Helmsdale

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Helmsdale (Gaelic Bun Illidh) is a village on the east coast of Sutherland, in the Highland region of Scotland. Settled by the Norse, and once the site of an impressive medieval castle, the modern village was planned in 1814 to resettle communities that had been removed from the surrounding straths as part of the Highland Clearances. A fishing port, it lies at the estuary of the River Helmsdale and was once the home of one of the largest herring fleets in Europe. Two tributaries of the river experienced a gold rush in 1869, after a prospector discovered a large gold nugget. The main river itself is well known for its fishing.

Helmsdale is on the A9 road, at a junction with the A897. It has a railway station on the Far North Line, a youth hostel, a heritage centre and an art gallery.

It is home to Bunillidh Thistle F.C.

[edit] History

The last force-fire in Helmsdale was about 1818.

During World War II, the Royal Air Force built Loth Chain Home radar station at Crakaig a few miles South West of Helmsdale. There was also a RAF Chain Home Low radar station Navidale about a mile North East of Helmsdale. During the Cold War there was a Composite Signals Organisation radio monitoring station in Helmsdale itseld, the CSO is associated with GCHQ.