Scotscalder

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Scotscalder
Caithness UK location map.svg
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Scotscalder
Location within the Caithness area
Population190 
OS grid reference ND09625614
  Edinburgh 175 mi (282 km)
  London 500 mi (800 km)
Council area
Lieutenancy area
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Scotscalder
Postcode district KW12
Dialling code 01847
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
58°29′N3°33′W / 58.48°N 3.55°W / 58.48; -3.55 Coordinates: 58°29′N3°33′W / 58.48°N 3.55°W / 58.48; -3.55

Scots Calder is an area within Halkirk, Northern Scotland. It is served by Scotscalder railway station which is operated by ScotRail. The B870 runs directly through the centre with Achagie and Thurso to the north and Olgrinmore and Westerdale to the south. It is operated under the Highland Authority. A small car park, with 2 spaces, can be found at Scotscalder railway station that is open, free, 24 hours a day. [1] There are no bus services operating from Scotscalder however a short walk or train journey can take you to local travel services.

Contents

Historic discoveries

There are several historic archaeological discoveries in the area surrounding Scotscalder ranging from the Romans to the Celts suggesting that there have been settlements here for millennia. Artefacts that are believed to date from the Iron Age have been found within the Scotscalder area.

Railway station

Scotscalder railway station is a request stop on the Far North Line and has trains running in both directions towards Wick in the North and Inverness further South. You can change at Wick railway station for services to Thurso railway station. Passenger numbers have decreased annually to a record low for 2018. This makes it one of the least used stations in the whole of the UK and the least used on the Far North Line

Local area

The local area surrounding and within Scotscalder is relatively small. There a few small settlements and farms in the area and the River Thurso runs nearby. The road that runs through Scotscalder is only wide enough to fit one car but has several passing places. 3 miles north of Scotscalder, via the B870 you can find Loch Calder and 8 miles north of Scotscalder will take you into Thurso. [2] Within Scotscalder itself there isn't much. The nearest Post Office and other amenities can be found in Halkirk, five miles up the road. Walking from one place to another isn't advised due to lack of footpaths and long distances between villages sometimes.

Local history

Scotscalder's local area as it is known today was shaped by the Far North Line opening in 1874. The station is still standing and is the centrepiece of the area. Further settlements were constructed as the railway allowed businesses to make the most of the generally flat land that was available. It also allowed easy travel to Thurso, Wick and Inverness. The construction of the road, which possibly previously existed as a farm track or pack-horse route also allowed easy access to the nearby village of Halkirk where products could be sold locally.

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The Sutherland and Caithness Railway was a Scottish railway company that built a line from Helmsdale, the terminus of the Duke of Sutherland's Railway to Wick and Thurso in Caithness, giving the northern towns access to Inverness. It was driven through by the efforts of the 3rd Duke of Sutherland and the engineer Joseph Mitchell in the face of apathy from interests in Wick.

Gillock is a small village in Caithness, the north part of the Highland council area of Scotland. It is 262 miles north of Edinburgh, situated between the towns of Wick and Thurso. The village is located at grid reference ND210595, on the B874 road.

The Far North Line was built in several stages through sparsely populated and undulating terrain. Extending to 161 miles (259 km), it runs north from Inverness to Wick and Thurso in Caithness, and currently carries a regular passenger train service.

Olgrinmore is a small area in Halkirk, Northern Scotland, south of Thurso and John o' Groats. The B870 runs directly through the centre with Scotscalder to the north and Westerdale to the south. The nearest transport link can be found at Scotscalder railway station which is on the Far North Line. There are no bus services and few footpaths. The nearest car park is in Scotscalder at the railway station.

References

  1. "Car Park". ScotRail. ScotRail. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  2. "Scotscalder Local Area". GoogleMaps. GoogleMaps. Retrieved 10 September 2019.