EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

Eleven scenic miles north along the A9 from Golspie, HELMSDALE is an old herring port, founded in the nineteenth century to house the evicted inhabitants of Strath Kildonan, which lies behind it. Today, the sleepy-looking grey village attracts thousands of tourists, most of them coming to see the attractively designed Timespan Heritage Centre beside the river (April to mid-Oct Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm, Sun 2-5pm; July & Aug until 6pm; £3.50). It's a remarkable venture for a place of this size, telling the local story of Viking raids, witch-burning, Clearances, fishing and gold-prospecting through hi-tech displays, sound effects and an audiovisual programme. The centre also has an art gallery, which often has a decent show of works by Scottish artists.

Eating options abound in Helmsdale. On the main street, local fish wars are taking place between the Mirage restaurant and the Bunillidh opposite: the proprietor of the Mirage has become something of a Scottish celebrity, modelling herself on the romantic novelist Barbara Cartland, whose shooting lodge is nearby. The fittings and furnishings reflect her predilection for all things pink and frilly, with fish tanks, fake-straw parasols and plastic seagulls set off by the country-and-western soundtrack. There's obviously no love lost between her and the kitsch-free Bunillidh - though the aggressive marketing conceals the happy fact that both serve excellent meals (especially seafood) at rock-bottom prices.