Bilbster
Bilbster
| |
|---|---|
  Bilbster Location within the Caithness area | |
| OS grid reference | ND279530 |
| District |
|
| Council area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Wick |
| Dialling code | 01955 621 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Bilbster is a rural area in the Highlands region of Scotland, formerly in the historic county of Caithness.[1] It is situated on the A882 road[2] and consists of just a handful of houses spread over approximately 1 square mile (2.6 km2). The nearest village is Watten which is approximately 2 miles (3 km) to the north-west and the nearest town is Wick which is 5 miles (8 km) to the south-east. Bilbster is a farming area. The River Wick, which is a productive salmon river, flows to the north of the settlement.
Bilbster railway station was closed in 1960.
A nearby wind farm was opened in 2008, consisting of three wind turbines that together are capable of generating 3.9 megawatts of electricity.[3]
The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Wick moved to a newly constructed building in the area in January 2024.[4]
History
[edit]Neolithic to Iron Age
[edit]There is evidence of human activity in the area as far back as the neolithic period. This includes a chambered cairn, dated to around c. 4000 to c. 2000 BC,[5] and a standing stone, dated to c. 3000 to c. 1500 BC.[6] Both sites are legally protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, as scheduled monuments of national importance. There is also evidence of a possible iron age broch,[7] though there have been no excavations to confirm this.
References
[edit]
- ↑ "Bilbster". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ↑ Gazetteer for Scotland
- ↑ "Bilbster Wind Farm". Archived from the original on 23 March 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ↑ "PICTURE SPECIAL: Wick Kingdom Hall open day at Bilbster". JohnOGroat Journal. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ↑ "Bilbster, chambered cairn". trove.scot. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "North Bilbster, standing stone". trove.scot. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Possible Broch, North Bilbster - Highland Historic Environment Record". her.highland.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 10 December 2025. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
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