Caithness

Wikipedia Image: Caithness Historic County Map

The county of Caithness includes the well known place of John o'Groats, traditionally used in many "end to end" record attempts and charity walks etc. The county town is Wick, and much of the council administration is also based in the town. Thurso also serves as another populous town in the county.

The village of Reay was at one time partly in the adjacent county of Sutherland. Caithness is generally quite low lying, in stark contrast to the region generally which is known as The Highlands, but the highest point (known as Morven) stands just over 700 metres above sea levell.

Norse settlers arrived (most likely in the 10th century) and although now mostly ruins, many of the castles around the coastal areas were originally built by the settlers, many of the place names and surnames in the region have Nordic origins.

Register Offices

Wick
Mrs Margaret Wood
Town Hall
Bridge Street
Wick
KW1 4AN
Tel/Fax (01955) 605713
Mon-Fri 10-1 and 2-4

Thurso
Thurso, Strathy and Mey
Mr Peter Jones, Asst. Registrar
Library Buildings
Davidson's Lane
Thurso
KW14 7AF
Tel (01847) 892786
Mon-Fri 10-1 and 2-4