You are here:
Berriedale
Berriedale maps
Historic maps of Berriedale and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Berriedale maps
Berriedale area books
Displaying 1 of 0 books about Berriedale and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Berriedale
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Berriedale.
Add your memory of Berriedale
or of a photo of Berriedale.
Childhood Memories of Berriedale
My gran Margaret Ross lived at the "Old Smiddy" in Berriedale where me, my brother Ian and sister Audrey spent every summer on holiday. It's the most beautiful place in the world and I have the most wonderful memories of so many happy times there. One morning I took a donner doon to the water and there was a man with a big net catching fish, I gave him a fright and he says " Here wee man, have a fish". "Thanks mister". I replied, and ran up the road. "Look at my fish the man gave me". I told everyone at the dinner table. My uncle Ernest was the gamekeeper, and he and his men sent chairs flying as they scrambled to get out the door. My gran cooked the 22lb salmon to perfection. They never did catch the poacher!
Caithness memories
Visit to Helmsdale
My husband and I were at a wedding in Dornock and took a trip to Helmsdale.
Unknown to me at the time my great grandfather came from Loth, West Helmsdale. His name was Adam Mckenzie, the son of Alexander Mckenzie and Janet Mackay Gordon.
Adam married Isabella Birnie Watson from Pitsligo in 1876. They sailed to New Zealand in 1877 on the ship 'Canterbury', sailing from Glasgow. Their little girl Eleanor died on the journey.
My grandfather was born in New Zealand in 1878, his name was James Watson Mckenzie.
I hope some day to go back to Helmsdale and also go to Loth. We did enjoy the small village and its kind people. I would love to find some relatives, who I'm sure there will be, still living in Loth or Helmsdale
Elizabeth Gair, nee Mckenzie
Sea Boots
At the age of four I was too small to "go to sea" but being so keen to take part in all things fishing I was allowed to stand in my granda Ross's (Dote) big sea boots. I was in the front garden at Hilton on Shore Street and was proudly lowered into the boots which were folded down in half. It made a great picture and a wonderful memory for me to this day.
I also enjoyed feeding the gulls (Fulaks) one left a "calling card" on the ribbon in my hair! I decided it was safer to feed the many hens that wondered up and down the tiny street instead,
Granda Skinner
Davie Skinner, Bank ST, Balintore would take me for walks up at the back of Balintore and sit among the yellow broom and look over the Moray Firth. He would tell me stories of the salmon fishing. We would then walk down to the harbour point and watch folk fishing for souyans. We then would go up to "The Sheddie" and sit with all the old worthies putting the world to rights.
Two Pieces of INFORMATION
* My father ALICK JOHN MACKAY was born in Dalcharn in 1912. His brothers, my UNCLES, were Phillip MacKay and Jimmy MacKay. My cousin is Kenneth MacKay and Barbara MacKay in Bettyhill. * Alick's son, me, emigrated to Canada in 1966 and immediately found all kinds of people from Sutherland who were in Canada for many years. The lady who previously owned the Bettyhill Hotel lived in Calgary and was 94 years old when she died. Canada's DEFENCE MINISTER, Peter MacKay from Nova Scotia has roots in Dalcharn. His grandfather was born in Dalcharn. James MacKay the explorer from near Helmsdale was born in 1761 and died in 1822. The book on his distinguished life was authored by Helen Widener (Texas) and is called "A Man to Cherish". He was a cartographer to the Louis and Clark Expeditions in the Missouri Region. He spoke several native languages and married a native. He has statues to him in Louisana Territory. See his book at Strathnaver Museum. SLAINDTH. Visit me at bertmackay@shaw.ca or my brother in Inverness... Read more
Fantastic Township
I have very fond memories of Coldbackie. It’s one of those fantastic undiscovered gems in Sutherland. My grandparents bought a croft there in the 1950s and I spent much of my childhood playing at the beach, in the woods, or by the burn separating it to Blandy. Have a look at the link below for more info on the township: My memories on Coldbackie
I Received A ''Royal Humane Society Award For Bravery'' For This...
I lived in Barbaraville (Alder Cottage) from roughly 1982-1987 with my parents before I moved away to work.
I loved this village and had many, many memories but one which is a big achievement for me was when ...
Two young guys from the village had made a 'homemade' raft and ventured out into the shallows of the bay but as any of you familiar with the bay will know there is a tremendously strong current during the change of tides.
Unfortunately due to these currents dragging them out towards the souters (tide going out) and the fact they were sinking!! the alarm was raised in the village. A teacher from Tain Royal Academy (who lived 3 or 4 houses down) arrived banging at the door, I since 12 have had my own boat hence arriving at my door considering I was 15 years old at this time.
The two of us waded out to reach my boat and made our way out to drag these two guys... Read more
