Caithness, Scotland
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Caithness, historic county in extreme northern Scotland, facing the Atlantic Ocean and the Pentland Firth (which separates it from the Orkney Islands) on the north and the North Sea on the east. It contains Dunnet Head, the northernmost point in Great Britain, which juts into the Atlantic east of Thurso.
Caithness is rich in prehistoric remains from Neolithic times onward. Cairns, standing stones, and hill forts abound, and there are more brochs (ancient dry stone buildings) than in any other Scottish county. The area was an early Pictish province called Cait, or Cat, which was invaded by Norsemen. Its place-names testify to Norse domination. Traces of early Christian chapels are widespread, a very early example being St. Mary’s Forse, Thurso. Medieval castles, such as Dunbeath, are found on the coasts; inland castles are usually of a later date. |
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