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Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders
Caithness Caithness ( gd, Gallaibh ; sco, Caitnes; non, Katanes) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded by ...
and
Moray Firth The Moray Firth (; Scottish Gaelic: ''An Cuan Moireach'', ''Linne Mhoireibh'' or ''Caolas Mhoireibh'') is a roughly triangular inlet (or firth) of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness, which is in the Highland council area of north of Scotl ...
to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later combined into
Ross and Cromarty Ross and Cromarty ( gd, Ros agus Cromba), sometimes referred to as Ross-shire and Cromartyshire, is a variously defined area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. There is a registration county and a lieutenancy area in current use, the latt ...
) to the south and the Atlantic to the north and west. Like its southern neighbour Ross-shire, 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, and very old mountains composed of
Precambrian The Precambrian (or Pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pꞒ, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of the ...
and
Cambrian The Cambrian Period ( ; sometimes symbolized C with bar, Ꞓ) was the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and of the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 53.4 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran Period 538.8 million ...
rocks. The name ''Sutherland'' dates from the era of Norwegian Viking rule and settlement over much of the Highlands and Islands, under the rule of the jarl of
Orkney Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...
. Although it contains some of the northernmost land in the island of Great Britain, it was called ' ("southern land") from the standpoint of Orkney and
Caithness Caithness ( gd, Gallaibh ; sco, Caitnes; non, Katanes) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded by ...
. In
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
, the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: ' (or ') in the northeast, ' ( Assynt) 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, 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 and Lochinver, which until very recently made much of their living from the rich fishing of the waters around the British 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, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands. The Ross House Campus in Dornoch was the first establishment in the United Kingdom to provide a degree in golf management. The Burghfield House Campus, also in Dornoch, is the home for the
Centre for History Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
teaching undergraduate and postgraduate history degrees to students around the UHI network and worldwide.


