Golspie
Golspie
| |
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Golspie coastline with Ben Bhraggie behind the village | |
Location within the Sutherland area | |
Area | 1.09 km2 (0.42 sq mi) [1] |
Population | 1,290 (2020)[2] |
• Density | 1,183/km2 (3,060/sq mi) |
OS grid reference | NH832999 |
• Edinburgh | 143 mi (230 km) |
• London | 472 mi (760 km) |
Council area | |
Lieutenancy area | |
Country | Scotland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | GOLSPIE |
Postcode district | KW10 |
Dialling code | 01408 |
Police | Scotland |
Fire | Scottish |
Ambulance | Scottish |
UK Parliament | |
Scottish Parliament | |
Golspie (
History
The name derives from the Norse for "gully village".[3]
Planned village
During a series of visits from the
In one visit (between July and August 1805) the first plans were laid for Golspie village. It was to be based on "the street of the Fishertown of Golspie" and was to consist of houses 50 by 20 feet (15.2 by 6.1 m), each with a croft of 3⁄4 acre (3,000 m2). The people were to get a 99-year lease for their houses, which they were to build themselves, but the croft ground was to be re-let annually, thus permitting changes in the layout of the village from time to time. In addition to the individual crofts, it was intended to provide common cow pasture.[4]
One improvement was quickly made and that was the building of a little pier or jetty to provide a safe landing place for boats serving Dunrobin. In a letter to her husband the Countess described how she had caused intimation to be given at the Church door that forty men were wanted for the next week at the rate of 1/- a day, to build this jetty, using stones from the beach. The work was supervised by William Pope, who was being considered as a possible person to take charge of the proposed development of the harbours at Culgour and Helmsdale.[4]
In April 1805 the Colonel Campbell submitted for Presbytery's approval a plan for a new schoolhouse in Golspie, the old one having been classed as ruinous the previous year. The plan for the new one was as follows: the school was to be 40 ft (12 m) in length, a kitchen 12 ft (3.7 m) and the master's room 14 ft (4.3 m); the width all through to be 14 ft (4.3 m); the side walls 7.5 ft (2.3 m) high, a roof of grey slate and to be furnished with windows, locks and doors, desks and seats, the total cost being £127:12/-.[4]
Centred on Loch Fleet, 3 miles (5 km) south of Golspie, is a national nature reserve with wading birds, wildfowl and seals. Osprey, terns and swallows frequent the loch in summer. Rare wild flowers and plants can be seen in nearby Balblair Wood.
There are four hotels, several guesthouses and bed and breakfast premises as well as self-catering cottages. Dunrobin Castle, the seat of Clan Sutherland, is nearby and has falconry displays. There is a static caravan site. The Old Bank Road drill hall was completed in 1892.[5]
Culture
Golspie hosted the National Mòd in 1977 and 1995.[6]
The village has a
Hospital
There is a small hospital, The Lawson Memorial hospital, located just off the main road to the south of the centre of the village. Among other services, the hospital provides a pain clinic and offers pain intervention procedures as part of the Chronic Pain Management Service for the whole of the northern Highland Region.[7]
Religion
The
The parish church is officially St Andrew's Church, and contains the town graveyard.
Transport
Golspie railway station, on the Far North Line, opened in 1874. The converted station building is now a holiday let.
Buses operate about every two hours Mondays-Saturdays and infrequently on Sundays from Golspie to Dornoch, Tain and Inverness in the south and Brora, Helmsdale, Berriedale, Dunbeath, Halkirk, Thurso and Scrabster in the north. These are on route X99 and are operated by Stagecoach Highlands, but tickets can be bought on the Citylink website.[8]
Sport
Golspie has award-winning safe bathing beaches in the bay. In 2006 mountain bike trails were opened on the slopes of Beinn Bhragaidh.
The village's local football team, Golspie Sutherland currently plays in the North Caledonian Football Association, and is the joint most successful team in the league.[citation needed]
Notable people from Golspie
- William Fowler (architect) (1824–1906), who designed a high proportion of the public buildings in Golspie
- Adam Gunn (1872–1935), American athlete, was born in the village
- Lewis Williamson (1989–), Formula Renault driver
- Jimmy Yuill (1956–), Royal Shakespeare Company actor
- Rev James Maxwell Joass (1830–1914), geologist, archaeologist and antiquarian, minister of Golspie from 1866 to 1914
References
- ^ "Golspie (Highland, Scotland, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
- ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-85397-633-9
- ^ OCLC 26719810.
- ^ "Golspie, Old Bank Road, Volunteer Drill Hall". Canmore. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
- ^ List of Mod's places for each year on Sabhal Mòr Ostaig website
- ^ "Chronic Pain Management Service". NHS Scotland. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- ^ "Berriedale ● Dunbeath ● Wick ● Gills Bay & Inverness ● Dornoch ● Golspie ● Brora ● Dunbeath ● Thurso - Timetable from 7 April 2014" (PDF). Stagecoach Bus. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
- ^ "Beach awards- Golspie beach". Keep Scotland Beautiful. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
Further reading
- Cumming, Annie; Cumming, Bella; Stuart, Jane; Munroe, Willie W.; Gunn, Andrew; MacLean, Henri L.; Sutherland, Minnie (1887). Nicholson, Edward Williams Byron (ed.). Golspie: Contributions to Its Folklore (PDF). London: David Nutt. (PDF) from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
External links
- Media related to Golspie at Wikimedia Commons