[
* Bower
*]Canisbay
Canisbay is a rural hamlet located about southwest of Huna and southwest of John o' Groats in Caithness, Scottish Highlands, and is in the Scottish council area of Highland. It lies on the A836 coast road, which bypasses the hamlet to the n ...
*Dunnet
Dunnet is a village in Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland. It is within the Parish of Dunnet.
Village
The village centres on the A836– B855 road junction. The A836 leads towards John o' Groats in the east and toward Thurso and ...
*Halkirk
Halkirk () is a village on the River Thurso in Caithness, in the Highland council area of Scotland. From Halkirk the B874 road runs towards Thurso in the north and towards Georgemas in the east. The village is within the parish of Halkirk, a ...
*Latheron
Latheron () is a small village and civil parish in Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom ...
*Olrig
Olrig is a parish in Caithness, Scotland. The main settlement in the parish is Castletown. Prior to the 19th century, the parish was sub-divided into ten townlands or "fermlands". Townland boundaries were mostly disregarded and lost during the a ...
*Reay
Reay (, ; , ) is a village which has grown around Sandside Bay on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. It is within the historic Parish of Reay and the historic county of Caithness.
The village is on the A836 road some we ...
*Thurso
Thurso (pronounced ; , ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great Britain. From a latitudinal s ...
(included burgh of same name)
* Watten
*Wick
Wick most often refers to:
* Capillary action ("wicking")
** Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp
** Solder wick, a copper-braided wire used to desolder electronic contacts
Wick or WICK may also refer to:
Places and placenames ...
(included burgh of same name)
Halkirk was formed at the Reformation
The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
by the merger of the ancient parishes of Halkirk and Skinnet. Watten was created from part of Bower parish in 1638.
Community councils
Community council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.
In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. ...
s were created in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973
The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65) is an Act of Parliament (UK), act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered local government of Scotland, local government in Scotland on 16 May 1975.
The act followed and largely impleme ...
. They have no statutory powers, but serve as a representative body for their communities. The Highland Council designates community council areas, but a community council is only formed if there is sufficient interest from the residents. Since a review in 2019, Caithness has comprised the following communities, of which all except Bower have community councils operating as at 2024:
* Berriedale and Dunbeath
Dunbeath () is a village in south-east Caithness, Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the nort ...
* Bower
*Caithness West
* Castletown
*Dunnet
Dunnet is a village in Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland. It is within the Parish of Dunnet.
Village
The village centres on the A836– B855 road junction. The A836 leads towards John o' Groats in the east and toward Thurso and ...
and Canisbay
Canisbay is a rural hamlet located about southwest of Huna and southwest of John o' Groats in Caithness, Scottish Highlands, and is in the Scottish council area of Highland. It lies on the A836 coast road, which bypasses the hamlet to the n ...
*Halkirk
Halkirk () is a village on the River Thurso in Caithness, in the Highland council area of Scotland. From Halkirk the B874 road runs towards Thurso in the north and towards Georgemas in the east. The village is within the parish of Halkirk, a ...
*Latheron
Latheron () is a small village and civil parish in Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom ...
, Lybster
Lybster (, ) is a village on the east coast of Caithness in northern Scotland. It was once a big herring fishing port.
The Waterlines heritage museum is located in Lybster Harbour and provides information on the history and geology of Lybster. ...
and Clyth
* Sinclair's Bay
*Tannach and District
*Thurso
Thurso (pronounced ; , ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great Britain. From a latitudinal s ...
* Watten
*Wick
Wick most often refers to:
* Capillary action ("wicking")
** Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp
** Solder wick, a copper-braided wire used to desolder electronic contacts
Wick or WICK may also refer to:
Places and placenames ...
Parliamentary constituency
The Caithness constituency of the House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
of the Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in May 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union 1707, Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. The Acts ratified the treaty of Union which created a ...
(1708 to 1801) and the Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace ...
(1801 to 1918) represented essentially the county from 1708 to 1918. At the same time however, the county town of Wick
Wick most often refers to:
* Capillary action ("wicking")
** Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp
** Solder wick, a copper-braided wire used to desolder electronic contacts
Wick or WICK may also refer to:
Places and placenames ...
was represented as a component of Tain Burghs
Tain Burghs was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832, sometimes known as Northern Burghs. It was represented by one Member of P ...
until 1832 and of Wick Burghs
Wick Burghs, sometimes known as Northern Burghs, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1918. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post voting system.
