Timespan is Helmsdale's local museum, archive, gallery and community arts centre, set just above the River Helmsdale. The permanent displays cover the village's fishing history, the Highland Clearances, the 1869 Kildonan gold rush and everyday life on this stretch of the Sutherland coast.
It is small enough to see in an hour, but it gives useful context before you visit the Emigrants Statue, Badbea or the old gold-panning country inland. The attached cafe and garden make it an easy first stop after arriving by train or road.