Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a
historic county,
registration county
A registration county was, in Great Britain and Ireland, a statistical unit used for the registration of births, deaths and marriages and for the output of census information. In Scotland registration counties are used for land registration purpose ...
and
lieutenancy area
Lieutenancy areas are the separate areas of the United Kingdom appointed a lord-lieutenant – a representative of the British monarch. In many cases they have similar demarcation and naming to, but are not necessarily coterminate with, the coun ...
in the
Highlands
Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau.
Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to:
Places Albania
* Dukagjin Highlands
Armenia
* Armenian Highlands
Australia
*Sou ...
of Scotland. Its county town is
Dornoch
Dornoch (; gd, Dòrnach ; sco, Dornach) is a town, seaside resort, parish and former royal burgh in the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray ...
. Sutherland borders
Caithness and
Moray Firth to the east,
Ross-shire
Ross-shire (; gd, Siorrachd Rois) is a historic county in the Scottish Highlands. The county borders Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire to the south, as well as having a complex border with Cromartyshire – a county consisting o ...
and
Cromartyshire
Cromartyshire ( gd, Siorrachd Chromba) is a historic county in the Highlands of Scotland, comprising the medieval "old shire" around the county town of Cromarty and 22 enclaves and exclaves transferred from Ross-shire in the late 17th centur ...
(later combined into
Ross and Cromarty) to the south and the
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
to the north and west. Like its southern neighbour
Ross-shire
Ross-shire (; gd, Siorrachd Rois) is a historic county in the Scottish Highlands. The county borders Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire to the south, as well as having a complex border with Cromartyshire – a county consisting o ...
, Sutherland has some of the most dramatic scenery in Europe, especially on its western fringe where the mountains meet the sea. These include high
sea cliffs
A cliffed coast, also called an abrasion coast, is a form of coast where the action of marine waves has formed steep cliffs that may or may not be precipitous. It contrasts with a flat or alluvial coast.
Formation
In coastal areas in whic ...
, and very old mountains composed of
Precambrian and
Cambrian rocks.
The name ''Sutherland'' dates from the era of
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
Viking
Vikings ; non, vÃkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
rule and settlement over much of the
Highlands and Islands
The Highlands and Islands is an area of Scotland broadly covering the Scottish Highlands, plus Orkney, Shetland and Outer Hebrides (Western Isles).
The Highlands and Islands are sometimes defined as the area to which the Crofters' Act of 18 ...
, under the rule of the
jarl
Jarl is a rank of the nobility in Scandinavia. In Old Norse, it meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. ''Jarl'' could also mean a sovereign prince. For example, the rulers of several of the petty k ...
of
Orkney. Although it contains some of the northernmost land in the island of
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
, it was called ' ("southern land") from the standpoint of Orkney and
Caithness. In
Gaelic, the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: ' (or ') in the northeast, ' (
Assynt
Assynt ( gd, Asainn or ) is a sparsely populated area in the south-west of Sutherland, lying north of Ullapool on the west coast of Scotland. Assynt is known for its landscape and its remarkable mountains, which have led to the area, along with ...
) in the west, and ' in the east. ' is also sometimes used to refer to the area as a whole. The northeast corner of Sutherland, traditionally known as the
Province of Strathnaver, was not incorporated into Sutherland until 1601. This was the home of the powerful and warlike
Clan Mackay
Clan Mackay ( ; gd, Clann Mhic Aoidh ) is an ancient and once-powerful Highland Scottish clan from the far North of the Scottish Highlands, but with roots in the old Kingdom of Moray. They supported Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish ...
, and as such was named in Gaelic, ', the Homeland of Mackay. Even today this part of Sutherland is known as Mackay Country, and, unlike other areas of Scotland where the names traditionally associated with the area have become diluted, there is still a preponderance of Mackays in the .
Much of the population of approximately 13,000 inhabitants are situated in small coastal towns, such as
Helmsdale
Helmsdale ( sco, Helmsdal, gd, Bun Ilidh) is a village on the east coast of Sutherland, in the Highland council area of Scotland. The modern village was planned in 1814 to resettle communities that had been removed from the surrounding straths ...
and
Lochinver
Lochinver (''Loch an Inbhir'' in Gaelic) is a village that is located at the head of the sea loch Loch Inver, on the coast in the Assynt district of Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. A few miles northeast is Loch Assynt which is the source of ...
, which until very recently made much of their living from the rich fishing of the waters around the
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...
. Much of Sutherland is poor relative to the rest of Scotland, with few job opportunities beyond government-funded employment, agriculture and seasonal tourism. Further education is provided by
North Highland College
North Highland College provides further education and higher education in the north of Scotland through a network of learning centres and by distance learning. It is a constituent college of the University of the Highlands and Islands.
History ...
, part of the
University of the Highlands and Islands
, type = federal, public
, image_name = UHI Coat of Arms.jpg
, image_size = 150px
, established = 2011 – University status 1992 – UHI Millennium Institute
, chancellor = The Princess Royal
, vice_chancellor =
, budget = £139m (202 ...
