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Town in Highland, Scotland
Photo: Phil Sangwell, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Dingwall is a town in Easter Ross in the Scottish Highlands, with a population in 2020 of 5360. Its name derives from the Scandinavian Þingvöllr, a meeting-place, and it was once astride several transport routes. As it was at the head of Cromarty Firth it had a harbour, roads out of the northwest Highlands converged here, and the Edinburgh - Inverness - John o'Groats A9 crossed the rivers above the Firth. But the harbour silted up in the 18th century; a canal was cut to town but wasn't a commercial success. The main roads bypassed it in the 20th century, and the county of which it was county town was reformed out of existence. So "the meeting place" is something of a backwater, but has preserved its 19th-century centre.
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Local artefacts and exhibitions. It's housed in the former Town Hall, built in 1745, with the octagonal cupola tower added in 1773 and the stepped gables in 1903. On 4 Jan 1963 a hopeful young rock band performed here, but only 19 came to listen, as there was a better act in Strathpeffer that night. The hopefuls were called The Beatles.
C of S
Was completed in 1803. In its graveyard stands an ancient stone, bearing neolithic cup-and-ring marks and Pictish Z-symbols. St Clements is on Church St next to Tesco.
The Roman Catholic church, built in 1902, with elegant stained glass windows. It's next to the "doocot" (below) on the site of Dingwall Castle.
Recalls the remarkable life of "Fighting Mac" (1853-1903). He was born on a croft near Dingwall, joined the army, and by his skill and bravery rose all the way from humble private to major general. He fought in the First Boer War, the Second Afghan War and the Sudan Campaign. A hero by 1902, he was appointed commander-in-chief of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and had time on his hands. There had long been rumours of his fondness for boys, which now grew to scandal-pitch. He got out of the way to London but was in Paris when the story broke in the press, and he shot himself. He's buried in Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh. A government enquiry announced in unctuous terms that there was not a shred of evidence against him, and shredded all the case files to keep it that way.
Built in the 11th century, staged a murder worthy of Macbeth in 1438, and was restored in the 16th when the bishop prettified one of the towers into a "doocot". The castle was abandoned in 1600 and the site was levelled in 1818, except for the doocot, which stands 200 yards north of the railway station.
Probably dates to the 12th century but the present structure, now a hotel (see "Sleep"), is from the 16th. Any two castles within sight of each other have a mythical "secret tunnel" that supposedly connected them, and at Tulloch, you can peer into a collapsed passageway that burrows in the direction of Dingwall Castle. But that's over a mile away, a huge challenge for medieval engineering, of no defensive value, and with no ground disturbance (such as subsidence or water flow) to mark its course. Sorry, but it was obviously just a cellar.
On the hillside northeast of Tulloch Castle is a late 18th-century folly, a scenic stump littered with sheep poo.
An ancient "henge" on Muir of Ord Golf Club, see below.
RSPB
The red kite (Milvus milvus) is a common "tourist eagle" - mis-identified because of its raptor profile. The giveaways are the wafting flight pattern, the deeply forked tail and the pale patch beneath the wings. They're fed daily at this RSPB reserve, reached up a muddy track.
Handy pub for food, named for the fastest steam locomotive, as you'll have ample time to recall as you await your delayed train.
Friendly cafe and sandwich shop.
Small place doing good Thai food.
A Diageo-owned distillery, producing "The Singleton of Glen Ord" which all goes to the Asian market. Produced elsewhere are "The Singleton of Dufftown" for the UK and Europe, and "The Singleton of Glendullan" for North America.
Pitches for caravans, motorhomes and tents. Good facilities, dogs welcome. Try not to arrive when Ross County have a home game, as the access road is mobbed.
Family run hotel with 45 rooms, some distinctly small. Mostly good reviews for comfort and dining.
A castle dating from the 16th century, with a 250-year-old panelled great hall, and now a 20-bedroom hotel. Many guests are disappointed by what they get for the price.
By bus
Stagecoach Highlands buses 27 / 25A run from Inverness, taking 35 min by that direct route; some start from Culloden.
By train
Dingwall has trains M-Sa every hour or so from Inverness, taking 35 mins via Beauly, Muir of Ord and Conon Bridge.
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Inverness, Highland · Regional · INV
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