Situated at the mouth of Strathnaver on the north coast, the village of Bettyhill, in
common with many settlements in Sutherland, was developed to house the crofters cleared from their nearby lands
during the early part of the nineteenth century.
The western end of the community overlooks the wide sandy dunes of Torrisdale Bay, where the River Naver enters the
sea. Fishing was one of the occupations the evicted crofters were forced to turn to in order to make a living and
here you will find the pier and the remains of an icehouse and small canning factory, the only evidence of an
industry that operated here until recently.
The older part of the village is found further east, nestling in a sheltered basin. Here you will find the church
of Saint Columba. Built in 1774 to serve the parish of Farr, it is now the Strathnaver Museum. This museum contains
many locally-donated artifacts and has exhibits telling the stories of the Clan Mackay and the Sutherland Clearances.
The church is built on the site of a much older church, believed to date back to at least 1223, but outside the
museum in the church yard stands an even older relic, the Farr Stone, an 8th century Christianised Pictish stone.
The village has facilities for local and tourist alike. There are general stores and a post office while near
the museum is a cafe and tourist information centre. The village also has its own swimming pool. There is hotel
accommodation available in the village and there are also a number of bed & breakfast establishments and
self catering accommodation as well as a caravan and campsite.