. The Ross House Campus in
Dornoch
Dornoch (; gd, Dòrnach ; sco, Dornach) is a town, seaside resort, parish and former royal burgh in the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray ...
was the first establishment in the United Kingdom to provide a degree in
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...
management. The Burghfield House Campus, also in Dornoch, is the home for the
Centre for History teaching
undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...
and
postgraduate
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree.
The organization and ...
history degrees to students around the UHI network and worldwide.
Geography
![CapeWrathFromSeawardByColinWheatleyFeb2007](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/CapeWrathFromSeawardByColinWheatleyFeb2007.jpg)
The inland landscape is rugged and very sparsely populated. Despite being Scotland's fifth-largest county in terms of area, it has a smaller population than a medium-size Lowland Scottish town. It stretches from the
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
in the west, up to the
Pentland Firth
The Pentland Firth ( gd, An Caol Arcach, meaning the Orcadian Strait) is a strait which separates the Orkney Islands from Caithness in the north of Scotland. Despite the name, it is not a firth.
Etymology
The name is presumed to be a corrup ...
and across to the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the ...
in the east. The sea-coasts boast very high cliffs and deep
fjords
In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Icela ...
in the east and north, ragged inlets on the west and sandy beaches in the north. The east coast contains the sea lochs of
Loch Fleet and
Dornoch Firth
The Dornoch Firth ( gd, Caolas Dhòrnaich, ) is a firth on the east coast of Highland, in northern Scotland. It forms part of the boundary between Ross and Cromarty, to the south, and Sutherland, to the north. The firth is designated as a nat ...
. The remote far northwest point of Sutherland,
Cape Wrath, is also the most northwesterly point in Scotland. Several peninsulas can be found along the north and west coasts, most notably
Strathy Point,
A' Mhòine,
Durness
Durness ( gd, Diùranais) is a village and civil parish in the north-west Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north coast of the country in the traditional county of Sutherland, around north of Inverness. The area is remote, and the parish is ...
/
Faraid Head (the latter two formed by the
Kyle of Durness
Kyle of Durness is a coastal inlet on the north coast of Scotland in the county of Sutherland. It extends inland from Balnakeil and divides the Cape Wrath peninsula from the mainland.Groome.F.H (1885) 'Parish of Durness', ''Ordnance Gazetteer ...
,
Loch Eriboll
__NOTOC__
Loch Eriboll (Scottish Gaelic: "Loch Euraboil") is a long sea loch on the north coast of Scotland, which has been used for centuries as a deep water anchorage as it is safe from the often stormy seas of Cape Wrath and the Pentland Firt ...
and the
Kyle of Tongue
The Kyle of Tongue ( gd, Caol Thunga) is a shallow sea loch in northwest Highland, Scotland, in the western part of Sutherland. Featuring a rocky coastline, its mouth is formed at Tongue Bay. The community of Tongue is situated on the Kyle's easte ...
), Ceathramh Garbh (formed by
Loch Laxford and
Loch Inchard), and
Stoer Head
Stoer Head (Rubha Stoer in Scots Gaelic) is a point of land north of Lochinver and the township of Stoer in Sutherland, NW Scotland. The lighthouse on the point marks the northern entrance to The Minch
The Minch ( gd, An Cuan Sgitheanach, ...
. The county has many fine beaches, a remote example being
Sandwood Bay
Sandwood Bay (Scottish Gaelic: ''BÃ gh Seannabhad'') is a natural bay in Sutherland, on the far north-west coast of mainland Scotland. It is best known for its remote beach and Am Buachaille, a sea stack, and lies about south of Cape Wrath. ...
, which can only be reached by foot along a rough track. The number of visiting
tourists
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...
is, naturally, minimal.
Sutherland has many rugged
mountains such as
Ben Hope
Ben Hope ( gd, Beinn Hòb) is a mountain in northern Scotland. It is the most northerly Munro, standing alone in the Flow Country (a region of bumpy, peat-covered moorland) south-east of Loch Hope in Sutherland. The mountain is a roughly tria ...
, the most northerly
Munro
A Munro () is defined as a mountain in Scotland with a height over , and which is on the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC) official list of Munros; there is no explicit topographical prominence requirement. The best known Munro is Ben Nev ...
, and
Ben More Assynt, the tallest peak in the county at 998 m (3,274 ft). The western part comprises
Torridonian sandstone
In geology, the term Torridonian is the informal name for the Torridonian Group, a series of Mesoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic arenaceous and argillaceous sedimentary rocks, which occur extensively in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The ...
underlain by
Lewisian gneiss
The Lewisian complex or Lewisian gneiss is a suite of Precambrian metamorphic rocks that outcrop in the northwestern part of Scotland, forming part of the Hebridean Terrane and the North Atlantic Craton. These rocks are of Archaean and Paleopr ...