Geography

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 in the west, up to the Pentland Firth and across to the North Sea in the east. The sea-coasts boast very high cliffs and deep fjords 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 Loch Fleet ( gd, Loch Fleòid) is a sea loch on the east coast of Scotland, located between Golspie and Dornoch. It forms the estuary of the River Fleet, a small spate river that rises in the hills east of Lairg. The loch was designated a Nationa ...
and Dornoch Firth. The remote far northwest point of Sutherland,
Cape Wrath Cape Wrath ( gd, Am Parbh, known as ' in Lewis) is a cape in the Durness parish of the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It is the most north-westerly point in mainland Britain. The cape is separated from the rest of the mai ...
, is also the most northwesterly point in Scotland. Several peninsulas can be found along the north and west coasts, most notably
Strathy Point Strathy ()Gaelic and Norse in the ...
, A' Mhòine, Durness/
Faraid Head Faraid Head ( gd, An Fharaird) is a small peninsula on the northern coast of Sutherland, Highland, Scotland, located around north of the hamlet of Balnakeil and north of Durness. At the point is located a small radar station built in the 1950 ...
(the latter two formed by the Kyle of Durness, Loch Eriboll and the Kyle of Tongue), Ceathramh Garbh (formed by
Loch Laxford Laxford is a remote area in the far Northwest Highlands of Scotland around the River Laxford which runs northwest from Loch Stack to Laxford Bay. This bay is an inlet of Loch Laxford, a sea loch and Special Area of Conservation. The river is we ...
and
Loch Inchard ''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots and Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is cognate with the Manx lough, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh words for lake, llwch. In English English and Hiberno-English, the anglicised spell ...
), and Stoer Head. The county has many fine beaches, a remote example being Sandwood Bay, which can only be reached by foot along a rough track. The number of visiting tourists is, naturally, minimal. Sutherland has many rugged
mountains A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...
such as Ben Hope, the most northerly Munro, and
Ben More Assynt Ben More Assynt ( gd, Beinn Mhòr Asaint) is a mountain in Assynt in the far north-west of Scotland, north-northeast of Ullapool. The name translates as "big mountain of Assynt", and with a height of it is the highest point in Sutherland. The ...
, the tallest peak in the county at 998 m (3,274 ft). The western part comprises Torridonian sandstone underlain by Lewisian gneiss. The spectacular scenery has been created by denudation to form isolated sandstone peaks such as Foinaven,
Arkle Arkle (19 April 1957 – 31 May 1970) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. A bay gelding by ''Archive'' out of ''Bright Cherry'', he was the grandson of the unbeaten (in 14 races) flat racehorse and prepotent sire Nearco. Arkle was bred by Mar ...
, Cùl Mòr and Suilven. Such
mountains A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...
are attractive for hill walking and scrambling, despite their remote location. Together with similar peaks to the south in Wester Ross, such as Stac Pollaidh, 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 last survivor being shot in the 18th century. However, other wildlife has survived, including the golden eagle, sea eagle and pine marten amongst other species which are very rare in the rest of the country. There are pockets of the native Scots Pine, 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- Coigach NSA has many distinctively shaped mountains, including
Quinag , photo = Quinag.jpg , photo_caption = Quinag in the distance from the western end of Loch Assynt , elevation = Sàil Gharbh: 808 m (2,651 ft)Sàil Ghorm: 776 m (2,546 ft)Spidean Coinich: 764 m (2,506 ft) , prominence = ''c.'' 553 m, 158 m, 19 ...
,
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 a ...
, Suilven, Cùl Mòr, Stac Pollaidh and
Ben More Assynt Ben More Assynt ( gd, Beinn Mhòr Asaint) is a mountain in Assynt in the far north-west of Scotland, north-northeast of Ullapool. The name translates as "big mountain of Assynt", and with a height of it is the highest point in Sutherland. The ...
, 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 Ross and Cromarty ( gd, Ros agus Cromba), sometimes referred to as Ross-shire and Cromartyshire, is a variously defined area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. There is a registration county and a lieutenancy area in current use, the latt ...
. * The Dornoch Firth NSA also straddles the boundary between Sutherland and Ross and Cromarty, and covers a variety of landscapes surrounding the narrow and sinuous firth. * The Kyle of Tongue NSA covers the mountains of Ben Hope and
Ben Loyal Ben Loyal (). is an isolated mountain of 764 m in Sutherland, the northwestern tip of the Scottish Highlands. It is a Corbett located south of the Kyle of Tongue and offers good views of the Kyle, Loch Loyal to the east, and Ben Hope to the ...
, as well as woodlands and crofting settlements on the shoreline of the kyle itself. *The North West Sutherland NSA covers the mountains of Foinaven,
Arkle Arkle (19 April 1957 – 31 May 1970) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. A bay gelding by ''Archive'' out of ''Bright Cherry'', he was the grandson of the unbeaten (in 14 races) flat racehorse and prepotent sire Nearco. Arkle was bred by Mar ...
and
Ben Stack Ben Stack ( gd, Beinn Stac) is a mountain in Sutherland, in the northwest of Scotland. It is high. It lies southeast of Laxford Bridge and northwest of Loch More along the A838 road, and just west of Loch Stack. It is regarded as a moderately e ...
as well as the coastal scenery surrounding
Loch Laxford Laxford is a remote area in the far Northwest Highlands of Scotland around the River Laxford which runs northwest from Loch Stack to Laxford Bay. This bay is an inlet of Loch Laxford, a sea loch and Special Area of Conservation. The river is we ...
and Handa Island.


