Halkirk
| |
|---|---|
 Halkirk looking towards the war memorial and the Ross Institute | |
  Halkirk Location within the Caithness area | |
| Area | 1.12 km2 (0.43 sq mi) [1] |
| Population | 950 (2022)[2] |
| • Density | 848/km2 (2,200/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | ND130594 |
| • Edinburgh | 177 mi (285 km) |
| • London | 502 mi (808 km) |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HALKIRK |
| Postcode district | KW12 |
| Dialling code | 01847 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament |
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Halkirk (Scottish Gaelic: Hàcraig) is a village on the River Thurso in Caithness, in the Highland council area of Scotland.[3] From Halkirk the B874 road runs towards Thurso in the north and towards Georgemas in the east. The village is within the parish of Halkirk, and is said by locals to be Scotland's first planned village.
In 1222 Jon Haraldsson, the last native Scandinavian to be Jarl of Orkney, was indirectly implicated in the burning of Adam of Melrose at his hall at Halkirk by local farmers when this part of Caithness was still part of the Kingdom of Norway. A contemporary chronicler, Boethius the Dane blamed Haraldsson for the bishop's death. After the jarl swore oaths to his own innocence, Alexander II took the opportunity to assert his claims to the mainland part of the Orkney jarldom. He visited Caithness in person, and hanged the majority of the farmers, while mutilating the rest. His actions were applauded by Pope Honorius III, and a quarter of a century later, he was continuing to receive commendation from the Catholic Church, as in the reward of a bull from Pope Celestine IV.
- ^ "Halkirk (Highland, Scotland, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information". citypopulation.de. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
- ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Halkirk". The Gazetteer for Scotland. School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh and The Royal Scottish Geographical Society. Retrieved 19 June 2018.