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Click for services within this area. Halkirk was one of Scotland's first 'new towns', laid out in 1803 by Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster. Sir John is notable for introducing Cheviot sheep to Caithness, thus precipitating the infamous Highland Clearances. The ruins of Broubster Village to the north west of Halkirk mark these sad times. Cattle and sheep now wander amongst broken walls and empty rooms of buildings that were once loud with the bustle of daily life. Halkirk is one of Scotland's great angling centres. The Ulbster Arms hosts guests fishing for salmon on the Thurso River, a step from the hotel's front door. The river is famous for its runs of spring salmon, steel-sliver bars fresh from their North Atlantic feeding grounds. The world's best loved angler, HM The Queen Mother, was a regular visitor. To the south of Halkirk, astride the Thurso River, is the hamlet of Westerdale. An old mill sits beside a bridge across the fast-flowing stream. Nearby is the site of a broch, defensive towers built around the time of the birth of Christ. No doubt fresh Thurso salmon were a welcome adjunct to their daily bread. Follow the narrow road south west from Westerdale. It leads into the heart of the internationally renowned Flow Country; a land peopled with red deer, wildcat and otter, where the great raptors haunt the moors and curlew cry, a land where peace is a timeless, tangible presence. Churches Hotels Police Stations Post Offices Self Catering |
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