Islands

*
A' Chleit A' ('' A'' + apostrophe) may be: * the compose key sequence for Á (''A'' + acute accent) * ''a, one of the determiners in Scottish Gaelic grammar * ''A (album), a 2004 music album See also * Aʼ (''A'' + modifier apostrophe) * A′ (''A'' + ...
*
A' Ghoil-sgeir A' ('' A'' + apostrophe) may be: * the compose key sequence for Á (''A'' + acute accent) * ''a, one of the determiners in Scottish Gaelic grammar * ''A (album), a 2004 music album See also * Aʼ (''A'' + modifier apostrophe) * A′ (''A'' + ...
*
Am Balg AM or Am may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * A minor, a minor scale in music * ''A.M.'' (Chris Young album) * ''A.M.'' (Wilco album) * ''AM'' (Abraham Mateo album) * ''AM'' (Arctic Monkeys album) * AM (musician), American musician ...
* An Calbh *
An Cruachan 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 ...
*
An Dubh-sgeir 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 Garbh-eilean 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 an ...
* Boursa Island *
Calbha Beag Calbha Beag is an uninhabited island in Eddrachillis Bay, off Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. It is immediately to the west of Calbha Mor. An estimate of the area from Ordnance Survey , nativename_a = , nativename_r = , logo = Ordnance S ...
*
Calbha Mòr Calbha Mòr is a tidal islet in Eddrachillis Bay, Sutherland, Scotland. Geography Calbha Mòr lies north of the Kylesku Bridge and west of the Duartmore forest in a location that is relatively inaccessible from the A894 road. It is in area an ...
* Clach Mhòr na Faraid * Clobh-sgeir * Cùl Eilean *
Dubh Sgeir Dub mac Maíl Coluim ( Modern Gaelic: ''Dubh mac Mhaoil Chaluim'', ), sometimes anglicised as Duff MacMalcolm, called ''Dén'', "the Vehement" and, "the Black" (born c. 928 – died 967) was king of Alba. He was son of Malcolm I and succeeded to t ...
* Dubh-Sgeir Mhòr *
Dubh Sgeirean Dub mac Maíl Coluim (Scottish Gaelic language, Modern Gaelic: ''Dubh mac Mhaoil Chaluim'', ), sometimes anglicised as Duff MacMalcolm, called ''Dén'', "the Vehement" and, "the Black" (born c. 928 – died 967) was king of Alba. He was son of Mal ...
* 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 Ròin Mòr is an uninhabited island in north west Sutherland. Geography Eilean an Ròin Mòr, with its neighbour, Eilean an Ròin Beag, forms rocky peninsula to the north of Oldshoremore beach. Only a narrow channel separates it from t ...
* Eilean an t-Sithein * Eilean Àrd *
Eilean Choraidh Eilean Choraidh, also known as Horse IslandHaswell-Smith (2004) p. 203 is an island in Loch Eriboll in Sutherland on the north coast of Scotland. It is about in extent and the highest point is above sea level. During the 19th century the Rea ...
* 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 Hoan is an island in Loch Eriboll in Sutherland on the north coast of Scotland. It is about in extent and the highest point is above sea level. Its name is of Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a no ...
* 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 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 Glas may refer to: * Hans Glas GmbH, a former German automotive company * ''Glas'' (film), a 1958 Dutch documentary film * ''Glas'' (book), a 1974 book by Jacques Derrida * ''Glas'' (publisher), a Russian publishing house * Glas (surname) * E ...
(''several islands with this name'') * Handa Island * 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 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 ...
* Neave Island (''also known as Coomb Island'') *
Oldany Island Oldany Island (formerly Oldney Island) is an uninhabited island in Assynt, Sutherland, north-west Scotland. The name is Old Norse, Norse in origin and possibly means fruit. Geography Oldany Island is a large tidal island at the southwestern en ...
*
Ox Rock An ox ( : oxen, ), also known as a bullock (in BrE, AusE, and IndE), is a male bovine trained and used as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration inhibits testosterone and aggression, which makes the ...
* Rabbit Islands *
Seana Sgeir Seana or Seána is a female given name. Notable people with the name include: * Seána Kerslake (born 1990), Irish actress * Seana Kofoed (born 1970), American television actress * Seana McKenna (born 1956), Canadian actress * Seana Shiffrin, Ameri ...
* 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


