Golspie ( , gd, Goillspidh) is a village and parish in
Sutherland
Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later ...
,
Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, which lies on the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
coast in the shadow of
Ben Bhraggie
Ben Bhraggie ( gd, Beinn a' Bhragaidh) is a hill in Scotland which rises to an elevation of above sea level. The hill dominates the skyline above the village of Golspie and is visible from many parts of east Sutherland. The statue which is per ...
. It has a population of around 1,350.
History
The name derives from the
Norse for "gully village".
Planned village
During a series of visits from the
Right Honourable Elizabeth Countess of Sutherland plans were drawn up for the regulations that were written in to future leases, imposing restrictions on the
'tacksmen' with regard to sub-setting and overstocking, and requiring them to adopt improving farming techniques. Consideration was also given to possible development of fishing villages on the east coast, the absence of any safe harbour being the greatest hindrance. Local fishermen used only small, light boats which could be drawn up onto the beach when not in use and this confined them to line fishing close to the shore. The herring fishing in the North Sea (at that time known as the
German Ocean
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
) was in the hands of the Dutch, who had a good fleet of decked vessels - the 'Holland Busses' - and it was hoped that some means could be found of developing a similar trade for the benefit of the people of
Sutherland
Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later ...
.
In one visit (between July and August 1805) the first plans were laid for Golspie village. It was to be based on "the street of the Fishertown of Golspie" and was to consist of houses , each with a croft of . The people were to get a 99-year lease for their houses, which they were to build themselves, but the croft ground was to be re-let annually, thus permitting changes in the layout of the village from time to time. In addition to the individual crofts, it was intended to provide common cow pasture.
One improvement was quickly made and that was the building of a little pier or jetty to provide a safe landing place for boats serving
Dunrobin. In a letter to her husband the Countess described how she had caused intimation to be given at the Church door that forty men were wanted for the next week at the rate of 1/- a day, to build this jetty, using stones from the beach. The work was supervised by William Pope, who was being considered as a possible person to take charge of the proposed development of the harbours at Culgour and
Helmsdale
Helmsdale ( sco, Helmsdal, gd, Bun Ilidh) is a village on the east coast of Sutherland, in the Highland council area of Scotland. The modern village was planned in 1814 to resettle communities that had been removed from the surrounding straths ...
.
In April 1805 the Colonel Campbell submitted for Presbytery's approval a plan for a new schoolhouse in Golspie, the old one having been classed as ruinous the previous year. The plan for the new one was as follows: the school was to be in length, a kitchen and the master's room ; the width all through to be ; the side walls high, a roof of grey slate and to be furnished with windows, locks and doors, desks and seats, the total cost being £127:12/-.
![Dunrobin Castle -Sutherland -Scotland-26May2008 (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Dunrobin_Castle_-Sutherland_-Scotland-26May2008_%282%29.jpg)
Centred on
Loch Fleet
Loch Fleet ( gd, Loch Fleòid) is a sea loch on the east coast of Scotland, located between Golspie and Dornoch. It forms the estuary of the River Fleet, a small spate river that rises in the hills east of Lairg. The loch was designated a Nationa ...
, south of Golspie, is a
national nature reserve with wading birds, wildfowl and
seals
Seals may refer to:
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means of a ...
.
Osprey
The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...
,
tern
Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands. Terns are treated as a subgroup of the family Laridae which includes gulls and skimmers and consists of e ...
s and
swallow
The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae, are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The ...
s frequent the loch in summer. Rare wild flowers and plants can be seen in nearby Balblair Wood.
There are four hotels, several guesthouses and bed and breakfast premises as well as self-catering cottages.
Dunrobin Castle
Dunrobin Castle (mostly 1835–1845 — present) is a stately home in Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland, as well as the family seat of the Earl of Sutherland and the Clan Sutherland. It is located north of Golspie and approximatel ...
, the seat of
Clan Sutherland
Clan Sutherland is a Highland Scottish clan whose traditional territory is the shire of Sutherland in the far north of Scotland. The chief of the clan was also the powerful Earl of Sutherland, however in the early 16th century this title passed ...
, is nearby and has falconry displays. There is a static caravan site. The
Old Bank Road drill hall was completed in 1892.
Culture
Golspie hosted the
National Mòd in 1977 and 1995.
[List of Mod's places]
for each year on Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig () (Great Barn of Ostaig) is a public higher education college situated in the Sleat peninsula in the south of the Isle of Skye, with an associate campus at Bowmore on the island of Islay, Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle (the ...
website
The village has a
Choral Group,
Rotary Club
Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, profe ...
, and dancing classes. At the start of August Golspie Gala Week is held. Among the 100 events staged throughout the week are a car-banger derby, a fancy dress parade, a wheelbarrow race and a parade of massed
pipe bands
A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term pipes and drums, used by military pipe bands is also common.
The most common form of pipe band consists of a section of pipers playing the Great Highland bagpipe, a ...
as a finale. Golspie Heritage Society has a permanent home in the former Fisherman's Welcome on Station Road. The IT-equipped public library, open for limited periods four days weekly, is in the Community Centre complex adjoining the High School.
Hospital
There is a small hospital, The Lawson Memorial hospital, located just off the main road to the south of the centre of the village. Among other services, the hospital provides a pain clinic and offers pain intervention procedures as part of the Chronic Pain Management Service for the whole of the northern Highland Region.