. The spectacular scenery has been created by
denudation
Denudation is the geological processes in which moving water, ice, wind, and waves erode the Earth's surface, leading to a reduction in elevation and in relief of landforms and landscapes. Although the terms erosion and denudation are used interc ...
to form isolated sandstone peaks such as
Foinaven
–
, photo = Foinaven_from_Achriesgill.jpg
, photo_caption = Foinaven seen from Achriesgill on Loch Inchard
, elevation_m = 911
, elevation_ref =
, prominence_m = 690
, prominence_ref =
, parent_peak = Ben Klibreck
, listing = Mari ...
,
Arkle,
Cùl Mòr
Cùl Mòr is a shapely, twin summited mountain in the far north west of Scotland whose higher summit is the highest point of Inverpolly. It is almost completely separated from its southern neighbour, Cùl Beag. Despite its higher altitude, it i ...
and
Suilven
Suilven ( gd, Sùilebheinn) is a mountain in Scotland. Lying in a remote area in the west of Sutherland, it rises from a wilderness landscape of moorland, bogs, and lochans known as Inverpolly National Nature Reserve. Suilven forms a steep- ...
. Such
mountains are attractive for
hill walking
Walking is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in the United Kingdom, and within England and Wales there is a comprehensive network of rights of way that permits access to the countryside. Furthermore, access to much uncultiv ...
and
scrambling
Scrambling is a mountaineering term for ascending steep terrain using one's hands to assist in holds and balance.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. It is also used to describe terrain that falls between hiking and rock climbing (as a “scrambl ...
, despite their remote location. Together with similar peaks to the south in
Wester Ross
Wester Ross () is an area of the Northwest Highlands of Scotland in the council area of Highland. The area is loosely defined, and has never been used as a formal administrative region in its own right, but is generally regarded as lying to t ...
, such as
Stac Pollaidh
Stac Pollaidh (IPA: ˆs̪t̪ʰaÊ°kˈpʰɔɫ̪ais a mountain in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The peak displays a rocky crest of Torridonian sandstone, with many pinnacles and steep gullies. The ridge was exposed to weathering as a nunatak ...
, they have a unique structure with great scope for exploration. On the other hand, care is needed when bad weather occurs owing to their isolation and the risks of injury.
There are a large number of inland lochs in the county. The most prominent being:
Owing to its isolation from the rest of the country, Sutherland was reputedly the last haunt of the native
wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...
, the last survivor being shot in the 18th century. However, other wildlife has survived, including the
golden eagle
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of ...
,
sea eagle
A sea eagle or fish eagle (also called erne or ern, mostly in reference to the white-tailed eagle) is any of the birds of prey in the genus ''Haliaeetus'' in the bird of prey family Accipitridae.
Taxonomy and evolution
The genus ''Haliaeetus'' ...
and
pine marten
The European pine marten (''Martes martes''), also known as the pine marten, is a mustelid native to and widespread in most of Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus and parts of Iran, Iraq and Syria. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. ...
amongst other species which are very rare in the rest of the country. There are pockets of the native
Scots Pine
''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orang ...
, remnants of the original
Caledonian Forest.
The importance of the county's scenery is recognised by the fact that four of Scotland's forty
national scenic areas (NSAs) are located here. The purpose of the NSA designation is to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development. The areas protected by the designation are considered to represent the type of scenic beauty "popularly associated with Scotland and for which it is renowned". The four NSAs within Sutherland are:
*The
Assynt
Assynt ( gd, Asainn or ) is a sparsely populated area in the south-west of Sutherland, lying north of Ullapool on the west coast of Scotland. Assynt is known for its landscape and its remarkable mountains, which have led to the area, along with ...
-
Coigach
Coigach () is a peninsula north of Ullapool, in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The area consists of a traditional crofting and fishing community of a couple of hundred houses located between mountain and shore on a peninsula ...
NSA has many distinctively shaped mountains, including
Quinag,
Canisp
Canisp (Scottish Gaelic: ''Canasp'') is a mountain in the far north west of Scotland. It is situated in the parish of Assynt, in the county of Sutherland, north of the town of Ullapool. Canisp reaches a height of and qualifies as a Corbett an ...
,
Suilven
Suilven ( gd, Sùilebheinn) is a mountain in Scotland. Lying in a remote area in the west of Sutherland, it rises from a wilderness landscape of moorland, bogs, and lochans known as Inverpolly National Nature Reserve. Suilven forms a steep- ...
,
Cùl Mòr
Cùl Mòr is a shapely, twin summited mountain in the far north west of Scotland whose higher summit is the highest point of Inverpolly. It is almost completely separated from its southern neighbour, Cùl Beag. Despite its higher altitude, it i ...
