Halkirk
Encyclopedia
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 local people to be Scotland's first planned village.
It was at one time the site of the cathedral of the Diocese of Caithness, but this was moved to Dornoch
in the early 13th century. There are no remains of the early church and bishop's seat.
distilleries, Gerston from 1796 to 1885, and Ben Morven (also known as Gerston II) from 1886 to circa 1911. Both were established on the banks of the River Thurso, near Gerston Farm, and both drew water from Calder Burn. The Ben Morven distillery was named for the mountain
, the highest point in Caithness.
The original Gerston distillery was first registered by a Francis Swanson, and was expanded by two sons, John and James, in 1825. Sir Robert Peel is said to have acquired a taste for the whisky. The distillery closed not long after it was sold to new owners in 1872, and a London
company, calling themselves the Gerston Distillery Company, decided to build a new distillery.
In 1897 the new distillery was sold to Northern Distilleries Limited, who gave it the Ben Morven name. It was never very successful, and it closed circa 1911. The stillhouse is still standing.
(1795 to 1873), who settled in Halifax, Nova Scotia
and became established as a respected politician and brewer. He is known across Canada for his most famous beer, Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale.
happened shortly after 2pm in Halkirk, Caithness
, in the Scottish Highlands
. Police and ambulance crews rushed to the scene of the scene of the accident but could do nothing to save the victims. One passenger was thrown clear of the car while the remaining two were found dead inside the vehicle.http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/2660979/3-killed-by-train-level-crossing-horror.html
and his wife were both 81 years old and from Inverness. The third occupant of
the car was the car driver’s brother. He was 66 years old and from Latheron,
Caithness.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
on the River Thurso
River Thurso
The River Thurso has Loch Rumsdale in Caithness as its source, about 26 kilometres south and 14 kilometres west of the burgh of Thurso, Caithness, and about 2 kilometres south of the railway line linking the burghs of Thurso and Wick with Inverness. At its source and until it reaches Loch More...
in Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
, in the Highland
Highland (council area)
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and...
council area
Council Area
A Council Area is one of the areas defined in Schedule 1 of the Local Government etc. Act 1994 and is under the control of one of the local authorities in Scotland created by that Act.-Legislation :1889...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. From Halkirk the B874 road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
runs towards Thurso
Thurso
-Facilities:Offices of the Highland Council are located in the town, as is the main campus of North Highland College, formerly Thurso College. This is one of several partner colleges which constitute the UHI Millennium Institute, and offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from...
in the north and towards Georgemas
Georgemas
Georgemas is an area in the county of Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland, about south of the town of Thurso and about two kilometres east of the village of Halkirk.The area is served also by the A9, A882 and B874 roads...
in the east. The village is within the parish of Halkirk, and is said by local people to be Scotland's first planned village.
It was at one time the site of the cathedral of the Diocese of Caithness, but this was moved to Dornoch
Dornoch
Dornoch is a town and seaside resort, and former Royal burgh in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east...
in the early 13th century. There are no remains of the early church and bishop's seat.
Historic distilleries
Halkirk has had two whiskyWhisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
distilleries, Gerston from 1796 to 1885, and Ben Morven (also known as Gerston II) from 1886 to circa 1911. Both were established on the banks of the River Thurso, near Gerston Farm, and both drew water from Calder Burn. The Ben Morven distillery was named for the mountain
Morven, Caithness
Morven is a mountain in Caithness, in the Highland Region of Scotland. The hill is classed as a Graham and, at 706 metres, its summit is the highest point in the county of Caithness....
, the highest point in Caithness.
The original Gerston distillery was first registered by a Francis Swanson, and was expanded by two sons, John and James, in 1825. Sir Robert Peel is said to have acquired a taste for the whisky. The distillery closed not long after it was sold to new owners in 1872, and a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
company, calling themselves the Gerston Distillery Company, decided to build a new distillery.
In 1897 the new distillery was sold to Northern Distilleries Limited, who gave it the Ben Morven name. It was never very successful, and it closed circa 1911. The stillhouse is still standing.
Alexander Keith
Halkirk is the birthplace of Alexander KeithAlexander Keith
Alexander Keith was a Scottish born-Canadian politician, Freemason and brewer. He was mayor of the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, a Conservative member of the provincial legislature, and the founder of the Alexander Keith's Nova Scotia Brewery.-Biography:Keith was born in Halkirk, Caithness,...
(1795 to 1873), who settled in Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
and became established as a respected politician and brewer. He is known across Canada for his most famous beer, Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale.
In The News
On 29 September 2009, three people were killed after a train smashed into a car as it drove over an unmanned level crossing. The accidentAccident
An accident or mishap is an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance, often with lack of intention or necessity. It implies a generally negative outcome which may have been avoided or prevented had circumstances leading up to the accident been recognized, and acted upon, prior to its...
happened shortly after 2pm in Halkirk, Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
, in the Scottish Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
. Police and ambulance crews rushed to the scene of the scene of the accident but could do nothing to save the victims. One passenger was thrown clear of the car while the remaining two were found dead inside the vehicle.http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/2660979/3-killed-by-train-level-crossing-horror.html
Footnotes
The three occupants of the car were all part of the same family. The car driverand his wife were both 81 years old and from Inverness. The third occupant of
the car was the car driver’s brother. He was 66 years old and from Latheron,
Caithness.
