Caithness

Caithness (ON Katanes, Headland of the cats, a Pictish tribe; G Gallaibh, Land of Foreigners) is the northeast extremity of Scotland. The landscape is in contrast to that of most of the rest of the North Highlands. East of a line running from reay in the northwest to Berriedale in the southeast, the underlying rock is Old red Sandstone, so that the topography resembles that of Orkney and parts of Easter ross. To the west, the sandstone gives way to the impermeable Moine rocks of the Flow country. Much of the coastline is made up of cliffs, in places quite high, without any sea lochs. There are several large bays with wonderful sandy beaches, backed by dunes and machair. The rolling countryside is generally given over to beef cattle farming, though sheep are also reared. Silage and barley are grown in large quantities for winter feed.

Caithness has a wealth of archaeological sites to visit, although very few are formally managed ranging from Neolithic chambered cairns and standing stones, Bronze Age houses, burnt mounds and cists to iron Age roundhouses and many brochs.

With a wide range of habitats ranging from its varied coastline, farmland, moorland, rivers, lochs, bogs, and hills, Caithness is home to a wide variety of birds, plants and animals. Although the Flow country is indeed special, the rest of the county has many treats in store, such as Primula scotica and other unusual plants on coastal maritime heath.

Caithness is culturally distinct from the rest of Scotland, sharing some placenames, surname and dialect words with Orkney and Shetland. it was part of the Orkney Earldom for hundreds of years and retains a sense of its Norse heritage today. A few Pictish names have survived while to the west and inland Gaelic placenames predominate.