Transport

The A9 road main east coast road is challenging north of Helmsdale, particularly at the notorious
Berriedale Braes Berriedale ( gd, Bearghdal) is a small estate village on the northern east coast of Caithness, Scotland, on the A9 road between Helmsdale and Lybster, close to the boundary between Caithness and Sutherland. It is sheltered from the North Sea. ...
, and there are few inland roads. The Far North Line north-south single-track railway line was extended through Sutherland by the Highland Railway 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 Strath of Kildonan, also known as Strath Ullie, ( gd, Srath Ilidh), is a strath in Sutherland, in the north of Scotland. It extends in a north-westerly direction from Helmsdale towards Kinbrace. History In 1813, during the Highland Clearances, ...
. The line exits to the east of Forsinard. Helmsdale 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 Stagecoach Group is a transport group based in Perth, Scotland. It operates buses, express coaches and a tram service in the United Kingdom. History Stagecoach was born out of deregulation of the British express coach market in the early ...
, 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 Highland Clearances ( gd, Fuadaichean nan Gàidheal , the "eviction of the Gaels") were the evictions of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, mostly in two phases from 1750 to 1860. The first phase resulte ...
, 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 in the early 1960s, and there are still some native speakers of the East Sutherland dialect of Gaelic in this area.


Local government

In 1890 Sutherland became a local government county, with its own elected county council, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889. At that time, one town within the county, Dornoch, was already well established as an autonomous
burgh A burgh is an autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland and Northern England, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burg ...
with its own burgh council. Dornoch, a royal burgh, had its own Burgh Council but did not serve as the county's administrative centre. The County Offices for Sutherland were based at
Drummuie Drummuie, formerly Golspie Technical School, is a municipal structure in Drummuie Terrace, Golspie, Highland, Scotland. The complex, which was the headquarters of Sutherland County Council and is currently used as council offices for The High ...
in Golspie. In 1975 the Local Government council and the burgh council were superseded under the
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered local government in Scotland on 16 May 1975. The Act followed and largely implemented the report of the Royal Commission on Local Gove ...
. The 1973 act also created a new two-tier system, with Sutherland becoming part of Highland region. The county was divided between
districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
entitled Caithness and Sutherland, two of the eight districts with Highland. The Tongue 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 Ross and Cromarty ( gd, Ros agus Cromba), sometimes referred to as Ross-shire and Cromartyshire, is a variously defined area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. There is a registration county and a lieutenancy area in current use, the latt ...
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. In 1996 local government in Scotland was again reformed, by the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994, 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 committees to represent them. Until 1999 the Sutherland management and committee areas consisted of seven out of the 72 Highland Council wards. Each ward elected one councillor by the first past the post 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 (STV) electoral system. Some local decisions are delegated to the Sutherland County Committee, which consists of all councillors representing Sutherland.


Civil parishes

In 1894 Parish councils covering rural areas of the county were established. In 1931 the parish councils were superseded under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929. 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 website, 13 are identified on the Wikipedia list of civil parishes in Scotland as being in Sutherland. In addition, the list states that
Reay Reay ( gd, Ràth) 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 ...
used to be partly in Sutherland, until 1891. * Assynt: 1,011 *Clyne (see
Brora Brora ( , gd, Brùra) is a village in the east of Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland. Origin of the name The name ''Brora'' is derived from Old Norse and means "river with a bridge". History Brora is a small industrial village, ha ...
): 1,765 * Creich: 1,106 * Dornoch: 2,402 * Durness: 345 *Eddrachillis (see Kinlochbervie, Scourie): 674 * Farr: 945 * Golspie: 1,641 (''previously known as Culmallie'') *Kildonan (see Helmsdale): 725 * Lairg: 887 *Loth (see Lothbeg): 139 * Rogart: 458 * Tongue: 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 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered local government in Scotland on 16 May 1975. The Act followed and largely implemented the report of the Royal Commission on Local Gove ...
) community councils have no statutory powers or responsibilities and are not a tier of local government. 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, and the Sutherland scheme is now the responsibility of the
Highland Council The Highland Council (' ), the political body covering the Highland local authority created in 1995, comprises 21 wards, each electing three or four councillors by the single transferable vote system, which creates a form of proportional represe ...
.


