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 crossroads with the A897, and has a railway station on the Far North Line. Buses operate approximately every 2 hours Mondays-Saturdays and very sporadically 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 under 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 leading herring fleets in Europe. The river itself is famous for its fishing. Helmsdale Castle, the remains of which were knocked down in the 1970s in order to build the new A9 road bridge, was the location 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 planned in 1814 to resettle groups that had actually been removed from the surrounding straths as part of the Highland Clearances. Facilities in Helmsdale include things like an independent hostel, a culture centre, an art gallery, and an inn. Helmsdale is well-known for its Highland Games which are held 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 attending the dance. Helmsdale is also the home of Bunillidh Thistle F.C. and Helmsdale United. For all your home enhancements, make sure to find credible specialists in Helmsdale to make certain of quality.