Step back in time with a visit to the Historylinks Museum. Dedicated to the history of Dornoch Parish, the permanent exhibition shows the Cathedral, feuding clans, the shameful burning of Scotland’s last alleged witch and the treachery and violence of Picts and Vikings. Current displays include a golf professional’s workshop where Donald Ross honed his skills and an insight into life in Dornoch during the 18th Century, together with a scale model of a pre-clearance settlement. Their temporary exhibition this year looks at childhood in the Dornoch Parish spanning two centuries and features toys from the early 1800s to the 1970s.
Where can we find out more about the history of Dornoch and the surrounding area?
Their Links Through Dornoch film captures the historical essence of the area and you can also enjoy the fascinating film The Dornoch Light Railway plus a glimpse of Dornoch in the 1950s with Proud Sutherland. There is also a quiz that will entertain not only the children but the whole family!
If you are searching for local family connections within the area – the museum’s searchable collection database is a great reference resource.
It’s not just inside the museum that you can enjoy Dornoch’s fascinating past. Their outdoor displays include domestic objects, a plough, sharpening stone and a winch from the Mound sluice gates. You can have fun with the story labyrinth that tells tales from the nearby fishing village of Embo. If you feel like a walk around the historic Royal Burgh of Dornoch, their self-guided Historylinks Trail leads through sixteen sites of particular historic interest in and around the town.
- Entry to the museum is £4.00 for adults, £3.00 for concessions
- Accompanied children are free
- During the summer lookout for a series of guided walks and traditional craft workshops
- Located less than a few minutes walk from the town centre
- Car parking
