Helmsdale

Dunrobin Street from the West

Helmsdale's history goes back to before the construction of Helmsdale Castle in 1488. The castle's main claim to fame was as the location of the poisoning of the 11th Earl of Sutherland in 1567 by his aunt, Isobel Sinclair, to clear the way for her own son to become Earl. The castle fell into ruin in the 1800s, and the few remains were swept aside to make way for improvements to the A9 in the 1970s.

The Bridge Hotel Old Bohemian Inn Helmsdale Harbour River Helmsdale & New Bridge

And, in case you're wondering, the poisoning didn't have quite the desired outcome. The son who was intended to benefit from the deed also, apparently accidentally, drank the poison and died. Isobel Sinclair later committed suicide, less from remorse than to avoid the gallows.

Free Church of Scotland

Lillieshall Street

Timespan Centre - From the Front

Timespan Centre - From the Rear

Helmsdale's story actually dates back at least as far as the Vikings, who settled the sheltered mouth of the River Ullie or River Helmsdale as it is now more usually known.

But most of what you see in Helmsdale today dates from a more recent period of history: and an unhappy one. In the early 1800s almost all of the inland settlements in the area were cleared of their inhabitants in order to make way for more profitable residents: sheep. Clearances took place right across the Highlands and Islands, but those perpetrated by the first Duke of Sutherland in this area were amongst the most notorious.

Helmsdale grew as a planned village from 1814, laid out on a grid pattern by the Sutherland Estates. Some of those cleared were resettled in Helmsdale, as an alternative to being shipped to the colonies or to North America. The aim was to create a community able to live from both fishing and farming, and, in particular to take advantage of the herring boom then in full swing.

The harbour was built in the years from 1818, and extended in 1823 and again in 1892. As you look around Helmsdale's harbour today, try to imagine it as home port for the 200 or more herring boats that once operated from here.

The harbour is still a focus for the life of Helmsdale. There are still fishing vessels based here and visitors will still get the sense of a working harbour of a sort increasingly rare in these days of commercial tourism.

A more recent attraction in Helmsdale is the Timespan Heritage Centre. The museum here give an insight into the colourful history of Helmsdale and the surrounding area. There is also a gallery showcasing the work of international, national and local artists; an excellent cafe overlooking the riverside community garden; and a shop.

The Timespan Heritage Centre also contains information about the gold rush of 1869, which focused on two tributaries of the Helmsdale River in Strath Kildonan It is still possible to pan for gold at Baile an Or (place of gold) inland near Kildonan railway station.

We've talked about the quality of the bridges in northern Scotland elsewhere on this site; and it is perhaps no surprise to find that Helmsdale has two. Until the building of the new bridge at the time of Helmsdale Castle's final demise, the A9 turned inland and crossed the River Helmsdale at the inland end of the village's main street via a two arch stone bridge built by Thomas Telford in 1811. The old bridge remains, but the main crossing now lies at the seaward end of Helmsdale where the A9 takes a straight line through the village.