Helsmdale, Sutherland (Population. 860)

The village lies at the mouth of the famous Helmsdale River. The village takes its name from the Vikings who settled there in the 9th Century AD.  With a natural harbour and plentiful supply of fish from both river and sea, it has survived the ravages of conquest and time.

Helmsdale, today, is quite beautiful. It was designed by it’s Sutherland landowners to an early street grid system, which is perfectly preserved. The fishing village was built to provide employment for displaced farmers at the time of the Highland Clearances. It made fishermen out of crofters and at its peak over 40,000 barrels of herring were salted and exported in one season.

The old harbour was replaced in 1872, and by the end of WW1 the herring boom had ended. There are some fine examples of original stonework in Helmsdale; early nineteenth century examples include the Telford Bridge and the Ice House. The Strath follows the river 8 miles inland to Baille an Or (Place of Gold). It is possible to actually pan for gold here.

Also a highly spiritual area – some say even more so than Iona, for it’s ancient pagan and Christian roots. There has been a church permanently on the site of St Donan’s Kirk since the 13th century.

At the hub of the Helmsdale community is

Timespan Museum & Arts Centre

 where arts and heritage come together, exploreing the past, present and future.

Established in 1986, Timespan developed from a small local heritage centre to an award-winning museum and the only public contemporary art gallery in Sutherland, with a core visiting audience of around 13,000 per annum.

Helmsdale Harbour

Photosphere of Dornoch Beach, above, contributed by Emma Deeth, Thank you!