,
Stac Pollaidh
Stac Pollaidh (IPA: ˆs̪t̪ʰaÊ°kˈpʰɔɫ̪ais a mountain in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The peak displays a rocky crest of Torridonian sandstone, with many pinnacles and steep gullies. The ridge was exposed to weathering as a nunatak ...
and
Ben More Assynt, that rise steeply from the surrounding "cnoc and lochan" scenery. These can often appear higher than their actual height would indicate due to their steep sides and the contrast with the moorland from which they rise.
Assynt lies within Sutherland, whilst Coigach lies within
Ross and Cromarty.
* The
Dornoch Firth
The Dornoch Firth ( gd, Caolas Dhòrnaich, ) is a firth on the east coast of Highland, in northern Scotland. It forms part of the boundary between Ross and Cromarty, to the south, and Sutherland, to the north. The firth is designated as a nat ...
NSA also straddles the boundary between Sutherland and Ross and Cromarty, and covers a variety of landscapes surrounding the narrow and sinuous
firth
Firth is a word in the English and Scots languages used to denote various coastal waters in the United Kingdom, predominantly within Scotland. In the Northern Isles, it more usually refers to a smaller inlet. It is linguistically cognate to ''fj ...
.
* The
Kyle of Tongue
The Kyle of Tongue ( gd, Caol Thunga) is a shallow sea loch in northwest Highland, Scotland, in the western part of Sutherland. Featuring a rocky coastline, its mouth is formed at Tongue Bay. The community of Tongue is situated on the Kyle's easte ...
NSA covers the mountains of
Ben Hope
Ben Hope ( gd, Beinn Hòb) is a mountain in northern Scotland. It is the most northerly Munro, standing alone in the Flow Country (a region of bumpy, peat-covered moorland) south-east of Loch Hope in Sutherland. The mountain is a roughly tria ...
and
Ben Loyal, as well as woodlands and
crofting
Crofting is a form of land tenure and small-scale food production particular to the Scottish Highlands, the islands of Scotland, and formerly on the Isle of Man.
Within the 19th century townships, individual crofts were established on the bett ...
settlements on the shoreline of the kyle itself.
*The
North West Sutherland NSA covers the mountains of
Foinaven
–
, photo = Foinaven_from_Achriesgill.jpg
, photo_caption = Foinaven seen from Achriesgill on Loch Inchard
, elevation_m = 911
, elevation_ref =
, prominence_m = 690
, prominence_ref =
, parent_peak = Ben Klibreck
, listing = Mari ...
,
Arkle and
Ben Stack as well as the coastal scenery surrounding
Loch Laxford and
Handa Island
Handa Island ( gd, Eilean Shannda) or simply Handa is an island off the west coast of Sutherland, Scotland. It is and at its highest point.
The island is of national importance for its birdlife and maritime vegetation, and is a Scottish W ...
.
Islands
*
A' Chleit
*
A' Ghoil-sgeir
*
Am Balg
*
An Calbh
An, AN, aN, or an may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Airlinair (IATA airline code AN)
* Alleanza Nazionale, a former political party in Italy
* AnimeNEXT, an annual anime convention located in New Jersey
* Anime North, a Canadian a ...
*
An Cruachan
*
An Dubh-sgeir
*
An Garbh-eilean
*
Boursa Island
*
Calbha Beag
*
Calbha Mòr
*
Clach Mhòr na Faraid
*
Clobh-sgeir
*
Cùl Eilean
*
Dubh Sgeir
*
Dubh-Sgeir Mhòr
*
Dubh Sgeirean
*
Duslic
*
Eilean a' Bhreitheimh
*
Eilean a' Bhuic
*
Eilean a' Chaoil
*
Eilean a' Chonnaidh
*
Eilean a' Ghamhna
*
Eilean a' Mhadaidh
*
Eilean an Achaidh
*
Eilean an Aigeich
*
Eilean an Eireannaich
*
Eilean an Ròin Beag
*
Eilean an Ròin Mòr
*
Eilean an t-Sithein
*
Eilean Àrd
*
Eilean Choraidh
*
Eilean Chrona
*
Eilean Clùimhrig
*
Eilean Dornaidh Oscair
*
Eilean Dubh an Teoir
*
Eilean Dubh Chal Cinn
*
Eilean Dubh Dhrombaig
*
Eilean Dubh na Fionndalach Bige
*
Eilean Dubh nam Boc
*
Eilea Garbh
*
Eilean Hoan
*
Eilean Iosal
*
Eilean Meall a' Chaorainn
*
Eilea na h-Aiteig
*
Eilean na Coille
*
Eilean na Bearachd
*
Eilean na Rainich
*
Eilean na Saille
*
Eilean nam Boc
*
Eilean nan Airbhe
*
Eilean nan Ròn
Eilean nan Ròn ( gd, island of the seals) is an island near Skerray, in the north of Sutherland, Scotland.Wilson, Rev. John ''The Gazetteer of Scotland'' (Edinburgh, 1882) Published by W. & A.K. Johnstone An estimated 350 seal pups are born here ...
