Dornoch town map - Ronald P A Smith Street Plans

Find your way around Dornoch, Golspie, Brora and Helmsdale

FIRST THINGS FIRST! The best way of finding your way around the cathedral town of Dornoch is to purchase a copy of Ronald P A Smith's Tain, Dornoch, Alness, Invergordon Street Plan, available from petrol stations in the Alness area, but not currently Dornoch 'tourist information centre'. This map was first published in 1998, and has been fully updated and combined with another title for 2007. At the large scale of 8 inches to 1 mile (1:7500), it is the most detailed map of its kind available; the only one with comprehensive indexes and locations of antiquities and places of interest; leisure facilities; schools; places of worship; health and welfare facilities; and other information including the local footpath network and locations of industrial estates, emergency services, etc.

As well as Tain, Dornoch, Invergordon and Alness, the street map covers many villages including Embo, Golsie, Brora, Helmsdale, Portmahomack, Fearn and Balintore &c. To order by post direct from the publisher, please click on the 'Map Ordering' button on the left.

THE ROYAL BURGH OF DORNOCH

Until recently, when a 'celebrity' marriage hit the headlines, the cathedral town of Dornoch was a relatively undiscovered delight, perhaps known mainly for its excellent golf courses and sandy beaches.

The town is an ancient Royal Burgh, having been granted its royal charter by Charles I in 1628. Until 1975, it was also the county town of Sutherland, but, despite its civic importance, its population amounted to only 1,206 in 2001, having increased from 497 in 1881 and 725 in 1951. Prior to the Reformation, the town was the seat of the Bishops of Caithness (who had previously been based at Halkirk in Caithness and founded the cathedral at Dornoch in 1222).

Antiquities and Places of Interest

Dornoch Cathedral - Dornoch's most distinguished building is its ancient cathedral which has stood in the centre of the town since shortly after it was established in 1222 by Bishop Gilbert Murray (see photograph above). Its tower, transepts and chancel were completed by 1239 and the complete building was restored in 1835-7 at the expense of Elizabeth, Countess of Sutherland. Interesting features include commemorative plaques, a richly carved pulpit and beautiful stained glass.

Dornoch Castle - Facing the cathedral from the south is the prominent tower of the Dornoch Castle Hotel (pictured on right), dating originally from around 1500. Built as an episcopal palace associated with the cathedral, it became the property of the Earls of Sutherland after the Reformation. Thereafter, it became the Sutherland courthouse and jail, finally being converted into a hotel around 1881.

Leisure and Recreation

As mentioned above, Dornoch is renowned for its excellent sandy beaches and golf courses. There are two golf courses run by the Royal Dornoch Golf Club - the original links course and the Struie Course to the south.

GOLSPIE

A few miles north of Dornoch is the seaside village of Golspie. It has a particularly attractive whiteharled parish church dating from 1737 and the village is overlooked by the enormous statue of the first Duke of Sutherland on Ben Bhragaidh behind (see photograph on right which shows some of Golspie's old fishing cottages in the foreground). Another interesting feature of the village is the fountain dedicated to Elizabeth, Duchess/Countess of Sutherland, built in 1850 and recently restored to working order. Golspie and Brora, the next village eastwards along the coast, both also have their own golf courses and sandy beaches.

Dunrobin Castle - The seat of the Dukes of Sutherland, this most impressive castle is situated on a high rocky outcrop only a short distance to the east of Golspie, on the way to the former coal-mining village of Brora. It goes back to the 14th century, but its present character dates mainly from the mid 19th century. It is open to the public and is well worth a visit, not least for its 72-foot long drawing room, its terraced gardens and its outhouse which contains an amazing collection of animal horns and antlers.

R P A Smith's range of Street Plans covers the following Highland towns and villages:

ALNESS
Ardersier
Auldearn
AVIEMORE
Avoch
Balintore
Balloch
Beauly
Boat of Garten
Brora
Caol
Castletown
Conon Bridge
Corpach
Cromarty
Culloden
DINGWALL
DORNOCH
Embo
Evanton
Fearn
FORT WILLIAM
Fortrose
Golspie
GRANTOWN
Halkirk
Helmsdale
Hilton of Cadboll
INVERGORDON
INVERNESS
INVERNESS EAST
KINGUSSIE
Lybster
Maryburgh
Muir of Ord
Munlochy
NAIRN
Nethy Bridge
Newtonmore
OBAN
Portmahomack
Rosemarkie
Shandwick
Strathpeffer
TAIN
THURSO
WICK