Bettyhill () is a village in the parish of
Farr, on the north coast of
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
.
Bettyhill lies on the
A836 road west of
Thurso
Thurso (pronounced ; , ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great Britain. From a latitudinal s ...
and from
Tongue
The tongue is a Muscle, muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for chewing and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper s ...
. It lies from the village of
Skerray; its former fishing port was called Navermouth. To the east is
Crask. It has a population of 576.
Bettyhill's principal attractions are the expanse of Torrisdale Bay, the Strathnaver Museum and
salmon fishing on the
River Naver. The whole of the north-western highlands (Assynt to Cape Wrath, Loch Shin to Strath Halladale and Reay) was known as "Mackay Country" from the 13th century.
Economy
The craft shop serves
fish and chips
Fish and chips is a hot dish consisting of batter (cooking), battered and fried fish, served with French fries, chips. Often considered the national dish of the United Kingdom, fish and chips originated in England in the 19th century. Today, ...
on a Friday and Saturday night, as well as having a cafe ('The Cafe at Bettyhill') which is currently open seven days a week during summer months.
The Bettyhill Hotel contains the Eilean Neave restaurant. The Farr Bay Inn, built in 1819, was formerly the manse and is now a listed building.
It has recently come under new management and was refurbished in 2009.
Community Facilities
School and Leisure Centre
Adjoining Farr High School is the North Coast Leisure Centre which comprises a leisure pool, gym, spa and sauna and is open for public use.
Museum
The
Strathnaver Museum is in the village based in the former parish church.
The Strathnaver Museum, probably better known as "The Mackay Museum", has an upstairs, older & larger section devoted to the ancient
Clan Mackay
Clan Mackay ( ; ) is an ancient and once-powerful Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan from the far north of the Scottish Highlands, but with roots in the old Mormaer of Moray, Kingdom of Moray.
They supported Robert I of Scotland, Rober ...
.
Sports
Bettyhill holds an annual football competition called the Guy Cup. Teams from nearby northern areas come to compete for the trophy. This annual gathering is held in remembrance of Philip Mackay (nicknamed "Guy") who died in an oil rig accident. The medals and trophy are usually held by Guy's mother Phyllis Mackay.
Notable people
*
Charles MacIvor, skier
*
Martin Rennie, football manager
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Populated places in Sutherland
Bettyhill