A similar ...
until 1918.
Between 1708 and 1832 the Caithness constituency was paired with Buteshire
The County of Bute (), also known as Buteshire, is a historic county and registration county of Scotland. Now replaced by Argyll and Bute for the Isle of Bute, with the Argyll and Bute Council. The Isle of Arran and The Cumbraes are now ...
as ''alternating constituencies'': one constituency elected a member of parliament (MP) to one parliament and then the other elected an MP to the next. Between 1832 and 1918 Caithness elected an MP to every parliament.
In 1918 the Caithness constituency and Wick were merged into the then new constituency of Caithness and Sutherland
Caithness and Sutherland was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
The constituency was ...
. In 1997 Caithness and Sutherland was merged into Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.
The Scottish Parliament constituency of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross was created in 1999 and now has boundaries slightly different from those of the House of Commons constituency. It was replaced by the larger constituency of Caithness, Sutherland and Ross
Caithness, Sutherland and Ross (Gaelic: ''Gallaibh, Cataibh agus Ros'') is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament covering the northern part of the Highland council area. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past ...
in 2011.
The modern constituencies may be seen as more sub-divisions of the Highland area than as representative of counties (and burghs). For its own purposes, however, the Highland Council uses more conservative sub-divisions, with names which refer back to the era of district councils and, in some cases, county councils.
In the Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...
Caithness is represented also as part of the Highlands and Islands
The Highlands and Islands is an area of Scotland broadly covering the Scottish Highlands, plus Orkney, Shetland, and the Outer Hebrides (Western Isles).
The Highlands and Islands are sometimes defined as the area to which the Crofters' Act o ...
electoral region.
Towns and villages
In 2021, Caithness had a resident population of 25,347["Caithness: Partnership Profile Demography and Deprivation"]
NHS, November 2022 (26,486 in 2011).
There are two towns in Caithness: Thurso
Thurso (pronounced ; , ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great Britain. From a latitudinal s ...
and Wick
Wick most often refers to:
* Capillary action ("wicking")
** Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp
** Solder wick, a copper-braided wire used to desolder electronic contacts
Wick or WICK may also refer to:
Places and placenames ...
. 54% of the population live in one of those towns.
There are also a few villages large enough to have amenities such as a shop, a cafe, a post office, a hotel, a church or a bank. These include Castletown, Dunbeath
Dunbeath () is a village in south-east Caithness, Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the nort ...
, Dunnet
Dunnet is a village in Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland. It is within the Parish of Dunnet.
Village
The village centres on the A836– B855 road junction. The A836 leads towards John o' Groats in the east and toward Thurso and ...
, Halkirk
Halkirk () is a village on the River Thurso in Caithness, in the Highland council area of Scotland. From Halkirk the B874 road runs towards Thurso in the north and towards Georgemas in the east. The village is within the parish of Halkirk, a ...
, John o' Groats
John o' Groats () is a village 2.5 mi (4 km) north-east of Canisbay, in the historic county of Caithness, Scotland. It lies on Scotland's north-eastern tip and is popular with tourists. The northernmost point of mainland Scotland is ...
, Keiss
Keiss () is a fishing village at the northern end of Sinclair's Bay on the east coast of Caithness in Scotland's Highland Council area.
Keiss castle
Keiss Castle, which is now partially ruined, is located less than 1 mile north of the village ...
, Lybster
Lybster (, ) is a village on the east coast of Caithness in northern Scotland. It was once a big herring fishing port.
The Waterlines heritage museum is located in Lybster Harbour and provides information on the history and geology of Lybster. ...
, Reay
Reay (, ; , ) is a village which has grown around Sandside Bay on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. It is within the historic Parish of Reay and the historic county of Caithness.
The village is on the A836 road some we ...
/New Reay, Scrabster
Scrabster () is a small settlement on Thurso Bay in Caithness on the north coast of Scotland. It is some from Thurso, from Wick, from Inverness and 271.7 miles (437.2 km) from Edinburgh. Scrabster Harbour is an important port for the ...
and Watten.
Other, smaller settlements include:
*Achingills
Achingills (Gaelic: ) is a small hamlet in Halkirk, Caithness within Highland region and is in the Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the I ...
* Achreamie
* Achvarasdal
*Ackergill
Ackergill is a settlement in the Wick, Caithness, in the Highland Council area of Scotland.
