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Dornoch is a Town 44 miles north of Inverness, on
the northeast coast of Scotland with two long
Beaches.
Dornoch is popular for its Golf, Cathedral,
Castle now a Hotel, Courthouse now a
Restaurant, Old Jail now Shops, Historylinks
Museum, Clearances Cottages, Burning Site of a
Witch, two Holiday Parks, and Dunrobin
Castle 12 miles north.
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Click on Map for area Attractions
Camping & Touring Parks in
area
The top image right shows Castle Street
leading to the town Centre where you can find
the Cathedral, Castle, Courthouse, and Old
Jail. The Market Cross can be found on the High
Street, on the north side of the Cathedral.
Dornoch Castle
built from the late 1400s is now a Hotel with a
large Beer Garden at the rear.
The Old Courthouse built in 1849 is now a
Restaurant, and
Whisky
Cellars.
Dornoch Jail built in
1850 is now shops with the small Cells used for
displays.
Dornoch Cathedral built from the
1220s is across the road from the Castle.
The Historylinks Museum
can be found behind Dornoch Castle, up Castle
Close. The Museum has a large display of
Artifacts that span many centuries, and gives
information of life and work in this area from
the 1100s to present day.
The large white Dornoch Station
Hotel is close to the beach on Grange
Road.
Royal Dornoch Golf
Club is by the Beach, on the southeast side
of the Town. This Golf Club was formed in 1877,
became a Royal club in 1906 through King Edward
VII.
The Royal Golf
Hotel is by the Golf Club with its
Conservatory Restaurant having views over the
course.
Dornoch Holiday
Park is by the Golf Course and Beach, with
a range of Caravans available for holidays.
By the Golf Course and Holiday Park, at
River Street, is a Garden with a Stone marking
where a Witch named Janet Horne was
Burned to Death in 1727. Janet was the last
recorded person to be executed in this way.
A short walk towards the Town centre from
the Witches Stone are the Clearances Cottages.
In the early 1800s, Landowners began forcing
Tenant Farmers off their land so they could
begin large scale sheep farming. Many Farmers
moved to Dornoch where they built small
Cottages. This area of Dornoch is referred to
as Littletown.
Grannies Heilin
Hame Holiday Park is 3 miles north of
Dornoch in the area known as Embo. This Holiday
Park is next to the long sandy Embo Beach, with
a range of Caravans for holidays. The Park has
a Bar Diner and large Entertainment Hall, also
touring and camping.
Dornoch History
5000 BC - settlements were established in
this area later known as Sutherland.
540 - Saint Finbarr may have arrived in
Dornoch and established a settlement. The ruins
of his Church are believed to be at the east
end of Dornoch Cathedral graveyard.
800s - Vikings took control of the Orkney
Islands and parts of the far northeast of
Scotland, encroaching on Dornoch.
1100s - Scottish Kings began pushing north
forcing the Vikings out of mainland Scotland.
Halkirk 65 miles north of Dornoch was where the
first Cathedral was built for the area.
1200s early - Halkirk Cathedral was burned
by Farmers, killing the Bishop inside. The
Farmers riots began after the Bishop raised
Taxes.
The most prominent family in this area was
de Moravia, later The Mory, Murray, and
Sutherland, with the Bishops of Dornoch being
related to them.
The Bishops ran the Courts and Jails at that
time for the Lords / Earls of Sutherland.
1200s early - Skibo Castle was built for the
Bishops, 4 miles west of Dornoch.
1220 - Dornoch Cathedral was built for
Bishop Gilbert de Moravia to replace Halkirk
Cathedral.
1260s - Richard de Moravia was killed at
Embo, 3 miles north of Dornoch, fighting
Vikings. Richard was buried in Dornoch
Cathedral.
1270s - Dunrobin Castle was built for
William de Moravia, 1st Earl of Sutherland, 12
miles north of Dornoch.
1500 - Dornoch Castle was built next to the
Cathedral for the Bishops as a secure
residence.
1545 - the Bishops awarded Skibo Castle to
John Gray so his powerful family could help
prevent the Protestant uprisings from spreading
north.
1563 - the Queen's Act against witchcraft
was introduced in Scotland. This led to a
number of people being Strangled or Burned to
Death, normally after a neighbour they did not
get on with, reported them for Witchcraft.
1570 - Dornoch Cathedral was set on fire
during a Clan feud between the Murray's of
Dornoch, and Mackay's of Strathnaver. These
Clan feuds took
place over many years, involving a number of
Clans from the area.
1703 - Witchcraft was no longer seen as a
Criminal Offence punishable by the Death
Penalty in most of Scotland.
1670s - smuggling at Dornoch and the
surrounding area sharply increased due to Taxes
on Whisky, Wine, Tea and more.
1727 - Janet Horne was found guilty of
Witchcraft at Dornoch, rolled in tar, placed in
a barrel, then burned to death. Janet was the
last recorded person in Scotland to die this
way. Her neighbour's reported here for turning
her daughter into a pony.
1748 - Landowners and Bishops in Scotland
lost their power to hold Courts and Imprison
people, with Kings Courts used from that
time.
1800s early - the Sutherland
Clearances began, removing large numbers of
small scale Tenant Farmers so their land could
be used for large scale Sheep Farming. A number
of these Farmers moved to Dornoch to try to
live off Fishing. The area of Dornoch where
they built their small cottages is named
Littletown, with the Sutherland's soon showing
up demanding rent from them.
The Clearances Monument can be viewed at
Helmsdale, 27 miles north of Dornoch.
1803 - the first road from Inverness to
Dornoch was started by Thomas Telford, with
Mail / Passenger Coaches running soon after,
before this time, most trade was done by boat,
or with pack horses on narrow trails.
1837 - the restoration of Dornoch Cathedral
was completed for the Duchess of Sutherland, so
it could be used as a Church of Scotland.
1840s - early 1900s - most of the buildings
in Dornoch centre seen today were built.
1844 - a Free Church was built in Dornoch
centre on Church Street, with Free Churches
built so Landowners could not interfere with
them.
1849 - Dornoch Courthouse was completed next
to the Castle. Dornoch Jail was built next to
the Courthouse around the same time.
The original Courts and Jails were in the
Bishops Castles, from where they would control
the area..
1877 - Royal Dornoch Golf Club was
founded.
1897 - the wealthy industrialist Andrew Carnegie
bought Skibo Castle to serve as his holiday
home with a swimming pool and golf course.
1901? - the first Horseless Carriage was
seen in Dornoch, a Petrol Car that looked like
a Horse Carriage.
1902 - the Railway reached Dornoch with the
Town being a popular holiday destination for
the Beach and Golf.
1904 - the Dornoch Station Hotel opened by
the Dornoch Golf Club.
1947 - Dornoch Castle was converted to a
Hotel.
1973 - Dunrobin Castle, Gardens, and Museum
were opened to the public, also with Falconry
displays, the Sutherland's still stay in part
of the Castle.
1982 - Skibo Castle was
bought by Peter de Savary to be used as a
private members club named The Carnegie
Club.
2000 - Madonna and Guy Ritchie were married
at Skibo Castle. There have been a number of
Film Stars and Sportsmen married at the
Castle.
2000 - Dornoch Jail was converted to a
Shopping Complex.
2010 - billionaire Elon Musk and
the actress Talulah Riley
were married at Dornoch Cathedral, then stayed
at Skibo Castle with the reception at the
Castle.
2015 - Dornoch Courthouse was converted to a
Cafe / Diner, Shops, and Visitor Centre, later
changed to a Restaurant and Whisky Cellar.
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