|
Durness is a coastal Village 105 miles
northwest of Inverness, in the area of Sutherland,
one of the most remote areas in Scotland.
Durness is popular for its Beaches, Golf,
Touring Park, Walks, Smoo Cave, Balnakeil Craft
Village, and trips to Cape Wrath, furthest
northwest point in Scotland.
For Images on Mobile swipe right
Click on Map for area
Camping & Touring Parks in
area
The image top right is of the War Memorial
in the centre of Durness.
The second image is of Durness main street
with a Spar Shop and small Gas Station. Places
to fill up your car or camper van are few and
far between up this way, and most of the roads
are single lane with many passing places.
Sango Sands Touring
and Camping Park is on the east side of the
Village with great views over Sango Sands
Beach.
Mackay's Rooms
B&B is in the centre of the village by
the shop and memorial.
The Lazy Crofter
Bunkhouse is also in the Village
centre.
Balnakeil is 1 mile west of Durness with the
Durness Golf Club, vast White Sand Beach
stretching out to Faraid Head, and Old Church
built in the 1600s.
You can view the grave of Elizabeth Parkes
at the Church, aunt of John Lennon. John Lennon
is said to have had childhood holidays here
visiting his aunt.
This is a popular walking area with trails
well marked. Faraid Head
Walk .
Also at Balnakeil is the Balnakeil Craft
Village with a number of local artists
& businesses such as a chocolatier, art
galleries, paintings &' prints, ceramics,
woodwork, glass work, and more.
Smoo
Cave is under 2 miles east of Durness, a
popular spot to explore with it being one of
the largest Sea Caves in the UK. There are also
scenic walks in that area.
Durness History
Stone Age - there are two turf dykes of
Neolithic origin to the south of the Village.
There is also what looks like a Broch on Faraid
Head, although this is now mostly covered in
sand.
700s - a Celtic Monastery was built at
Balnakeil for St. Maelrubha.
875 - the Norse / Vikings began taking
control of the North and Western Islands of
Scotland. They also tried to gain control of
some areas in north Scotland, and carried out
many brutal attacks throughout Scotland.
1200s - the Vikings were forced out of
mainland Scotland, and later out of the Islands
as well.
1200s - the Bishops of Caithness had a
Summer Palace at Balnakeil.
1300s - the Mackay's became the dominant
Clan in the Durness area owning vast areas of
Land.
1500s - the Mackay's are said to have had a
Hunting Lodge built at Balnakeil where the
Bishops Palace once stood.
1619 - the earliest parts of Balnakeil
Parish Church were built across from the
Hunting Lodge, paid for by the Mackay's, said
to be on the site of an earlier Church from the
1200s. The graves of the Gaelic poet Robb Donn,
and Elizabeth Parkes, aunt of the Beetle John
Lennon, can be found at Balnakeil Church.
1623 - Donald MacLeod dies with him buried
at Balnakeil Church. MacLeod was a henchman of
the Mackay's, said to have committed a number
of murders in the area for the Mackay's.
1744 - Balnakeil House was built for the
Mackay's to replace their Hunting Lodge.
1787 - the British began deporting convicts
to Australia to work there, mainly people seen
as trouble makers.
1797 - the first Sheep were taken to
Australia, with millions of Sheep there soon
after.
1814 - a new Parish Church was built on the
south side of Durness, probably funded by the
Mackay's, leading to Balnakeil Church falling
into ruin.
1829 - the Mackay's sold their land and
Balnakeil House to the Countess of Sutherland,
with the Sutherland's owning most of the land
in north Scotland by that time, about 1.1
million acres.
1830s - the Countess of
Sutherland began clearing Crofters from the
land so she could start large scale sheep
farming. Many of the Crofters from this area
moved to the coast for fishing, others south to
large towns and cities for industry, others
emigrated to America and Canada, some were
accused of minor crimes then sent to work in
Australia.
1841 - the Durness Riots began after women
in the area refused to be evicted from their
land. The Military were brought in to end the
riots. The Riots are said to have prevented
many families from being removed from the
area.
1843 - the Church split in Scotland with 450
ministers forming the Free Church of Scotland,
so the State and Landowners could not interfere
with them.
Durness people that joined the Free Church
at that time, had to worship in a Tent until a
new Free Church was built.
1844 - the Durness Free Church was built on
the east side of Durness known as Sangamore
Church.
1886 - the Crofting Act
was introduced to make it harder for Landowners
to evict long standing Crofters. As long as
they worked the land and paid rent, Crofters
then had a legal right to remain.
1880s - Lamb and Mutton was being imported
into the UK from Australia and New Zealand on
refrigerated boats, cutting the price of UK
Lamb drastically, leading to UK Landowners
hitting hard times.
1904 - Balnakeil House was sold to the
Elliot's at a time the Sutherland's were
selling off much of their land, going from 1.1
million acres down to 385,000 acres within a
few decades.
1929 - the Free Church and Church of
Scotland reunited with the people of Durness
using the Durness Sangamore Church as their
main place of worship, Parish Church from
1931.
1949 - John Lennon of the Beatles began
visiting his aunt at Durness when he was
between 9 and 14 years old, with his song In My
Life released in 1965, said to be about Durness
and Balnakeil.
1950s - after World War Two - there was a
Radar Station installed at Faraid Head. There
was also Military Barracks built at Balnakeil,
although these were never used by the
Military.
1964 - the Barracks at Balnakeil were bought
by the local Council to be rented out for small
businesses.
1964 - the Durness Parish Church from 1814
was sold for community use.
1976 - the Crofting Act gave Crofters the
legal right to purchase their land.
1980 - the Council sold the Balnakeil
Barracks to the Sitting Tenants, leading to
them becoming the Balnakeil Craft Village.
1991 - the body of a young Viking boy was
discovered in the sand dunes at Faraid Head.
Erosion had led to the body being exposed.
2000 - the body of a Pictish child was
discovered at Sangobeg beach.
2002 - a Memorial to John Lennon was erected
just under 2 miles east of Durness centre, next
to the main road, 300 yards west of Smoo
Cave.
2012 - Balnakeil House was converted to
serve as a holiday rental after laying empty
for around 30 years.
Today - Durness and Balnakeil are extremely
popular with the vast numbers of tourers
traveling around the north coast of
Scotland.
Cape Wrath is
the most north western area of Scotland, best
visited through tours as it is used by the
Ministry of defense for target practice with
large warships often seen or heard firing
shells and missiles at targets on the Cape.
Probably best to visit when this is not taking
place, you do not want to be having a picnic on
the wrong beach at the wrong time.
|