History
In Ackergill is a famous tower/castle named Ackergill Tower. In the 1920s, archaeologists excavated an ancient cemetery in an elongated sand moun ...
*Altnabreac
Altnabreac ( , ) is a tiny settlement within the county of Caithness, in the north of Scotland, and now within the Highland council area. The name means "trout stream".
It is located on Altnabreac Moss by the Sleach Water in the Flow Country, ...
*Auckengill
Auckengill is a settlement, south of John o' Groats, on the east coast of Caithness, within the Scottish council area of Highland.
Auckengill is situated north of Nybster.
Museum
As Caithness is the Viking capital of mainland Scotland, Auck ...
*Balnabruich
Balnabruich () is a small hamlet on the east coast of Scotland, close to Dunbeath, Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scotland, Scottish council area of Highland Council area, Highland.
References
Populated places in Caithness
...
* Berriedale
* Bilbster
* Borgue
* Bower
*Brabsterdorran
Brabsterdorran is an area of the civil parish of Bower in Highland, Scotland. Buildings include Bower Community Hall and the Old Free Church Manse, previously derelict, but now restored and lived in by the Irwin family. The manse was featured on ...
*Braemore
Braemore () is a location in Berriedale in the Highland council area of Scotland. It can be approached from the A9 road at Dunbeath.
Braemore Lodge is a 19th century shooting lodge, situation on the site of an earlier church building. The Lodg ...
*Broubster
Broubster is a village in Highland, Scotland. Near Broubster, there is a Bronze Age megalithic arrangement. Ten stones remain of an original set of approximately 36. The arrangement is similar to a larger arrangement at Achavanich.
Geography
Bro ...
* Brough
*Bruan
Bruan (Scottish Gaelic:) is a small crofting hamlet on the east coast of Scotland in Lybster, Caithness, Highland and is in the Scottish council area of the Highland.
In 1845, the minister of Bruan in a famous sermon on the unjust Highland Clea ...
*Buldoo
Buldoo (Scottish Gaelic:) in the far north of Scotland, is a small hamlet 0.5 miles south of Dounreay in Thurso, Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation s ...
* Burnside
*Canisbay
Canisbay is a rural hamlet located about southwest of Huna and southwest of John o' Groats in Caithness, Scottish Highlands, and is in the Scottish council area of Highland. It lies on the A836 coast road, which bypasses the hamlet to the n ...
* Clyth
*Crosskirk
Crosskirk is a small remote hamlet, overlooking Crosskirk Bay, in Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland.
The hamlet of Crosskirk is situated less than 1 mile north east of Forss and 3 miles west of Thur ...
*Dorrery
Dorrery is a small hamlet lying to the east of Ben Dorrery in the district of Halkirk in Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scotland, Scottish council area of Highland Council area, Highland.
Ca na Catanach is a medieval road that stre ...
Dunbeath
* Forss
*Fresgoe
Fresgoe is the main harbour for the village of Reay, overlooking Sandside Bay in Caithness in the Scottish highlands
The Highlands (; , ) is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Scottish Lowlands, Lowlands div ...
*Freswick
Freswick ( ) or Skirza, is a small remote hamlet, overlooking Freswick Bay to the east, in eastern Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland. The village of Skirza lies directly northeast of Freswick.
Name ...
*Gillock
Gillock is a small village in Caithness, the north part of the Highland council area of Scotland. It is 262 miles north of Edinburgh, situated between the towns of Wick and Thurso. The village is located at grid reference {{gbmappingsmall, ND2105 ...
*Gills
A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...
*Ham
Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in '' Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term '' ...
*Harrow
Harrow may refer to:
Places
* Harrow, Victoria, Australia
* Harrow, Ontario, Canada
* The Harrow, County Wexford, a village in Ireland
* London Borough of Harrow, England
* Harrow, London, a town in London
* Harrow (UK Parliament constituency)
* ...
*Haster
Haster is a small remote rural hamlet and district in Wick, in the Highland area of Scotland. It is located just west of the Bridge of Haster, which carries the A882 road linking the burghs of Wick and Thurso over the Achairn Burn to the main A9 ...
*Houstry
Houstry is a scattered crofting village, in the east coast of Dunbeath, Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mount ...
* Huna
*Killimster
Killimster is a small remote scattered hamlet in Wick, Highland, Wick, in eastern Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scotland, Scottish council area of Highland Council area, Highland. RAF Skitten, the departure point for Operation Fres ...
