WICK, royal, municipal and police burgh, parish, seaport and county town of Caithness, Scotland. Pop. (1931) 7,548. It is situated at the head of Wick bay, on the North sea, 327 m. N. of Edinburgh, by the L.N.E. and L.M.S. railways. It consists of the old burgh and Louisburgh, its continuation, on the north bank of the river Wick, and of Pulteneytown, the commercial quarter, on the south side. Wick is the chief Scottish centre of the
herring fisheries. Wick (Vik or "bay") is mentioned as early as 1140. It was constituted a royal burgh by James VI. in 1589.