Caithness is the most northerly county in mainland Britain, it covers an area of about 700 square miles stretching from Dunnet Head in the north to the Ord of Caithness in the South, it has a population of around 27,500 and its only land boundary is with the county of Sutherland to the south and west, both are part of the Highland Region, administered from Inverness.

Caithness is famous for the great natural beauty of its rugged coast line and its large tracts of open peat lands now commonly know as the Flow Country. There is an abundance of opportunity for outdoor pursuits from simple walking to the more exotic surfing and wind surfing. Perhaps the county's best kept secret is the vast wealth of hidden archaeological treasures such as the Broch and Aisled Dwellings at South Yarrows and the Camster Cairns. Some of these sites can be seen from almost any vantage point throughout the county or for the more interested and careful visitor a closer view can be made of most sites as there are little if any of the restrictions or charges found in some other more celebrated parts of the country.

The two main towns in Caithness are Wick, with a population of around 8000, once famous as the "herring capital of the world" and Thurso, population around 12,000, with close ties to the UKAEA site at Dounreay.

The economy of Caithness was once booming, on the back of herring, flagstones and agriculture. Today agriculture still plays a major part in both the social and economic life of the county but newer hi-tec industries tend to have replaced the more traditional industries although the flagstone industry is making a bit of a come back.

Caithness Biodiversity Action Plan gives an excellent description of the flora and fauna of Caithness and also of the variety of habitats and different countryside from coast to inland with several maps.

Maps of Caithness