*Landhallow
Landhallow is a small village, approximately 1 mile west of Latheron in eastern Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, el ...
*Latheron
Latheron () is a small village and civil parish in Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom ...
*Latheronwheel
Latheronwheel () is a small village in Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland. It is southwest of Lybster on the A9 road to Helmsdale, near the junction with the A99 road to Wick, which lies in the equally small village of Latheron.
The vi ...
* Mey
*Murkle
Murkle (Murchill) is a small scattered hamlet, made up of ''East Murkle'' and ''West Murkle'' located east of Thurso, in Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland.
Name
The name ''Murkle'' derives from the na ...
* Mybster
*Newlands of Geise
Newlands of Geise is a scattered hamlet. It lies to the south west of Thurso in Caithness in the Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, ...
*Newport
Newport most commonly refers to:
*Newport, Wales
*Newport, Rhode Island, US
Newport or New Port may also refer to:
Places Asia
*Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay
* Newport (Vietnam), a United States Army and Army of t ...
*Papigoe
Papigoe is a village on the east coast of Caithness, at the head of Broad Haven Bay in the Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elev ...
*Ramscraig
Ramscraig is a small scattered crofting hamlet, located 2 miles southwest from Dunbeath, in eastern Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mo ...
*Reaster
Reaster is a settlement in the civil parish of Bower, Highland, Bower, Caithness in the Scottish Highlands. It is near to the site of a former GCHQ monitoring station, which was decommissioned in 1978.
References
Populated places in Cai ...
* Reiss
* Roadside
* Roster
* Sarclet
*Scarfskerry
Skarfskerry (or Scarfskerry; ) is a settlement located in the far northern county Caithness on a small peninsula northeast of Thurso off the A836 in Scotland. It is the most northerly settlement in Great Britain. The name comes from the Old Nor ...
*Shebster
Shebster is a small remote hamlet, which lies 7 miles southwest of Thurso, in northern Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous regio ...
*Skirza
Skirza or Skirsa, is a small remote linear fishing village, overlooking Freswick Bay to the south and Skirza Head to the southeast, in eastern Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland. The village of Freswi ...
*Smerral
Smerral is a small hamlet on the eastern coast of Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scotland, Scottish council area of Highland Council area, Highland. It lies northwest of Latheronwheel. Smerral is the location of an British Iron Age ...
*Sordale
Sordale is a small linear village, located northeast in Halkirk, in Caithness, Scottish Highlands, and is in the Scotland, Scottish council area of Highland Council area, Highland. The small hamlet of Shalmstry can be found to the north of the ...
* Spittal
* Staxigoe
* Swiney
* Thrumster
*Ulbster
Ulbster is a scattered crofting hamlet on the eastern coast of Caithness, within the parish of Wick, in the Scottish Highlands, within the Highland Council area. The town of Wick is located seven miles north of the village along the A99 road. To ...
*Upper Camster
Upper Camster is a small hamlet, which lies at the source of the Camster Burn, 4 miles north of Lybster, in Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland.
The Grey Cairns of Camster are two large Neolithic chamb ...
*Upper Lybster
Upper Lybster is a scattered and crofting village, situated 2 miles north of Lybster, in eastern Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountain ...
*Westerdale
Westerdale is a village, civil parish and valley in North Yorkshire, England. The Esk Valley Walk runs through part of the village. The village is at the confluence of three streams (Esklets) which combine as the head of the River Esk.
From ...
* Westfield
*Weydale
Weydale () is a remote scattered crofting settlement, lying 3 miles southeast of Thurso, Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland.
Features
Despite a sparse population Weydale covers a large area of the farmi ...
* Whiterow
Transport
Caithness is served by the Far North railway line, which runs west–east across the middle of the county serving Altnabreac
Altnabreac ( , ) is a tiny settlement within the county of Caithness, in the north of Scotland, and now within the Highland council area. The name means "trout stream".
It is located on Altnabreac Moss by the Sleach Water in the Flow Country, ...
and Scotscalder
Scots Calder is an area within Halkirk, Northern Scotland. It is served by Scotscalder railway station which is operated by ScotRail. The B870 runs directly through the centre with Achagie and Thurso to the north and Olgrinmore and Westerdale to ...
before splitting in two at Georgemas Junction, from where the east branch continues to Wick
Wick most often refers to:
* Capillary action ("wicking")
** Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp
** Solder wick, a copper-braided wire used to desolder electronic contacts
Wick or WICK may also refer to:
Places and placenames ...
whilst the north branch terminates at Thurso
Thurso (pronounced ; , ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great Britain. From a latitudinal s ...
