The only way to get to and through Sutherland is via the A9 or on a train, that runs roughly parallel. There is no airport. The A9 begins in Falkirk and carries on till it reaches Scrabster Harbour in Thurso. Along the way you’ll pass (for instance) Stirling, Bridge of Allan, Perth and Inverness. It is the longest road in Scotland (439km) and the fifth longest A-road in the UK. Historically, the main road between Edinburgh and John O’Groats the A9 has been called the spine of Scotland. It’s origins are truly fascinating and lie in the military roads building programme carried out by General Wade in the 18th century to allow deployment of forces n key locations with the Highlands. Since then and as time went on, the road was further supplemented by several bridges.
In the 1970s there was an extensive upgrading programme and this was when many villages were by-passed including Helmsdale. What made that particular stretch truly scandalous was the tearing down of Helmsdale Caste . Admittedly it was something of a ruin at the time but even so, it was history. One day it was there and next it was not. All that now remains is a stone with the inscription “Helmsdale Castle was built near here in 1488.” The Earls of Sutherland erected it in the first place and then in 1616 it was altered by the Gordons of Navidale. In between that in 1567, its dark reputation was sealed when the 11th Earl of Sutherland and his wife were poisoned by his aunt Isobel Sinclair. This was in order to clear the way for Isobel’s own son to take the title. She made a hash of everything however, as a servant inadvertently gave the poison to the son she had sought to protect. Isobel killed herself rather than submit to execution. That is the grim tale of the Helmsdale Castle.
