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 railway station on the Far North Line. Buses operate roughly every 2 hours Mondays-Saturdays and occasionally 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 directly 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 leading herring fleets in Europe. The river itself is known for its fishing. Helmsdale Castle, the remains of which were demolished 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 modern village was planned in 1814 to resettle groups that had been cleared away 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 well-known for its Highland Games which are run on the 3rd Saturday in August yearly. Best known is the evening Marquee Dance when the village population of 700 more than doubles because of visitors going to the dance. Helmsdale is also home to Bunillidh Thistle F.C. and Helmsdale United. For all of your home renovations, make sure to find credible specialists in Helmsdale to make certain of quality.