmsdale is renowned for its Highland Games which are run on the third Saturday in August yearly. Best known is the evening Marquee Dance when the village population of 700 more than doubles because of visitors being at the dance. Helmsdale is also the home of Bunillidh Thistle F.C. and Helmsdale United. For all your home refurbishments, make sure to find reputable professionals in Helmsdale to make certain of quality.