*
Eilean nan Uan
*
Eilean Port a' Choit
*
Eilean Rairidh
*
Eilean Riabhach
*
Eileanan Dubha
Kate Forsyth (born 3 June 1966) is an Australian author. She is best known for her historical novel ''Bitter Greens'', which interweaves a retelling of the '' Rapunzel'' fairy tale with the true life story of the woman who first told the tale, ...
*
Garbh-eilean
*
Glas Leac (''several islands with this name'')
*
Handa Island
Handa Island ( gd, Eilean Shannda) or simply Handa is an island off the west coast of Sutherland, Scotland. It is and at its highest point.
The island is of national importance for its birdlife and maritime vegetation, and is a Scottish W ...
*
Meall Beag
*
Meall Earca
*
Meall Mòr
*
Meall Thailm
*
Na Cluasnadh
NA, N.A., Na, nA or n/a may refer to:
Chemistry and physics
* Sodium, symbol Na, a chemical element
* Avogadro constant (''N''A)
* Nucleophilic addition, a type of reaction in organic chemistry
* Numerical aperture, a number that characterizes a ...
*
Na Glas Leacan
*
Neave Island
Neave Island ( gd, Eilean na Naoimh, "Isle of the Saint") or Coomb(e) Island is an island on the north coast of the Scottish mainland.
Neave Island is a small rugged island to the east of Eilean nan Ròn in Sutherland, separated from the mainl ...
(''also known as Coomb Island'')
*
Oldany Island
*
Ox Rock
*
Rabbit Islands
*
Seana Sgeir
*
Sgarbagh
*
Sgeir a' Bhuic
*
Sgeir a' Chlaidheimh
*
Sgeir an Trilleachain
*
Sgeir Iosal
*
Sgeir Leathan
*
Sgeir Liath
*
Sgeir nan Gall
*
Sgeir Ruadh
*
Sgeirean Cruaidhe
*
Sgeirean Glasa
*
Soyea Island
Soyea Island or Soyea is an uninhabited rocky island at the mouth of Loch Inver, in Assynt, Sutherland, in the council area of Highland, Scotland. It is west of Lochinver and south-southwest of Achmelvich
Achmelvich (Gaelic: ''Achadh Mhealb ...
Transport
The
A9 road This is a list of roads designated A9.
* A009 road (Argentina), a road in the northeast of Santa Fe Province
* ''A9 highway (Australia)'' may refer to :
** A9 (Sydney), a road linking Windsor and Campbelltown
** A9 highway (South Australia), a ...
main east coast road is challenging north of Helmsdale, particularly at the notorious
Berriedale Braes, and there are few inland roads. The
Far North Line
The Far North Line is a rural railway line entirely within the Highland area of Scotland, extending from Inverness to Thurso and Wick. As the name suggests, it is the northernmost railway in the United Kingdom. The line is entirely single-trac ...
north-south single-track railway line was extended through Sutherland by the
Highland Railway
The Highland Railway (HR) was one of the smaller British railways before the Railways Act 1921, operating north of Perth railway station in Scotland and serving the farthest north of Britain. Based in Inverness, the company was formed by merger ...
between 1868 and 1871. It enters Sutherland near Invershin and runs along the east coast as far as possible, but an inland diversion was necessary from Helmsdale along the
Strath of Kildonan. The line exits to the east of
Forsinard
Forsinard ( ) is a hamlet in the county of Sutherland in the Highland area of Scotland. It is located on the A897 road in Strath Halladale. It is served by a railway station on the Far North Line. The local hotel closed several years ago, but ...
.
Helmsdale
Helmsdale ( sco, Helmsdal, gd, Bun Ilidh) is a village on the east coast of Sutherland, in the Highland council area of Scotland. The modern village was planned in 1814 to resettle communities that had been removed from the surrounding straths ...
on the east coast is on the A9 road, at a junction with the A897, and has a railway station on the Far North Line. Buses operate about every two hours Mondays-Saturdays and infrequently on Sundays from Helmsdale to Brora, Golspie, Dornoch, Tain and Inverness in the south, and Berriedale, Dunbeath, Halkirk, Thurso and Scrabster in the north. These are on route X99 and are operated by
Stagecoach Group, but tickets can be bought on the Citylink website. Various other Stagecoach buses link the other towns of eastern Sutherland, such as Lairg and Bonar Bridge to Tain and Inverness. The western areas of the county are less well served by public transport, however the Far North Bus company does provided scheduled services connecting Durness to Lairg (bus 806), and from Durness to Thurso via the towns of the north Sutherland coast (bus 803).
There are no commercial airports in the county. There is a small general aviation airstrip south of Dornoch, the former RAF Dornoch, which sees little traffic.
