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 railway station on the Far North Line. Buses run approximately every two hours Mondays-Saturdays and sometimes 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 railway station. Old Helmsdale is immediately to the north while East Helmsdale is a settlement barely a mile to the east. Helmsdale is a fishing port at the estuary of the River Helmsdale, and was formerly the home of one of the most extensive herring fleets in Europe. The river itself is known for its fishing. Helmsdale Castle, the remains of which were destroyed in the 1970s in order to develop 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 set out in 1814 to resettle communities that had been cleared away from the surrounding straths as part of the Highland Clearances. Facilities in Helmsdale include an independent youth hostel, a culture centre, an art gallery, and an inn. Helmsdale is well known for its Highland Games which are celebrated on the 3rd Saturday in August every year. Best known is the evening Marquee Dance when the village population of 700 more than doubles as a result of visitors participating in the dance. Helmsdale is also the home of Bunillidh Thistle F.C. and Helmsdale United. For all your home renovations, make certain to find credible professionals in Helmsdale to make certain of quality.