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Loth headland from Brora Beach view 3
Loth Headland from Brora beach

Dunrobin Castle, Golspie, Sutherland
Dunrobin Castle, Golspie
 The Area

Culgower House is situated between Brora and Helmsdale on the scenic coast of East Sutherland and has glorious views over the Moray Firth. It is ideally placed for exploring the north highlands of Scotland. As well as the beautiful scenery and beaches, our area is rich in activities and offers:
The house has a drying room and boot room and offers secure storage for bikes.


History and genealogy – the local area has a number of cairns, brochs and standing stones dating back thousands of years. The Timespan Heritage and Arts Centre in Helmsdale has won a number of awards and portrays life in the area over past centuries, has a sizeable local archive and also a contemporary art gallery. Dunrobin Castle, seat of the Earls of Sutherland, lies 10 miles south on the edge of Golspie. The Castle of Mey, highland home of the late Queen Mother is well worth a visit and is about an hours drive away.
Dornoch, 20 miles south of us is famed for its 12th century Cathedral, 15th century castle, its golf course and historic buildings. For those seeking to research their family history there are a number of Clan museums in the area as well as the Timespan archive. Other historic attractions within an hour or two’s drive include Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness, Cawdor Castle and Fort George by Inverness and the prehistoric Camster Cairns near Lybster. In addition, the Orkney Islands have a wealth of history and the ferries to take you there, whether for a day visit or for longer, are approximately an hour and a half’s drive north of us.


Walking and climbing – we have spectacular beaches all around us and seals are a common sight. There are a number of easy and interesting walks in the area. In addition, the hills are spectacular and, should your inclination turn to Munro bagging, Ben Klibreck, Ben Hope and Ben More Assynt are nearby and the mountains of Assynt and the west coast can be reached in just over an hour.

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Golf – Brora Golf Club has an excellent 18 hole links course designed by James Braid, Royal Dornoch, formed in 1877, is a 30 minute drive away, Helmsdale Golf Club has a 9 hole course with views up Strath Halladale, Golspie Golf Club also has a lovely links course and there are a number of other courses within one hour's drive.

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Mountain biking – Golspie’s Wildcat trails are superbly built and boast the longest downhill run in the UK. The trails cater for all abilities from family rides to an impressive and awe inspiring black trail from the top of Ben Bhraggie. Other trails in the area include those at the Kyle of Sutherland, Learnie Red Rocks, Laggan Wolftrax, Rosehall and Borgie Forest.

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Fishing – Fishing is available on the renowned rivers of the Helmsdale and the Brora. In addition fishing is available on many local lochs. For further information we suggest that you contact Ronald Sutherland at the Helmsdale Company.

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Stalking and shooting - shooting is available at a number of local estates, for example Achentoul, and through sporting agency CKD Galbraith.

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Bird and sea life watching - wildlife in Sutherland is plentiful and you are likely to see seals on beaches and deer grazing the hills as you travel around the county. Loch Fleet national nature reserve near Golspie has large numbers of wildfowl and waders. RSPB Forsinard is a peatland bird reserve about half an hour's drive away and offers guided bog walks to help you appreciate the flora and fauna. The Moray Firth is home to a population of over 100 bottlenose dolphins and there are a number of land-based centres and sea trips available to help you watch them.

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Shopping – when the weather is not displaying the usual benefits of the Moray Firth micro climate, there is always local shopping to turn to. The Jail in Dornoch is well known for its cashmere, pottery, sporting clothing, crafts and gifts. The Falls of Shin visitor centre is stocked with all you would expect of the Harrods of the North. ANTA has a shop at its factory near Tain which showcases its fabrics and furniture. Hunter's Tweed, which was originally manufacutred in Brora, is available through the Calluna Country shop in the village.  Also there are many local craft shops and artist’s studios, including Pandora's in Brora and the Timespan shop in Helmsdale.
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Other – there is a good beauty salon, Blisss, tucked away in Brora if you would like to treat yourself.  Should you feel more energetic, there are riding stables, also in Brora, offering both lessons and hacking through the beautiful countryside. Clynelish distillery in Brora produces a noted malt, available only in the local area and offers distillery tours. In the summer season there are a number of Highland Games throughout Sutherland, Caithness and Ross-shire, including the Helmsdale Games in the third week of August. Lastly, visit the site of Sutherland’s gold rush at Baile an Or on the Helmsdale river, gold panning equipment is available to hire in Helmsdale!  You can find out more about the facilities available in Helmsdale on the Helmsdale village site and in Brora on the Brora village site.
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Cyclist on Wildcat Trail in Golspie
Wildcat Mountain Bike Trails in Golspie

The Emigrants, monument to the Highland Clearances, Helmsdale
Clearances monument, Helmsdale

Last updated 22 Mar 10
Culgower House, Loth, Helmsdale, Sutherland, KW8 6HP, Scotland
01431 821 268
 © Culgower House 2009