Overview of Dornoch Firth

An estuary between the Easter Ross and Sutherland districts of Highland Council Area, the Dornoch Firth receives the River Oykel which is joined by the Shin near Carbisdale. The estuary opens into the Kyle of Sutherland just south of Carbisdale, narrowing at Bonar Bridge before continuing eastwards to the sea beyond Dornoch Point near the burgh of Dornoch on the east coast. The Meikle ferry that once crossed the narrows was the scene of a tragedy in 1809 when an overcrowded ferry boat capsized with the loss of nearly 100 lives. In 1991 a bridge across the Firth was opened by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, shortening the A9 route from Inverness to Wick.