Open Ground
Baile an Òr, the Kildonan Burn
Scotland's gold rush of 1869 · Strath of Kildonan, near Helmsdale, Scotland
Open groundThe prize. Highland gold from the burn that built a tent city
Where. Strath of Kildonan, near Helmsdale, Scotland
Status. Open ground
Where. Strath of Kildonan, near Helmsdale, Scotland
Status. Open ground
The account
In 1869 a returned prospector found gold in a Highland burn, and within months six hundred men were camped at a place renamed Baile an Òr, the Town of Gold. The rush died; the gold didn't. The burn still carries colour down off the hills, and a licence bought in Helmsdale puts a pan in your hand on the same gravel bars the sixty-niners worked.
Leads, where the trail points now
- What you can keep: Highland gold from the burn that built a tent city. Confirm the site's current rules and any day fee before you go.
- Where: Strath of Kildonan, near Helmsdale, Scotland. Panning licence required (purchased in Helmsdale, online QR); season 15 April, 1 October, hand tools only, two weeks per year maximum.
- Best practice: record anything notable, leave the ground as you found it, and check the latest access notices before you travel.
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