What's inHalkirk

A useful guide for the visitor

THE ULBSTER ARMS HOTEL, Bridge Street

Accommodation, lunch and evening meals, coffee/tea throughout the day.  Thurso River fishing permits.

MORRISONS DAILY  - Sinclair Street - open 7 days.  7am-10pm (Monday-Saturday) and 8am-10pm (Sunday)

Cash machine, hot drinks, sandwiches, daily and Sunday newspapers, off licence

PUB - 'E COMM - Bridge Street. Thursdays-Sundays (variable opening hours)

POST OFFICE - Crescent Street - open Monday-Friday mornings only - cash machine

LOCAL GARAGE - Crescent Street - open Monday-Friday.  No fuel.  Nearest fuel station is in Thurso or Watten

EV CHARGING POINTS - Ulbster Arms Hotel carpark, or Thurso - Dunbar Hospital, Park Hotel and Tesco, Millbank Road.

Achanarras Quarry

The Caithness stone quarry at Achanarras, Spittal, is world famous for its fascinating fossils from the Devonian Period (410 to 335 million years ago) and is a site of special scientific interest. There is an on-site interpretative display to tell the story and permission is given to take home certain fossil finds.

Braal Castles

There are two castles at Braal located side by side. The old castle dates from the 14th century and was built on the site of an 11th century Norse castle. King Robert II granted Brathwell (Braal) castle to his son David in 1375. It was the principal seat of the Earls of Caithness for centuries and is a tall square tower with thick walls that remain standing. The modern castle was built in around 1885 by the Sinclairs of Ulbster as a magnificent shooting and fishing lodge, located on the west bank of the Thurso river. It is now a grand block of flats.

Combination Poorhouse

The Thurso Combination Poorhouse covered the western parishes of Caithness and was located on the northern outskirts of Halkirk. It is now an imposing block of flats called Fairview. It operated from 1856 to 1917 as a social care home and housed the very poor and sick. The building had a large yard surrounded by a high wall and could be viewed as being operated like a prison, with strict rules and punishments. The records and diaries of the Governor and Matron still survive. Many of those who died were buried in Halkirk cemetery in unmarked pauper’s graves. A recent stone memorial was erected adjacent to the graves.

Dale Mill and Westerdale Bridge

The twin arched rubble bridge at Westerdale beside Dale Mill is a category B listed building, dating from 1834. The adjacent Dale Mill uses the flowing water from Thurso river to generate electricity for the nearby 18th century Dale House which was once the family home of the Murray-Threiplands. This grand country house with a large, four step beehive dovecote (350 nesting boxes) is also a category B listed building. The surrounding area has many scheduled ancient monuments of cairns and brochs.

Dirlot Castle and Stone Rows

There are 35 scheduled monuments in the parish and the surely the most picturesque is the ruins of Dirlot Castle, which are located on a high pinnacle of rock, overlooking a deep gorge on the river Thurso, 3 miles upstream from Westerdale.  Built by Sir Reginald Cheyne in the early 14th century, it was occupied until 1660. It is known for its bloody clan battles between the Gunns, Keiths, Mackays and Sutherlands.  Legend says that there is a pot of gold at the bottom of the deep pool, just yards from the castle. It is called the devil’s pool and is supposedly guarded by a demon water horse.

The stone rows comprise a set of 13 or 14 stones of a type almost unique to Caithness and of prehistoric date but unknown purpose.  They are 300 metres west-south-west of the graveyard at Dirlot Castle.  Each row has several stones fallen or missing, but the overall pattern is clear.  The length of the longest row has been about 35 metres.

Halkirk and Westerdale Parish Church

The present parish church, owned by the Church of Scotland, is located next to the Ross Institute and is a category B listed building. It dates from 1886 and was the original Free Church until 1934. It has an Italian Romanesque west gable facade with a distinctive large round window and a bell tower. The Westerdale parish church is also a category B listed building dating from 1844. It is no longer in use and its congregation worships in Halkirk, hence the combined name.

Halkirk Bridge

The present bridge replaced the old 3-arched Caithness stone bridge in 1970. The original bridge was funded by John Sinclair of Ulbster for his tenants and opened in 1731. Folklore says that people believed the devil hid under the arches and few would cross it after sunset. The mason William Shearer carved a long inscription which was saved and inserted into the abutment to the East side. A Caithness flagstone copy can be seen on the inner parapet wall of the new bridge at the Southern end.

Halkirk whisky

There were two whisky distilleries at Gerston. The original was located 400 yards upriver from the farm and operated from 1796 to 1872 by the Swanson family who ran the farm. Only a few stones remain. The “Gerston” was very successful and popular with the senior politicians in London. The second distillery was built to a large industrial scale by a London based company 400 yards downriver. It was named the Ben Morven distillery and operated from 1886 to 1911, but was not as successful as the first. The still house remains and has been converted into a dwelling. The houses for the manager, Excise Officer and workers, remain occupied today.

Parish Church and cemetery

The original parish church is now a roofless ruin that sits within Halkirk cemetery and is a category B listed building. It was built in 1753 on a hillock known as Tor Harlogan. It is said that an earlier 13th century chapel called Kirk Teaumpul Harlogan was located here. The church was used until 1934, when it was declared surplus to requirements following the unification of the churches.

Ross Institute

The baronial style village hall, known as the Ross Institute, was opened in 1912 and is named after Sir John Ross, who gifted it to the Parish in 1912. He was born at Gerston in 1834, emigrated to Dunedin, New Zealand and became a very successful businessman through his woollen mill and shops. The hall is a category B listed building and the clock in the grand tower was the first electric clock to be installed in a public building in Scotland.

St Magnus' Church and Hospital

The scheduled monument consists of the remains of St Magnus' church, hospital and graveyard, situated on the farm of Spittal Mains. The hospital is dated from around the 14th century and is a relic of the pilgrimage route between St Magnus cathedral in Kirkwall and St Gilbert's cathedral in Dornoch. The adjacent church served as the parish church of Spittal until the 17th century. The graveyard was a special burial place of the Clan Gunn and the site has been referred to as Gunn’s kirk. The surviving upstanding remains belong to the chapel. Spittal village is named after the hospital.

St Peter's Chapel

The scheduled monument consists of the remains of a late medieval chapel, known as St Peter's, situated on the North bank of the Olgrinbeg Burn, 300m south-east of the farm. The rectangular building measures 8m east-west by 3.4m within walls 1.1-1.2m thick (now spread to 2.2m). The walls of drystone construction are reduced to a height of under 0.7m. It is said that Sir Reginald Cheyne, a Scottish noble, was buried here.

The Chapel of St Thomas

The chapel of St Thomas is located 500 yards north-east of Skinnet farm. Worship has taken place here since around the 11th century and a magnificent Pictish carved symbolic stone from the 7-9th century, found at the chapel, is on display in the North Coast Visitor Centre in Thurso.  A replica is soon to be erected at Morrison Park by the Northern Pilgrims Way group; estimated date for the replica is spring 2024.

War memorial

The war memorial stands adjacent to the Ross Institute. It was designed by Messrs Alexander Ross & Son, Architects, Inverness and was unveiled in 1922 by Sir Archibald Sinclair Bart of Ulbster. The statue of a mourning widow and her child represents 'Sorrow' and is thought to be quite rare as it does not feature a soldier.