Weydale
| |
|---|---|
 Old track leading to Weydale | |
  Weydale Location within the Caithness area | |
| OS grid reference | ND132650 |
| Council area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Historic county | |
| Post town | Thurso |
| Postcode district | KW14 8 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
Weydale (Scottish Gaelic : valley of the way) is a remote scattered crofting settlement, lying 3 miles southeast of Thurso, Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland. [1] [2]
Despite a sparse population Weydale covers a large area of the farming land south-east of Thurso, which is mainly used for grazing of livestock. Within the area are four former flagstone quarries, which despite no longer producing the stones are now noted for the excellent preservation of the fossil fish Osteolepis .
Weydale was previously served by a small primary school, which was created more for a local gypsy settlement, who, up until the early 1900s, were banned from entering Thurso and settled in the area.
The former school and the quarries are part of a number of sites and buildings within Weydale that hold some historical significance, however a more modern bungalow, "Stoneybank", made the news when originally built as at that time its west-facing side contained Britain's largest single-pane window. The window has since been removed.
The area did make the news again in the late 1990s when the Bomb Disposal Unit undertook a controlled explosion at Bulliemore Farm, following the find of a World War II weapons and explosives store left over by the Auxiliary Unit which trained in the area.
Fort William is a town in Lochaber in the Scottish Highlands, located on the eastern shore of Loch Linnhe. As of the 2011 Census, Fort William had a population of 10,459, making it the second largest settlement in the Highland council area, and the second largest settlement in the whole of the Scottish Highlands; only the city of Inverness has a larger population.
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in the United Kingdom. It was the 7th most populous council area in Scotland at the 2011 census. It shares borders with the council areas of Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, Moray and Perth and Kinross. Their councils, and those of Angus and Stirling, also have areas of the Scottish Highlands within their administrative boundaries.
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Historically it served as the county town of the county of Inverness-shire. Inverness lies near two important battle sites: the 11th-century battle of Blàr nam Fèinne against Norway which took place on the Aird, and the 18th century Battle of Culloden which took place on Culloden Moor. It is the northernmost city in the United Kingdom and lies within the Great Glen at its northeastern extremity where the River Ness enters the Beauly Firth. At the latest, a settlement was established by the 6th century with the first royal charter being granted by Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim in the 12th century. The Gaelic king Mac Bethad Mac Findláich (MacBeth) whose 11th-century killing of King Duncan was immortalised in Shakespeare's largely fictionalised play Macbeth, held a castle within the city where he ruled as Mormaer of Moray and Ross. Inverness and Inverness-shire are closely linked to the Clan MacKenzie.
Thurso is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical area of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the British mainland.
Sutherland is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire to the south and the Atlantic to the north and west. Like its southern neighbour Ross-shire, Sutherland has some of the most dramatic scenery in the whole of Europe, especially on its western fringe where the mountains meet the sea. These include high sea cliffs, and very old mountains composed of Precambrian and Cambrian rocks.
Halkirk is a village on the River Thurso in Caithness, in the Highland council area of Scotland. From Halkirk the B874 road runs towards Thurso in the north and towards Georgemas in the east. The village is within the parish of Halkirk, and is said by locals to be Scotland's first planned village.
Caithness is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland.
The Dornoch Firth is a firth on the east coast of Highland, in northern Scotland. It forms part of the boundary between Ross and Cromarty, to the south, and Sutherland, to the north. The firth is designated as a national scenic area, one of 40 such areas in Scotland. The national scenic area covers 15,782 ha in total, of which 4,240 ha is the marine area of the firth below low tide. A review of the national scenic areas by Scottish Natural Heritage in 2010 commented:
By comparison with other east coast firths the Dornoch Firth is narrow and sinuous, yet it exhibits within its compass a surprising variety of landscapes. It is enclosed by abrupt rounded granitic hills clad in heather moor and scree, their Gaelic names of cnoc, meall and creag giving the clue to their character. Their lower slopes are frequently wooded, oakwoods being a noticeable feature of the area, but with other deciduous and coniferous species represented in plantations which vary from the policy plantings of Skibo Castle to the pines of the Struie Forest.
Wick is a town and royal burgh in Caithness, in the far north of Scotland. The town straddles the River Wick and extends along both sides of Wick Bay. "Wick Locality" had a population of 6,954 at the time of the 2011 census, a decrease of 3.8% from 2001.
Castletown is a village on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland, situated near Dunnet Bay. It is within the civil parish of Olrig, where it is the main settlement, and within the historic county of Caithness. The A836 links the village with Thurso and Tongue in the west and with John o' Groats in the east. The B876-A99 links the village with Wick in the southeast. Contrary to the common misconception, the name Castletown is a misnomer as there is no castle within the village limits.
The Far North Line is a rural railway line entirely within the Highland area of Scotland, extending from Inverness to Thurso and Wick. As the name suggests, it is the northernmost railway in the United Kingdom. The line has many sections of single track, mostly north of Dingwall. In common with other railway lines in the Highlands and northern Lowlands, it is not electrified and all trains are diesel-powered.
Brora is a village in the east of Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland.
Altnabreac railway station is a rural railway station in the Highland council area of Scotland. It serves the area of Altnabreac – a settlement in which the station itself is the main component – in the historic county of Caithness. It is on a private dirt road between Loch More and Forsinain, marked as a cycle trail on Ordnance Survey maps.
Georgemas Junction railway station is a railway station located in the Highland council area in the far north of Scotland. It serves several rural hamlets in the historic county of Caithness, including Georgemas, Roadside and Banniskirk. It is also the nearest station to the village of Halkirk, which lies approximately 1.6 miles (2.6 km) west of the station.
Thurso railway station is a railway station located in Thurso, in the Highland council area in the far north of Scotland. It serves the town of Thurso and its surrounding areas in the historic county of Caithness. It is also the nearest station to the port of Scrabster, which has ferry services linking the mainland with Stromness on the Orkney Islands. It is the northernmost station on the National Rail network.
Buldoo in the far north of Scotland, is a small hamlet 0.5 miles south of Dounreay in Thurso, Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland.
Westerdale is a scattered crofting village which lies on the River Thurso, located 5 miles (8 km) directly south of Halkirk, in Caithness, Highland, Scotland. The B870 road passes through the village.
Westfield is a remote village, located 3 miles southeast of Thurso, in Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland.
Scots Calder is an area within Halkirk, Northern Scotland. It is served by Scotscalder railway station which is operated by Abellio 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. There are no bus services operating from Scotscalder however a short walk or train journey can take you to local travel services.
Shalmstry is a small settlement in Caithness, Scotland. It is just under 3 miles south of Thurso. It is located off the A9 and is remote. The settlements of Weydale and Sordale can be found to the south and Thurso to the north via the A9.
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