.
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group is a transport group based in Perth, Scotland. It operates buses and express coaches in the United Kingdom.
Stagecoach was originally founded in 1976 as ''Gloagtrotter'', a recreational vehicle and minibus hire business. Dur ...
provided bus transport between the major towns, and on to Inverness
Inverness (; ; from the , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness") is a city in the Scottish Highlands, having been granted city status in 2000. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highland ...
via Sutherland and Ross-shire.
The ferry port at Scrabster
Scrabster () is a small settlement on Thurso Bay in Caithness on the north coast of Scotland. It is some from Thurso, from Wick, from Inverness and 271.7 miles (437.2 km) from Edinburgh. Scrabster Harbour is an important port for the ...
provides a regular service to Stromness
Stromness (, ; ) is the second-most populous town in Orkney, Scotland. It is in the southwestern part of Mainland, Orkney. It is a burgh with a parish around the outside with the town of Stromness as its capital.
Etymology
The name "Stromnes ...
in the Orkney Islands. Ferries also run from Gills Bay
Gills Bay, which is situated about west of John o' Groats with the community of Gills, Caithness, Gills close by, has one of the longest stretches of low-lying rock coast on the northern shores of Caithness. Its main features are a small harbour ...
to St Margaret's Hope
St Margaret's Hope is a village in the Orkney Islands, off the north coast of Scotland. It is known locally as The Hope or The Hup. With a population of about 550, it is Orkney's third largest settlement after Kirkwall and Stromness.
St Margare ...
on South Ronaldsay
South Ronaldsay (, also , ) is one of the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland. It is linked to the Orkney Mainland by the Churchill Barriers, running via Burray, Glimps Holm and Lamb Holm.
Name
Along with North Ronaldsay, the islan ...
. A summer-only ferry runs from John o' Groats to Burwick on South Ronaldsay
South Ronaldsay (, also , ) is one of the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland. It is linked to the Orkney Mainland by the Churchill Barriers, running via Burray, Glimps Holm and Lamb Holm.
Name
Along with North Ronaldsay, the islan ...
.
Wick Airport
Wick John O' Groats Airport () is located north of the town of Wick, at the north-eastern extremity of the mainland of Scotland. It is owned and maintained by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited. The airport provides commercial air travel ...
provided regular flights to Aberdeen
Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
and Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
until 2020 when Loganair and Eastern Airways cancelled their flights. In 2021 there were no scheduled flights to and from Wick Airport. Starting on 11 April 2022, Eastern Airways
Eastern Airways, legally incorporated as ''Air Kilroe Limited'', is a British regional airline headquartered at Humberside Airport near the village of Kirmington, North Lincolnshire, England. The airline operates domestic, international and p ...
started a scheduled operation to Wick from Aberdeen.
Language
At the beginning of recorded history, Caithness was inhabited by the Picts
The Picts were a group of peoples in what is now Scotland north of the Firth of Forth, in the Scotland in the early Middle Ages, Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and details of their culture can be gleaned from early medieval texts and Pic ...
, whose language Pictish
Pictish is an extinct Brittonic Celtic language spoken by the Picts, the people of eastern and northern Scotland from late antiquity to the Early Middle Ages. Virtually no direct attestations of Pictish remain, short of a limited number of geog ...
is thought to have been related to the Brythonic languages
The Brittonic languages (also Brythonic or British Celtic; ; ; and ) form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages; the other is Goidelic. It comprises the extant languages Breton, Cornish, and Welsh. The name ''Brythonic'' ...
spoken by the Britons
British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs modern British citizenship and nationality, w ...
to the south. The Norn language
Norn is an extinct North Germanic languages, North Germanic language that was spoken in the Northern Isles (Orkney and Shetland) off the north coast of mainland Scotland and in Caithness in the far north of the Scottish mainland. After Orkney and ...
was introduced to Caithness, Orkney, and Shetland by the Norse occupation, which is generally proposed to be c. AD 800. Although little is known of that Norn dialect, some of this linguistic influence still exists in parts of the county, particularly in place names. Norn continued to be spoken in Caithness until perhaps the 15th century.[Jones, Charles (1997). The Edinburgh history of the Scots language. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. p. 394.] and lingered until the late 18th century in the Northern Isles
The Northern Isles (; ; ) are a chain (or archipelago) of Island, islands of Scotland, located off the north coast of the Scottish mainland. The climate is cool and temperate and highly influenced by the surrounding seas. There are two main is ...