Highland Clearances
Sutherland, like other parts of the Highlands, was affected by the
Highland Clearances, the eviction of tenants from their homes and/or associated farmland in the 18th and 19th centuries century by the landowners. Typically, this was to make way for large sheep farms. The Sutherland Estate (consisting of about two thirds of the county) had the largest scale clearances that occurred in the Highlands, much of this being carried out in 1812, 1814 and 1819–20. In this last period (the largest of the three listed), 1,068 families were evicted: representing an estimated 5,400 people. This population was provided with resettlement in coastal areas, with employment available in fishing or other industries. However, many instead moved to farms in Caithness or left Scotland to emigrate to Canada, the US or Australia.
It was the villages produced by this policy that formed the last Gaelic speaking communities to be found on the east coast of Scotland, as discovered by
Nancy Dorian
Nancy Currier Dorian is an American linguist who has carried out research into the decline of the East Sutherland dialect of Scottish Gaelic for over 40 years, particularly in the villages of Brora, Golspie and Embo. Due to their isolation fro ...
in the early 1960s, and there are still some native speakers of the
East Sutherland dialect of Gaelic in this area.
Local government
![Highland Council Building at Drummuie (geograph 5808437)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Highland_Council_Building_at_Drummuie_%28geograph_5808437%29.jpg)
In 1890 Sutherland became a
local government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-l ...
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
, with its own elected county council, under the
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889
The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict. c. 50) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which was passed on 26 August 1889. The main effect of the act was to establish elected county councils in Scotland. In this it foll ...
. At that time, one town within the county,
Dornoch
Dornoch (; gd, Dòrnach ; sco, Dornach) is a town, seaside resort, parish and former royal burgh in the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray ...
, was already well established as an autonomous
burgh with its own burgh council. Dornoch, a
royal burgh
A royal burgh () was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished by law in 1975, the term is still used by many former royal burghs.
Most royal burghs were either created by ...
, had its own Burgh Council but did not serve as the county's administrative centre. The County Offices for Sutherland were based at
Drummuie in Golspie.
In 1975 the Local Government council and the burgh council were superseded under the
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. The 1973 act also created a new two-tier system, with Sutherland becoming part of
Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
. The county was divided between
districts entitled Caithness and Sutherland, two of the eight districts with Highland. The
Tongue
The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surface (dorsum) is covered by taste ...
and
Farr areas of the county of Sutherland became part of the Caithness district (which also included the entirety of the county of Caithness); additionally the Kincardine area of the county of
Ross and Cromarty was merged into the new Sutherland district. Shortly after its creation, however the boundary between the districts of Sutherland and Caithness were redrawn to follow that between the counties.
![The harbour at Helmsdale - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/The_harbour_at_Helmsdale_-_geograph.org.uk_-_115307.jpg)
In 1996 local government in Scotland was again reformed, by the
Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994
The Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 (c. 39) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the current local government structure of 32 unitary authorities covering the whole of Scotland.
It abolished the two-tier st ...
, which created
32 unitary council areas. The Highland council region became the Highland unitary council area, and the functions of the district councils were absorbed by the Highland Council. The new Highland Council then adopted the former districts as management areas and created a system of
area committee
Many large local government councils in the United Kingdom have a system of area committees or area boards, which involve local people and organisations in decisions affecting council spending within their area. They cover a geographical area suc ...
s to represent them. Until 1999 the Sutherland management and committee areas consisted of seven out of the 72 Highland Council
ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
s. Each ward elected one councillor by the
first past the post
In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast thei ...
system of election. In 1999, however, ward boundaries were redrawn, but management area boundaries were not. As a result, area committees were named for and made decisions for areas which they did not exactly represent. The new Sutherland committee area consisted of six out of the 80 new Highland Council wards.
In 2007 new multi-member wards were created for elections under the
single transferable vote
Single transferable vote (STV) is a multi-winner electoral system in which voters cast a single vote in the form of a ranked-choice ballot. Voters have the option to rank candidates, and their vote may be transferred according to alternate ...
(STV) electoral system. Some local decisions are delegated to the Sutherland County Committee, which consists of all councillors representing Sutherland.
Civil parishes
![Sutherland 1861 map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Sutherland_1861_map.png)
In 1894
Parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...
councils covering rural areas of the county were established. In 1931 the parish councils were superseded under the
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929
The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 (19 & 20 Geo 5 c. 25) reorganised local government in Scotland from 1930, introducing joint county councils, large and small burghs and district councils. The Act also abolished the Scottish poor law syst ...
.
![Dornoch, Castle Street - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Dornoch%2C_Castle_Street_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1769784.jpg)
Civil parishes are still used for some statistical purposes, and separate census figures are published for them. As their areas have been largely unchanged since the 19th century this allows for comparison of population figures over an extended period of time. (Refer to map:) The following individual parish population figures, giving a total population of 12,650 at the 2011 Census for the 13 Civil Parishes (1930 boundaries), were extracted from Census Table QS112SC using the interactive Standard Outputs system at the Scotland's Census website.
