Dornoch

Coordinates: 57°53′N 4°02′W / 57.88°N 4.03°W / 57.88; -4.03

Dornoch
Scottish Gaelic: Dòrnach[1]
Scots: Dornach[2]
Dornoch  Dornoch shown within the Sutherland area
Population	1,206 [3] (2001 census)
OS grid reference	NH798896
Council area	Highland
Lieutenancy area	Sutherland
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	DORNOCH
Postcode district	IV25
Dialling code	01862
Police	Northern
Fire	Highlands and Islands
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Scottish Parliament	Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
	Highlands and Islands
List of places: UK • Scotland •

Dornoch ( /ˈdɔrnɒx/;  Scottish Gaelic: Dòrnach pronounced [ˈt̪ɔːrˠn̪ˠəx];  Scots: Dornach) is a town and seaside resort, and former Royal burgh in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east. The town is within the Highland local government council area, and within the former county of Sutherland.

The town is near the A9 road, to which it is linked by the A949 and the B9168.

Dornoch has the thirteenth-century Dornoch Cathedral, the Old Town Jail, and the previous Bishop's Palace which is now the well-known hotel, Dornoch Castle and a notable golf course, the Royal Dornoch Golf Club, named the 5th best golf course outside the United States in 2005 by Golf Digest magazine. It is also notable as the last place a witch was burnt in Scotland. Her name was Janet Horne; she was tried and condemned to death in 1727. There is a stone, the Witch's Stone, commemorating her death, inscribed with the year 1722. Legendary golf course designer Donald Ross began his career as a greenkeeper on the Royal Dornoch links.

Dornoch used to be connected to the main railway network at The Mound via a light railway. The railway was opened on 2 June 1902. Stations on the line were Dornoch, Embo, Skelbo, Cambusavie Halt and The Mound Junction. The stations were shut on 13 June 1960.

On 21 December 2000, the pop star Madonna had her son Rocco christened in Dornoch Cathedral, the day before her wedding to Guy Ritchie in nearby Skibo Castle.

On 13 January 2005, Dornoch was granted Fairtrade Town status.^{[citation needed]}

Governance

Dornoch was a parliamentary burgh, combined with Dingwall, Kirkwall, Tain and Wick in the Northern Burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. Cromarty was added to the list in 1832.

The constituency was a district of burghs known also as Tain Burghs until 1832, and then as Wick Burghs. It was represented by one Member of Parliament. In 1918 the constituency was abolished and the Dornoch component was merged into the then new county constituency of Caithness and Sutherland.

References

1. ^ Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba ~ Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland
2. ^ Scots Language Centre: Scottish Place Names in Scots
3. ^ "Comparative Population Profile: Dornoch Locality". Scotland's Census Results Online. 2001-04-29. http://www.scrol.gov.uk/scrol/browser/profile.jsp?profile=Population&mainArea=dornoch&mainLevel=Locality. Retrieved 2008-09-02.