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Golspie AreaGolspie, a small village in East Sutherland, is located on the shores of the Moray Firth sheltering in the shadow of Ben Bhraggie. The two most prominent landmarks in the village are Ben Bhraggie, with the Mannie, (a monument to the 1st Duke of Sutherland) looking down on the village and Dunrobin Castle home to the Dukes of Sutherland. The village (approximately 1650 residents) is one of the more densely populated areas in a region that is notable for its scenic emptiness. One of the joys of visiting the area is the peaceful, pollution and people free landscape. Take a drive up round by Loth in the early evening in May and you will see hundreds of deer but are unlikely to meet any other people. However, despite the relatively low number of people, those who live here offer genuine friendship and warm hospitality to visitors, which is why so many people return year after year. The award-winning beaches to the north and south of the pier are a pleasure to walk along and provide safe bathing for those who like to swim. If the thought of the water temperature is a little off putting there is a marvellous leisure centre in the village, which provide a warmer environment to swim. We have corporate membership which allows our guests to use the facilities free of charge. The golf course is a mix of links, parkland and heath, which is rarely crowded. (Guests who stay with us are entitled to a substantial discount on the cost of playing there.) There are also facilities for bowling, tennis and football as well as a number of play areas for children. The karting circuit was host to the Five Nations Championship in 2005 and there are regular race meetings held there. Sprint race meetings (cars) are also held regularly. The Loch Fleet nature reserve three miles south of Golspie is an easy walk, which affords visitors the opportunity to see seals sunbathing on the sand banks. In the summer Ospreys can be seen feeding on the loch, much to the annoyance of salmon anglers (mainly because the birds seem to be better at catching the fish – well that’s my opinion). Golspie Gala week is held at the start of August, an event that has been running for over thirty years now and goes from strength to strength. Whether it is the golf competition, bowls competition, Ben Bhraggie hill race, fancy dress parade, wheelbarrow race or the massed pipe bands there is plenty to see and do. Visitors are welcome to participate or simply stand back and enjoy. The Biblical Garden in the grounds of Seaforth House provides a pleasant place to sit and simply enjoy the world going by. If you need it, public Internet access is available in the library, which is open 4 days a week. Golspie is a village that is green in every sense of the word. As well as the wonderful flower displays that are all over the village, supported by the Golspie in Bloom group, the village also has GREAN, Golspie Recycling and Environmental Action Network. The village works actively, employing five people full time to recycle as much household waste, re-utilising where ever possible and thereby minimising the impact we have on the local environment, particularly by limiting landfill. If you want to know about what is happening in our village visit the Golspie community web site. |
 Massed pipe bands at Golspie Gala week |
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