Of the 871 civil parishes in Scotland listed on the
General Register Office for Scotland
The General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) ( gd, Oifis Choitcheann a' Chlà raidh na h-Alba) was a non-ministerial directorate of the Scottish Government that administered the registration of births, deaths, marriages, divorces and adopti ...
website, 13 are identified on the Wikipedia
list of civil parishes in Scotland
This is a list of the 871 civil parishes in Scotland.
*The 871 parishes are listed here
Context
From 1845 to 1930, parishes formed part of the local government system of Scotland: having parochial boards from 1845 to 1894, and parish counc ...
as being in Sutherland. In addition, the list states that
Reay used to be partly in Sutherland, until 1891.
*
Assynt
Assynt ( gd, Asainn or ) is a sparsely populated area in the south-west of Sutherland, lying north of Ullapool on the west coast of Scotland. Assynt is known for its landscape and its remarkable mountains, which have led to the area, along with ...
: 1,011
*Clyne (see
Brora): 1,765
*
Creich
Creich ( gd, Craoich, ) is a substantial parish on the north side of the Dornoch Firth the largest settlement being Bonar Bridge. It lies in Sutherland, Scotland.
There is a church (now in ruins) and graveyard for the Parish of Creich. Creich M ...
: 1,106
*
Dornoch
Dornoch (; gd, Dòrnach ; sco, Dornach) is a town, seaside resort, parish and former royal burgh in the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray ...
: 2,402
*
Durness
Durness ( gd, Diùranais) is a village and civil parish in the north-west Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north coast of the country in the traditional county of Sutherland, around north of Inverness. The area is remote, and the parish is ...
: 345
*Eddrachillis (see
Kinlochbervie
Kinlochbervie ( gd, Ceann Loch Biorbhaidh, ) is a scattered harbour village in the north west of Sutherland, in the Highland region of Scotland. It is the most northerly port on the west coast of Scotland.
Geography
Sandwood Bay, a scenic beach ...
,
Scourie): 674
*
Farr: 945
*
Golspie
Golspie ( , gd, Goillspidh) is a village and parish in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland, which lies on the North Sea coast in the shadow of Ben Bhraggie. It has a population of around 1,350.
History
The name derives from the Norse for "gull ...
: 1,641 (''previously known as Culmallie'')
*Kildonan (see
Helmsdale
Helmsdale ( sco, Helmsdal, gd, Bun Ilidh) is a village on the east coast of Sutherland, in the Highland council area of Scotland. The modern village was planned in 1814 to resettle communities that had been removed from the surrounding straths ...
): 725
*
Lairg
Lairg ( gd, An Luirg, meaning "the shank/shin") is a village and parish in Sutherland, Scotland. It has a population of 891 and is at the south-eastern end of Loch Shin.
Lairg is unusual in the northern Highlands in being a large settlement th ...
: 887
*Loth (see
Lothbeg
Lothbeg is a hamlet south of Helmsdale.
Lothbeg is a small coastal hamlet, on the coast of the North Sea in eastern Sutherland, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland.
The main Edinburgh to Thurso A9 road This is a l ...
): 139
*
Rogart
Rogart ( , , meaning "great enclosed field") is a small village in Sutherland, Highland Council area, Highland, Scotland. The village was the home of Major Andrew MacDonald, who fought in the French and Indian War.
It was originally a scatter ...
: 458
*
Tongue
The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surface (dorsum) is covered by taste ...
: 552
Eddrachillis and Tongue were formerly part of Durness parish, being separated in 1724.
The other eleven parishes are ancient in origin.
Community councils
Although created under ''local government'' legislation (the
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973)
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. In ...
s have no
statutory
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by le ...
powers or responsibilities and are not a tier of
local government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-l ...
. They are however the most local tier of statutory representation. Here is a list of
Highland Community Councils (scroll to Sutherland). Under the 1973 act, they were created in terms of community council schemes created by the district councils which were created under the same act. The Sutherland district scheme was adopted in 1975. Statutory status for community councils was continued under the
Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994
The Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 (c. 39) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the current local government structure of 32 unitary authorities covering the whole of Scotland.
It abolished the two-tier st ...
, and the Sutherland scheme is now the responsibility of the
Highland Council.
Settlements
Abandoned Settlements
Allnabad
Constituency
The Sutherland constituency of the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the 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 parliament. T ...
of the
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...
represented the county from 1708 to 1918. At the same time however the county town of
Dornoch
Dornoch (; gd, Dòrnach ; sco, Dornach) is a town, seaside resort, parish and former royal burgh in the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray ...
was represented as a component of the
Northern Burghs constituency. In 1918 the Sutherland constituency and Dornoch were merged into the then new constituency of
Caithness and Sutherland. 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 for the newly established parliament. The constituency was extended for the 2011 election to include more of
Ross-shire
Ross-shire (; gd, Siorrachd Rois) is a historic county in the Scottish Highlands. The county borders Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire to the south, as well as having a complex border with Cromartyshire – a county consisting o ...
, and was so renamed
Caithness, Sutherland and Ross. In the
Scottish Parliament, Sutherland 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 Outer Hebrides (Western Isles).
