Dornoch

The Royal Burgh

This old county town looking across the Dornoch Firth where the last witch was burned in Scotland in 1722, is now better recognised for its hotels and golf courses, and its Cathedral, the scene of many famous weddings. The Cathedral dates from the 13th century and is open daily. The town is home to the Royal Dornoch Golf Club, and said to be the most northerly first class course in the world.

The 15th century Dornoch Castle was the former Bishops Palace and once stretched across what is now Castle Street. It stands in its private and beautifully manicured gardens, manifesting an air of magnificence and grace retained from bygone years. in Scottish history and fascinating legends, the 15th century Dornoch Castle.

Every hillock or pile of stones in this historic Royal Burgh could have a story to tell with evidence of human settlement in the area for over 4,000 years.

Take a walk into the fields and forests around the town and, if you know where to look, you'll find chambered cairns, hut circles, a standing stone and even an Iron Age broch - relics of the Picts, our earliest settlers. This ancient people lived out their lives here for thousands of years, until the Vikings arrived and forced them off their lands.

The continuing story of the area is told in the History Links museum, where displays, artefacts, games and role-playing provide interest and discovery for all ages, bringing Dornoch's past to life.

Dornoch may be remembered affectionately by visitors for its peace and tranquillity, but its past has been far from uneventful. Prolonged and bloody disputes, political intrigue and family vendettas characterise much of Dornoch's history, from Viking raids in the 9th Century, to a Jacobite orgy of looting and burning the day before Culloden in 1746.

Dornoch and the rich fertile lands around it have always been seen as a prize worth fighting for. The Mackays of Strathnaver, the Sutherlands of Duffus, the Earls of Caithness and the Murrays of Dornoch all played their part in Dornoch's turbulent history.and grace, and is the perfect venue for your wedding and reception.

Dornoch and the surrounding area boasts beautiful beaches, has caravan sites and is home to the annual Sutherland Agricultural Show, where high quality livestock is shown and graded through to the prize winners, watched in anticipation by visitors and locals alike.

Dornoch with its Mercat Cross, old town jail, witches stone and interesting lochans is a mecca for tourists wishing unspoilt country air has all the facilities of a large town, but without the pollution, noise and bustle.

Just to the north is the village of Embo, immortalised by the song, “Grannie’s Heiland Hame”, and just further along is the superb wild fowl natural sanctuary of Loch Fleet with its many and varied bird population.