The nineteenth century saw huge immigration from Scotland to the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Other places too, but these countries held much appeal for the brave, most of whom had been driven out as a result of the Highland and Lowland Clearances. Not much is written about the latter, but the Agricultural Revolution decimated communities in the lowlands as well. If you’re visiting the east coast of Sutherland, it could be to explore your Scottish roots. If so, it may be a very emotional journey.
Because of the vastness of the landscape and the sparsity of towns and villages, there is sometimes a sense that you’re walking in the footsteps of others. This is not eerie, just very calming and the sense of a place unchanged over hundreds of years is really quite profound. The silence permits one’s imagination to feel the way in which people once lived here. All the villages and towns have a heritage centre which is cherished.
Timespan in Helmsdale which is 14 miles north of Brora is an extraordinary local museum. A huge local effort by volunteers to create it in1987 arose after the A9 (more of that later) was extended north, and by-passed Helmsdale. Until then, the village had been a regular stopping-off point for mugs of tea and scones. Then all that stopped. The cars and lorries just went thundering past, saving time on their way to Wick. Timespan was established successfully, to encourage people to make a point of visiting Helmsdale and so they did, and still do. Timespan is taken very seriously in the UK museum world and was short- listed for it’s most prestigious prize, the Museum of the Year award in 2021. If you have links to Sutherland, this is an excellent place to start exploring your heritage.
