CAITHNESS, a maritime co., the most northerly on the mainland of Scotland. It is triangular in shape; length, from n. to s., 40 m.; greatest breadth, 30 m. ; area, 712 sq. miles. Except in the w, and s., where the mountain-range (composed of granite and gneiss) dividing C. from Sutherland attains, in its highest point, a height of more than 2300 ft., the general aspect of C. is level and bare, being in great part moorland and destitute of trees, while the seacoast is bold and rocky, with many bays, inlets, promon to•ies, and eaves. On the n. coast are Dunnet bead and Duncansby head; and on the side of the last-named head is a spot of green turf, called John o' Groat's house, John ohn de Groot or Groat of Warse settled with his brothers in James IV.'s time, and built a house. There are no navigable rivers in C., and no lakes of importance. The climate is damp and chilly, but snow rarely lies on the plains above a day or two at a time. Thunder is rare, but aurorce are seen almost nightly. There are no manu factures, properly so called, although weaving is carried on to some extent. Coal has not been found iu C. ; the common fuel is peat. The chief crops are oats, bear, turnips, and potatoes. The parts of the surface under tillage are generally a deep fertile loam on a strong till clay. In the n.e., the soil is sandy. The crops are 20days later in ripen ing than in the Lothians. The occupants of many of the small farms divide their time between farming and fishing. There are herring, ling, cod, salmon, and lobster fish
eries. The herring-fishery in July and August employs about 1500 boats, a part of which come from other parts of the Scotch coasts. Wick is the chief seat of the British her ring-fishery. The average number of barrels cured annually in the ports of C. may be stated at 200,000. The other exports are cattle, oats, wool, and flag-stones, of which, as well as of freestone and slate, C. contains quarries. Wick is the only parliamentary borough in C.; another town is Thurso, an old burgh of barony. There were,when the census was taken in 1871, 7185 children in C., and of these, 6608 were receiving educa tion. Pop. 39,992. The county returns one member to parliament, and Wick unites with Kirkwall, Dornock, Dingwall, Tain, and Cromarty, in returning another. A rail way, completed in 1874, and extending to Wick and Thurso, connects C. with the south. In early times, C. is supposed to have been inhabited by Celts; these afterwards mixed with Danes and Norwegians. C., in the middle ages, was subject to the kings of Nor way. David II. adopted the weights and measures of C. for all Scotland. The Scandi navian origin or mixture of the people of C. is shown by their tall forms and soft fair features, and their speaking English instead of Gaelic. C. has remains of Picts' houses, round towers, etc.