.
It is sometimes erroneously claimed that Gaelic has never been spoken in Caithness, but this is a result of language shift
Language shift, also known as language transfer, language replacement or language assimilation, is the process whereby a speech community shifts to a different language, usually over an extended period of time. Often, languages that are perceived ...
to Scots, and then towards Standard Scottish English
Scottish English is the set of varieties of the English language spoken in Scotland. The transregional, standardised variety is called Scottish Standard English or Standard Scottish English (SSE). Scottish Standard English may be defined ...
during recent centuries. The Gaelic name for the region, ''Gallaibh'', translates as "Land of the Gall (''non-Gaels'')", a name which reflects historic Norse rule. Gaelic
Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to:
Languages
* Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...
speakers seem to first figure in the early stage of the Scandinavian colonisation of Caithness, gradually increasing in numerical significance from the 12th century onwards. Gaelic has survived, in a limited form, in western parts of the county.
Scots began supplanting Norn in the early 14th century at the time of the Wars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and 14th centuries.
The First War (1296–1328) began with the English invasion of Scotla ...
. The emergent Northern Scots
Northern Scots refers to the dialects of Modern Scots traditionally spoken in eastern parts of the north of Scotland.
The dialect is generally divided into:{{cite web , url=http://www.dsl.ac.uk/INTRO/intro2.php?num=15 , title=SND Introduction - ...
dialect became influenced by both Gaelic and Norn and is generally spoken in the lowlying land to the east of a line drawn from Clyth Ness to some west of Thurso
Thurso (pronounced ; , ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great Britain. From a latitudinal s ...
. The dialect of Scots spoken in the neighbourhood of John o' Groats
John o' Groats () is a village 2.5 mi (4 km) north-east of Canisbay, in the historic county of Caithness, Scotland. It lies on Scotland's north-eastern tip and is popular with tourists. The northernmost point of mainland Scotland is ...
resembles to some extent that of Orkney
Orkney (), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The plural name the Orkneys is also sometimes used, but locals now consider it outdated. Part of the Northern Isles along with Shetland, ...
. Since the 17th century, Standard Scottish English
Scottish English is the set of varieties of the English language spoken in Scotland. The transregional, standardised variety is called Scottish Standard English or Standard Scottish English (SSE). Scottish Standard English may be defined ...
has increasingly been replacing both Gaelic and Scots.
Records showing what languages were spoken apparently do not exist from before 1706, but by that time, " ye suppose a Parallel to the hypotenuse drawn from Week
A week is a unit of time equal to seven days. It is the standard time period used for short cycles of days in most parts of the world. The days are often used to indicate common work days and rest days, as well as days of worship. Weeks are ofte ...
to Thurso, these on the Eastside of it speak most part English, and those on the Westside Irish; and the last have Ministers to preach to them in both languages." Similarly, it is stated at that time that there were "Seven parishes ut of 10 or 11in he Presbytery of
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads
* He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English
* He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana)
* Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter call ...
Caithness where the Irish language is used."[Caithness of the Gael and the Lowlander](_blank)
As previously indicated, the language mix or boundary changed over time, but the ''New Statistical Record'' in 1841 says: "On the eastern side of he Burn of East Clyth
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads
* He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English
* He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana)
* Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter call ...
scarcely a word of Gaelic was either spoken or understood, and on the west side, English suffered the same fate". Other sources state:
* "There are Seven parishes in he Presbytery of
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads
* He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English
* He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana)
* Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter call ...
Caithness where the Irish language is used, viz. Thurso, Halkrig alkirk Rhae eay
EAY or Eay can refer to:
* Aero Airlines, a regional airline based in Estonia from 2000 to 2008, by ICAO code
* Eay Simay (born 1991), a Paralympic powerlifter from Laos
* Empresa Aeronáutica Ypiranga, a Brazilian aircraft manufacturer from 1931 ...
Lathrone atheron Ffar arr
ARR or Arr may refer to:
People
*A. R. Rahman (born 1967), Indian film composer, record producer, musician and singer
*Jonny Arr (born 1988), English rugby union player
Places
*Arr, Mauritania, a town
Science and technology
*Absolute risk redu ...
