The River Helmsdale and Strath Ullie, c. 1830–c. 1920: A Historical Perspective of Societal and Environmental Influences on River Management

This paper considers the following objectives, specific to key events in the latter part of the ‘age of improvement’ (1830–1860) and the subsequent ‘age of sport’ (1860–1920) in Strath Ullie. First, this article examines the origins and development of the Sutherland estate's awareness of the economic importance of commercial sport, placing focus on salmon fishing. Second, the estate papers are employed to highlight the environmental challenges caused by earlier land improvement policies, which threatened the success of this economic diversification strategy. Third, archival case studies are used to demonstrate the hierarchical and evolving professionalisation of river management practice during this period, as pivotal to the sustained importance of this resource to the strath today.