The Highlands and Islands are sometimes defined as the area to which the Crofters' Act of 18 ...
electoral region.
Sutherland in popular culture
In
M. C. Beaton's
Hamish Macbeth
Hamish Macbeth is the lackadaisical police constable of the fictional Scottish Highland town of Lochdubh, in a series of murder mystery novels created by M. C. Beaton (Marion Chesney).
Considered by many to be a useless, lazy moocher, Macbeth ...
mystery series, the fictional towns of Lochdubh and Strathbane are located in Sutherland.
Rosamunde Pilcher
Rosamunde Pilcher, OBE (''née'' Scott; 22 September 1924 – 6 February 2019) was a British writer of romance novels, mainstream fiction, and short stories, from 1949 until her retirement in 2000. Her novels sold over 60 million copies world ...
's last novel ''Winter Solstice'' is largely set in and around the fictional Sutherland town of Creagan, located in the Sutherland town of Dornoch.
The ship captained by
Horatio Hornblower in
C. S. Forester’s book
A Ship of the Line is called HMS ''Sutherland''.
The short story
Monarch of the Glen by
Neil Gaiman is set in Sutherland, and includes a discussion on the origin of the name.
It is still common to refer to the entire Gaelic-speaking world with the phrase "Ó Chataibh go Cléire" (from Sutherland to Cape Clear) or "Ó Chataibh go CiarraÃ" (from Sutherland to Kerry). Cléire and Ciarraà are Gaelic-speaking regions in the far south west of Ireland.
Notable people with Sutherland connections
*
George Mackay Brown
George Mackay Brown (17 October 1921 – 13 April 1996) was a Scottish poet, author and dramatist with a distinctly Orcadian character. He is widely regarded as one of the great Scottish poets of the 20th century.
Biography Early life and caree ...
(1921–1996), 'Bard of Orkney', whose mother was born in Strathy
*
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
(1940–1980), a frequent visitor to Durness
*
Norman MacCaig (1910–1996), Edinburgh born poet, who visited, and wrote about, the region of Assynt, which he visited many times over a period of forty years.
*
Patrick Sellar
Patrick Sellar (1780–1851) was a Scottish lawyer, factor and sheep farmer.
In 1811, he was employed as factor by the Sutherland Estate in a joint (but subordinate) position with William Young. The estate had started some clearances, integral t ...
(1780–1851), lawyer and factor
*
W.C. Sellar (1898–1951), humourist who wrote for Punch, best known for the book ''1066 and All That''
*
William Young Sellar (1825–1890), classical scholar
*
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British singer, musician and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, ...
(1952–2002), frontman of the Clash; born John Graham Mellor in Ankara, Turkey; his mother, Anna Mackenzie, was a crofter's daughter born and raised in Bonar Bridge
*
Donald Ross (1872-1948), Golfer and golf course designer, born in Dornoch. Ross's most famous designs are Pinehurst No. 2, Aronimink Golf Club, East Lake Golf Club, Seminole Golf Club, Oak Hill Country Club, Glen View Club, Memphis Country Club, Inverness Club, Miami Biltmore Golf Course and Oakland Hills Country Club; all in the United States of America.
See also
*
Subdivisions of Scotland
*
Clan Sutherland
Clan Sutherland is a Highland Scottish clan whose traditional territory is the shire of Sutherland in the far north of Scotland. The chief of the clan was also the powerful Earl of Sutherland, however in the early 16th century this title passed ...
*
List of counties of Scotland 1890–1975
*
Medieval Diocese of Caithness
Footnotes
* ''Sutherland'' derives from a
Norse perception of the land as 'southern' (''Suðrland'' meaning "Southland"). The Norse referred similarly to the
Western Isles
The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coast ...
as ''Suðreyjar'' (the "Southern Isles"), southern in relation to the "Northern Isles" of
Orkney,
Shetland and the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
.
* Sutherland has two main names in the local, indigenous
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, GÃ idhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well ...
: ''Cataibh'' may be used for the whole of Sutherland, but tended historically to apply to the south east, and ''Dùthaich MhicAoidh'' (Mackay Country) which was used for the north west, sometimes referred to as ''Reay Country'' in English. ''Cataibh'' can be read as meaning ''among the Cats'' and the ''Cat'' element appears as ''Cait'' in ''Caithness''. The Scottish Gaelic name for Caithness, however, is ''Gallaibh'', meaning ''among the Strangers'' (i.e. the Norse who extensively settled there).
External links
Map of Sutherlandon Wikishire
* (www.highland.gov.uk)
*
Miss Dempster "
Folk-Lore of Sutherlandshire" ''Folk-Lore Journal''. Volume 6, 1888.
Bibliography
*
{{Coord, 58, 15, N, 4, 30, W, region:GB_type:adm2nd_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title
Former counties of Scotland
Districts of Scotland
Lieutenancy areas of Scotland
Counties of the United Kingdom (1801–1922)