Week ick
Ick or ICK may refer to:
* Ick, a character in the children's television show It's a Big Big World
* Islamic Community of Kosova, a religious organization in Kosovo
*''Ichthyophthirius multifiliis'', a single-celled parasite. Also known as Ich
* ...
Duirness urness
Urness is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Ted Urness
Harold Edwards Urness (June 23, 1937 – December 29, 2018) was an offensive lineman for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1961 to 1970.
CFL career
Urness played in thre ...
But the people of Week understand English also." (Presbytery of Caithness, 1706)
* "A presbytery minute of 1727 says of 1,600 people who had 'come of age', 1500 could speak Gaelic only, and a mere five could read. Gaelic at this time was the principal language in most parishes except Bower, Canisbay, Dunnet and Olrig".
* "Persons with a knowledge of Gaelic in the County of Caithness (in 1911) are found to number 1,685, and to constitute 6.7 per cent of the entire population of three years of age and upwards. Of these 1,248 were born in Caithness, 273 in Sutherland, 77 in Ross & Cromarty, and 87 elsewhere.... By an examination of the age distribution of the Gaelic speakers, it is found that only 22 of them are less than 20 years of age."
According to the 2011 Scotland Census, 282 (1.1%) residents of Caithness age three and over can speak Gaelic while 466 (1.8%) have some facility with the language. The percentage figures are almost exactly the same as for all of Scotland (1.1% and 1.7%, respectively). Nearly half of all Gaelic speakers in the county live in Thurso civil parish. The town of Thurso
Thurso (pronounced ; , ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great Britain. From a latitudinal s ...
hosts the only Gaelic-medium primary school unit in all of Caithness (see Language in Thurso).
The bilingual road sign policy of Highland Region Council has led to some controversy in the region. In 2008, eight of the ten Caithness representatives to the Highland Council
The Highland Council (' ) is the local authority for Highland, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. The council is based at the Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness.
History
The Highland area had been created as an administrative a ...
tried to prevent the introduction of bilingual English-Gaelic road signs into the county. The first bilingual sign in Caithness was erected in 2012. In 2013, a bilingual road sign on the A99 road next to Wick Airport
Wick John O' Groats Airport () is located north of the town of Wick, at the north-eastern extremity of the mainland of Scotland. It is owned and maintained by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited. The airport provides commercial air travel ...
was damaged by gunfire within 24 hours of it being placed. Gaelic-speaking Councillor Alex MacLeod, at the time representing Landward Caithness in the Highland Council, referred to it as "an extreme anti-Gaelic incident".
Flag
In 2016 a flag was adopted for Caithness, following a competition organised by the Highland Council. The winning design has a black background representing the county's dark flagstone, with a Nordic cross
A Nordic cross flag is a flag bearing the design of the Nordic or Scandinavian cross, a cross symbol in a rectangular field, with the centre of the cross shifted towards the hoist.
All independent Nordic countries have adopted such flags in ...
in yellow and blue representing the area's Norse heritage and the county's coast. A galley
A galley is a type of ship optimised for propulsion by oars. Galleys were historically used for naval warfare, warfare, Maritime transport, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe. It developed in the Mediterranean world during ...
with a raven on its sail appears in one quarter; this was a traditional symbol of the county and had appeared on the old county council's coat of arms.
Local media
Newspapers
''The John O'Groat Journal
North of Scotland Newspapers (NOSN) is the trade name under which Scottish Provincial Press
publishes two weekly newspapers, the ''John O'Groat Journal'' and the ''Caithness Courier'', both serving the Caithness area in the Highland council area o ...
'' and '' The Caithness Courier'' are weekly newspapers
A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...
published by Scottish Provincial Press Limited trading as North of Scotland Newspapers and using offices in Union Street, Wick
Wick most often refers to:
* Capillary action ("wicking")
** Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp
** Solder wick, a copper-braided wire used to desolder electronic contacts
Wick or WICK may also refer to:
Places and placenames ...
(but with public reception via Cliff Road) and Olrig Street, Thurso
Thurso (pronounced ; , ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great Britain. From a latitudinal s ...
.
News coverage tends to concentrate on the former counties of Caithness and Sutherland
Sutherland () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. The name dates from the Scandinavian Scotland, Viking era when t ...
