Scotland
Highland Council
Scottish Highlands

Caithness and Sutherland

Caithness and Sutherland are the northern part of the , sparsely inhabited, with a population of 38,267 in 2018. Caithness at the northeast tip of this region and Sutherland across the rest of it have always been separate counties.
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Photo: Dorcas Sinclair, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Photo: Moyearo, Public domain.

Essential Destinations

Top destinations include Thurso and Wick.

Photo: Massimo Telò, CC BY-SA 4.0.
is a town in Caithness on the far north coast of Scotland, with a population of 7390 in 2020. The name probably refers to the deity Thor, and this area was Norse until the 13th century.

Photo: Jameslwoodward, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a town in Caithness in the far northeast of Scotland, with a population of 6870 in 2020. The name comes from Norse vik, meaning a bay. The town first grew up north of the river: in the 19th century the fishing port of Pulteney was established to the…

Photo: Davidcarroll, CC BY-SA 4.0.
John o'Groats is a village in the former county of Caithness on the far north coast of Scotland. With a population of about 300, it makes its living from tourism, as it's the traditional north terminus of the British mainland road network.

Destinations to Discover

Explore places such as Durness and Helmsdale.

Photo: Florian Fuchs, CC BY 3.0.
is a village in Sutherland on the far north coast of Scotland, with a population of 347 in 2011. Most of the terrain of this region is impermeable gneiss, carpeted by boggy heathland.

Photo: Postdlf, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a fishing village in Sutherland in the , about two hours by road or rail north of Inverness. In 2011 its population was 764. The name derives from Norse Hjalmundal, the "Dale of the Helmet".

Photo: Phillip Capper, CC BY 2.0.
is a small fishing village in Sutherland in the , with a population of 651 in 2011. It's about 30 miles north of Ullapool. starkly illustrates the plight of Scotland's fishing industry: many foreign trawlers land their catch here, but hardly any Scottish boats still operate.

Photo: brian gillman, CC BY 3.0.
is a small fishing village in Sutherland in the northwest , with a population of 411 in 2011. Few fishing boats are based here, but they come to land their catch to be trucked south.

Photo: AlasdairW, CC BY-SA 3.0.
is a UNESCO Geopark in Caithness and Sutherland in the north-west . The 2,000 km2 Geopark has coastal cliffs, beaches, mountains caves and waterfalls and a variety of unique geological features.
Photo: C L T Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Caithness and Sutherland

Latitude of center
58.09° or 58° 5′ 24″ north
Longitude of center
-4.47° or 4° 28′ 12″ west
Wiki­data ID
Q5017872
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Satellite Map

Discover Caithness and Sutherland from above in high-definition satellite imagery.
© Stadia Maps, Airbus DS, CNES, PlanetObserver, and Copernicus

In Other Languages

From Arabic to Polish—“Caithness and Sutherland” goes by many names.
  • Arabic: “كيثنيس وسوذرلاند”
  • Chinese: “凯斯内斯与萨瑟兰选区”
  • Chinese: “凱斯內斯及薩瑟蘭選區”
  • Polish: “Okręg wyborczy Caithness and Sutherland”

Scottish Highlands: Must-Visit Destinations

Delve into Inverness, Loch Ness, Ben Nevis, and Fort William.

Explore These Curated Destinations

Discover places selected for their distinct character and enduring appeal.
About Mapcarta. Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, except for photos, directions, and the map. Description text is based on the Wikivoyage page “Caithness and Sutherland”. Photo: Moyearo, Public domain.