Religion
The
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...
and the
Free Church of Scotland have well-established congregations, but the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church ( gd, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba; sco, Scots Episcopal(ian) Kirk) is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion in Scotland.
A continuation of the Church of Scotland as intended by King James VI, and ...
worship in nearby
Brora.
The parish church is officially St Andrew's Church, and contains the town graveyard.
Transport
Golspie railway station
, symbol_location = gb
, symbol = rail
, image = Golspie station - geograph.org.uk - 1857529.jpg
, borough = Golspie, Highland
, country = Scotland
, coordinates =
, grid_nam ...
, on the
Far North Line
The Far North Line is a rural railway line entirely within the Highland area of Scotland, extending from Inverness to Thurso and Wick. As the name suggests, it is the northernmost railway in the United Kingdom. The line is entirely single-trac ...
, opened in 1874. The converted station building is now a holiday let.
Buses operate about every two hours Mondays-Saturdays and infrequently on Sundays from Golspie to
Dornoch
Dornoch (; gd, Dòrnach ; sco, Dornach) is a town, seaside resort, parish and former royal burgh in the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray ...
,
Tain
Tain ( Gaelic: ''Baile Dhubhthaich'') is a royal burgh and parish in the County of Ross, in the Highlands of Scotland.
Etymology
The name derives from the nearby River Tain, the name of which comes from an Indo-European root meaning 'flow'. The ...
and
Inverness
Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...
in the south and
Brora,
Helmsdale
Helmsdale ( sco, Helmsdal, gd, Bun Ilidh) is a village on the east coast of Sutherland, in the Highland council area of Scotland. The modern village was planned in 1814 to resettle communities that had been removed from the surrounding straths ...
,
Berriedale,
Dunbeath
Dunbeath ( gd, Dùn Bheithe) is a village in south-east Caithness, Scotland on the A9 road. It sits astride the Dunbeath Water just before it enters the sea at Dunbeath Bay.
Dunbeath has a very rich archaeological landscape, the site of numero ...
,
Halkirk
Halkirk ( gd, Hàcraig) is a village on the River Thurso in Caithness, in the Highland council area of Scotland. From Halkirk the B874 road runs towards Thurso in the north and towards Georgemas in the east. The village is within the parish o ...
,
Thurso
Thurso (pronounced ; sco, Thursa, gd, Inbhir Theòrsa ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great ...
and
Scrabster
Scrabster ( sco, Scraibster, gd, Sgrabastair/Sgrabstal) is a small settlement on Thurso Bay in Caithness on the north coast of Scotland. It is some from Thurso, from Wick, from Inverness and 271.7 miles (437.2 km) from Edinburgh. Scra ...
in the north. These are on route X99 and are operated by Stagecoach in the Highlands, but tickets can be bought on the Citylink website.
Sport
Golspie has award-winning safe bathing beaches
to the north and south of the tidal
pier
image:Brighton Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England-2Oct2011 (1).jpg, Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century.
A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of ...
and there is also a public
swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...
in the centre of the village. The
Kart Race Track is a mile or two down Ferry Road. The
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
course has a mix of links, parkland and heath and there are central facilities for
tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
and
bowling
Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), though ...
,
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
and playing fields. Around Golspie there are opportunities for walking,
bird watching
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...
and botany study, fossil-hunting and gorges and waterfalls. There is loch and
sea angling
Recreational fishermen usually fish either from a boat or from a shoreline or river bank. When fishing from a boat, or fishing vessel, most fishing techniques can be used, from nets to fish traps, but some form of angling is by far the most com ...
, as well as
sailing
Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...
and
yachting
Yachting is the use of recreational boats and ships called ''yachts'' for racing or cruising. Yachts are distinguished from working ships mainly by their leisure purpose. "Yacht" derives from the Dutch word '' jacht'' ("hunt"). With sailboats, t ...
in the bay. In 2006 mountain bike trails were opened on the slopes of Beinn Bhragaidh.
The village's local football team,
Golspie Sutherland currently plays in the
North Caledonian Football Association
The North Caledonian Football Association is a football association operating throughout the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and is a recognised body of the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and as such has its senior football competitions of ...
, and is the joint most successful team in the league.
Notable people from Golspie
*
William Fowler (architect)
William Fowler (1 August 1824 – 3 February 1906) was a 19th-century Scottish architect closely linked to the northern town of Golspie and the surrounding area.
Life
He was born at 28 Jamaica Street in Edinburgh's Second New Town the son of G ...
(1824–1906), who designed a high proportion of the public buildings in Golspie
*
Adam Gunn (1872–1935), American athlete, was born in the village
*
Lewis Williamson
Lewis Williamson (born 11 November 1989) is a British racing driver.
Career
Karting
Born in Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Ki ...
(1989–), Formula Renault driver
*
Jimmy Yuill
James Evander Munro Yuill (born 13 February 1956) is a Scottish actor.
He is a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and later joined the Renaissance Theatre Company. He has appeared in many of Kenneth Branagh's films, most recently as Ed ...
(1956–),
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
actor
* Rev
James Maxwell Joass (1830–1914), geologist, archaeologist and antiquarian, minister of Golspie from 1866 to 1914
References
Further reading
*''Golspie: Contributions to its Folklore'', 1887, Annie and Bella Cumming and others.
{{Authority control
Populated places in Sutherland