. ''The John O'Groat Journal'' is normally published on Fridays and ''The Caithness Courier'' on Wednesdays. The two papers share a website.
Historically, they have been independent newspapers, with the ''Groat'' as a Wick-centred paper and the ''Courier'' as a Thurso-centred paper. Even now, the ''Groat'' is archived in the public library in Wick, while the ''Courier'' is similarly archived in the library in Thurso. The ''Courier'' was printed, almost by hand, in a small shop in High Street, Thurso until the early 60's by Mr Docherty and his daughter. The ''Courier'' traditionally covers that week's cases at Wick Sheriff Court
Wick Sheriff Court is a judicial structure in Bridge Street, Wick, Caithness, Scotland. The structure, which remains in use as a courthouse, is a Category B listed building.
History
When Caithness had been made a shire in 1641, Wick had been de ...
.
Radio
''Caithness FM'' has been broadcasting since 1993 and the Orkney Commercial Radio, Superstation Orkney from Kirkwall from 2004 to 2014.
See also
Constituencies
* Caithness (UK Parliament constituency)
Caithness was a county constituency of the House of Commons of Great Britain, House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918.
Creation
The British parliamentar ...
(1708 to 1918)
* Tain Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Tain Burghs was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832, sometimes known as Northern Burghs. It was represented by one Member of P ...
(1708 to 1832)
* Wick Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Wick Burghs, sometimes known as Northern Burghs, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1918. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post voting system.
A similar ...
(1832 to 1918)
* Caithness and Sutherland (UK Parliament constituency)
Caithness and Sutherland was a county constituency of the United Kingdom House of Commons, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP ...
(1918 to 1997)
* (1997 to present)
* Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Scottish Parliament constituency) (1999 to 2011)
* (2011 to present)
Other
* Caithness Broch Project
The Caithness Broch Project is a Scotland , Scottish charity which aims to promote the county of Caithness as a heritage tourism destination. Established as a company in October 2013 and granted charitable status in January 2016, the organisatio ...
* Caithness Glass
Caithness Glass is a Scottish artistic glassware manufacturing company. It was established in Wick, Caithness, Scotland in 1961 by Robin Sinclair, 2nd Viscount Thurso. It was by George Mackie, Baron Mackie of Benshie in 1966. Mackie was chairma ...
* Clan Gunn
Clan Gunn () is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan associated with lands in northeastern Scotland, including Caithness, Sutherland and, arguably, the Orkney Isles. Clan Gunn is one of the oldest Scottish Clans, being descended from t ...
* Clan Sinclair
Clan Sinclair ( ) is a Highland Scottish clan which holds the lands of Caithness, the Orkney Islands, and the Lothians. The chiefs of the clan were the Barons of Roslin and later the Earls of Orkney and Earls of Caithness.
The Sinclairs are be ...
* Counties of Scotland
The counties or shires of Scotland () were historic subdivisions of Scotland.
The shires were originally established in the Middle Ages for judicial purposes, being territories over which a Sheriff principal, sheriff had jurisdiction. They wer ...
* List of counties of Scotland 1890–1975
This is a list of counties of Scotland created by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 and abolished in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. The list includes the county town, area, and population density.
Counties
Cities
His ...
* Local government in Scotland
Local government in Scotland comprises thirty-two local authorities, commonly referred to as ''councils''. Each council provides public services, including education, social care, waste management, libraries and planning. Councils receive th ...
* Local government areas of Scotland 1973 to 1996
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...
* Maiden Paps, Caithness
* Medieval Diocese of Caithness
* Politics of the Highland council area
The politics of the Highland council area in Scotland are evident in the deliberations and decisions of the Highland Council, in elections to the council, and in elections to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminst ...
* Subdivisions of Scotland
For Local government in Scotland, local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" (), which are all governed by unitary authority, single-tier authorities designated as "councils". They have the opti ...
References
External links
Caithness Community Website
Caithness Dialect at Scots Language Centre
Caithness Arts website
Castletown and District Community Council website
Castletown Heritage Society
*
Castle of Mey website
Castle Sinclair Girnigoe
Caithness forum
Caithness alternative community forum
Caithness Broch Project
{{Authority control
Lieutenancy areas of Scotland
Counties of Scotland
Orkneyinga saga places
Norn language
Counties of the United Kingdom (1801–1922)
Districts of Scotland