Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
it bears an inscription which recalls its creation in 1834 by “a mourning and grateful
tenantry [to] a judicious, kind and liberal landlord”, and quietly overlooks the fact that
the duke forcibly evicted fifteen thousand crofters from his million-acre estate. A
campaign to destroy the statue has died down, unlike the duke's reputation as Scotland's
Josef Stalin. The stiff climb to the monument (round-trip 1hr 30min) provides vast coast
views but the steep path is tough going and there's little view until the top. Head up
Fountain Road and pass (or park) at Rhives Farm, then pick up signs for the Beinn
a'Bhragaidh footpath (BBFP).
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
GOLSPIE AND AROUND
By bus Stagecoach's Inverness-Thurso service stops
at Golspie.
Destinations Inverness (Mon-Sat 6 daily, Sun 4 daily; 1hr
15min); Thurso (Mon-Sat 5 daily, Sun 4 daily; 1hr 40min).
By train Dunrobin Castle is a summer stop on the
Inverness-Thurso line (April-Oct Mon-Sat 3 daily; 2hr
10min from Inverness, 1hr 35min from Thurso).
ACCOMMODAT ION AND EATING
Coffee Bothy Fountain Rd T 01408 633022 . A cabin-
style café popular with bikers and walkers. Fill up on
all-day breakfasts, fresh soups and baked potatoes before
(£5-8), and reward yourself with home-baking afterwards.
Feb-Dec Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 10am-5pm.
Granite Villa Fountain Rd T 01408 633146, W granite
villa.co.uk. A floral overload - wallpaper and bedspreads
- brings country charm and keeps to the period style of
this late Victorian house. Accommodation is spacious and
comforta ble in all en-suites; the twin is more restrained
in decor. £80
Sleeperjazz Rogart, 8 miles west of Golspie T 01408
641343, W sleeperzzz.com. Sleep in the quirkiest accom-
modation for miles around: a first-class railway carriage
parked in a siding beside the Inverness-Thurso line; a
193 0s' showman's caravan; or a Bedford bus. March-Sept.
£16 /person
4
Helmsdale
HELMSDALE is one of the largest villages between Golspie and Wick. It's certainly
the most picturesque: a tight little grid of streets set above a river-mouth harbour.
Romantic novelist Barbara Cartland was a frequent visitor and must have looked as
exotic as a flamingo in its grey stone streets. For all its charm, it's a newcomer, founded
in the nineteenth century to house the evicted inhabitants of Strath Kildonan, which
lies behind it, and which subsequently flourished as a herring port.
Timespan Heritage Centre
Drunrobin St • March-Oct Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm; Nov-Feb Tues 2-4pm, Sat & Sun 11am-4pm • £4 • T 01431 821327,
W timespan.org.uk
Good looks and sleepy ambience aside, the appeal of Helmsdale is the Timespan
Heritage Centre beside the river. An ambitious venture for a place this size, the modern
museum tells the story of Viking raids, crofting in re-created houses, the Kildonan
Gold Rush, the Clearances, and fishing through high-tech displays, including
Wii-based games to navigate animations of local yarns, and audio-tours. It also has an
art gallery.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMAT ION
HELMSDALE
By train On the Inverness-Thurso line (Mon-Sat 3
daily, Sun 2 daily; 2hr 20min from Inverness, 1hr 15min
from Thurso).
Tourist information Strath Ullie Crafts on the harbour
doubles as a source of tourist information (Mon-Sat
10am-5.30pm; T 01431 821402). Otherwise, visit
W helmsdale.org.
ACCOMMODAT ION AND EATING
On our last visit the once-excellent Bridge Hotel was awaiting sale. Hopefully a new owner will restore its restaurants
and accommodation.
 
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