Settlements


Abandoned Settlements

Allnabad


Constituency

The Sutherland constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom represented the county from 1708 to 1918. At the same time however the county town of Dornoch 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, and was so renamed
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 pa ...
. In the
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
, Sutherland is represented also as part of the Highlands and Islands electoral region.


Sutherland in popular culture

In
M. C. Beaton Marion Gibbons (née Chesney; 10 June 1936 – 30/31 December 2019) was a Scottish writer of romance and mystery novels, whose career as a published author began in 1979. She wrote numerous successful historical romance novels under a form of he ...
's Hamish Macbeth mystery series, the fictional towns of Lochdubh and Strathbane are located in Sutherland. Rosamunde Pilcher'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 Horatio Hornblower is a fictional officer in the British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, the protagonist of a series of novels and stories by C. S. Forester. He later became the subject of films, radio and television programmes, an ...
in
C. S. Forester Cecil Louis Troughton Smith (27 August 1899 – 2 April 1966), known by his pen name Cecil Scott "C. S." Forester, was an English novelist known for writing tales of naval warfare, such as the 12-book Horatio Hornblower series depicting a Roya ...
’s book
A Ship of the Line ''A Ship of the Line'' is an historical seafaring novel by C. S. Forester. It follows his fictional hero Horatio Hornblower during his tour as captain of a ship of the line. By internal chronology, ''A Ship of the Line'', which follows ''The ...
is called HMS ''Sutherland''. The short story Monarch of the Glen by
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
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 Ciarraí" (from Sutherland to Kerry). Cléire and Ciarraí are Gaelic-speaking regions in the far south west of Ireland.


Notable people with Sutherland connections

* George Mackay Brown (1921–1996), 'Bard of Orkney', whose mother was born in Strathy * John Lennon (1940–1980), a frequent visitor to Durness *
Norman MacCaig Norman Alexander MacCaig DLitt (14 November 1910 – 23 January 1996) was a Scottish poet and teacher. His poetry, in modern English, is known for its humour, simplicity of language and great popularity. Life Norman Alexander MacCaig was born ...
(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 (1780–1851), lawyer and factor *
W.C. Sellar Walter Carruthers Sellar (27 December 1898 – 11 June 1951) was a Scotland, Scottish humourist who wrote for Punch magazine, ''Punch''. He is best known for the 1930 book ''1066 and All That'', a tongue-in-cheek guide to "all the history you ...
(1898–1951), humourist who wrote for Punch, best known for the book ''1066 and All That'' *
William Young Sellar William Young Sellar FRSE LLD (22 February 1825 – 12 October 1890) was a Scottish classical scholar. Life Sellar was born at Morvich in Sutherland the son of Patrick Sellar of Westfield, Morayshire and his wife Anne Craig of Barmakelty, ...
(1825–1890), classical scholar * Joe Strummer (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 Donald Ross may refer to: *Donald A. Ross (1857–1937), Canadian politician * Donald Ross (golfer) (1872–1948), Scottish-born American golfer and golf course designer *Donald P. Ross (1902–1973), American horse racetrack and racing stable owner ...
(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 For local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" ( gd, comhairlean), which are all governed by single-tier authorities designated as "councils". They have the option under the Local Government (Ga ...
* Clan Sutherland *
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 ...
* Medieval Diocese of Caithness


Footnotes

* ''Sutherland'' derives from a
Norse Norse is a demonym for Norsemen, a medieval North Germanic ethnolinguistic group ancestral to modern Scandinavians, defined as speakers of Old Norse from about the 9th to the 13th centuries. Norse may also refer to: Culture and religion * Nor ...
perception of the land as 'southern' (''Suðrland'' meaning "Southland"). The Norse referred similarly to the Western Isles as ''Suðreyjar'' (the "Southern Isles"), southern in relation to the "Northern Isles" of
Orkney Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...
,
Shetland Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the no ...
and the Faroe Islands. * Sutherland has two main names in the local, indigenous Scottish Gaelic: ''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 Sutherland
on 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)