The village of Brora lies at the mouth of the River Brora, one of several rivers in Sutherland famous for their
salmon fishing. During the 19th century, Brora was one of a number of coastal villages to which crofters were
moved when they were evicted - cleared from their lands to make way for sheep farming.
The village was once the main industrial centre in Sutherland. It was the site of one of the earliest coal mines in
Scotland and during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries this industry included a quarry (which provided the
stone to build amongst others Dunrobin Castle, London Bridge and Liverpool Cathedral), a brick works, woolen mill and
distillery as well as the more traditional occupations such as crofting and fishing. One unusual by-product of all
this Victorian industry was that Brora became the first community in the Highlands to have its own electricity supply.
Today, very little remains of these industires apart from Clynelish Distillery to the north of the village. This
distillery was established by the Duke of Sutherland in 1819 so that the local crofters would not be tempted to
sell their grain to the many illegal stills in the area. Crofts still occupy the land around the village and the
little harbour is still home to a few small shellfish boats but the main industry today is tourism. As well as the
harbour, the village boasts long sandy beaches and its own 18 hole links golf course.
Accommodation for the anglers, golfers and other tourists that visit the area is plentiful with hotels and guest
houses, as well as bed & breakfasts and self catering accommodation. There are also reataurants and shops in the
village.
For travellers, Brora is easy to reach as the main road north passes through it, as does the railway.
