Caithness, 1925 - Halkirk Bridge

Caithness, 1925 - Halkirk Bridge

ID: QZP40_CAITHNESS 1925-26_56001_076 DESCRIPTION: From a book of photographs of Caithness, compiled by Herbert Sinclair and published in the mid-1920s. It shows a photograph of Halkirk Bridge. The Old Halkirk Bridge, opened in 1731. The bridge at Halkirk, over the Thurso River, was erected by money left for the purpose by Sinclair of Ulbster; but as twelve years elapsed before the work was begun, it got bruited abroad that the delay was due to the influence of the devil, and when the structure was at last finished it was believed that the devil made his rendezvous o' night there. Consequently but a rare one would cross the bridge after sunset, and there were not a few who refused to use it in broad daylight, preferring to cross by the ford. Even to this day there are some who think that the devil is still too busy at this bridge. Halkirk is a small village situated 6 miles south of Thurso in Caithness. The derivation of the place name Halkirk is a Norse form of ecclesiastical origin. It appears as Ha-kirkju in the Norse sagas, takes the forms of Haukirc and Haukyrc in two Latin documents of the thirteenth century, and is to the present day pronounced Haekirc by Gaelic speakers. The last limb is undoubtedly the Norse word for 'kirk,' and the first member is almost certainly the feminine form Ha of a Norse adjective, meaning 'high.' Hence Halkirk means 'High Kirk,' but why so called remains uncertain. It is quite possible that Hoy, a place-name in the immediate neighbourhood, also meaning 'high,' gave its designation to the kirk, and that in the name Halkirk Hoy lies concealed. PLACENAME: Halkirk OLD COUNTY/PARISH: CAITHNESS CREATOR (AV): Herbert Sinclair PERIOD: 1920s SOURCE: Highland Libraries COLLECTION: Caithness 1925 Asset ID: 31879 KEYWORDS: