Sutherland
Sutherland
Cataibh ( Scottish Gaelic) | ||
---|---|---|
Country Scotland | | |
Council area | Highland | |
County town | Dornoch | |
Area | ||
• Total | 2,028 sq mi (5,252 km2) | |
Ranked 5th of 34 | ||
Population (2011) | ||
• Total | 12,650 | |
• Density | 6.2/sq mi (2.4/km2) | |
Chapman code | SUT |
Sutherland (
The name Sutherland dates from the period of Norwegian Viking rule and settlement over much of the Highlands and Islands, under the rule of the jarl of Orkney. Although it contains some of the northernmost land in the island of Great Britain, it was called Suðrland ("southern land") from the standpoint of Orkney and Caithness. In Gaelic, the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich MhicAoidh (or Dùthaich 'IcAoidh) (MacAoidh's country) in the northeast, Asainte (Assynt) in the west, and Cataibh in the east. Cataibh is also sometimes used to refer to the area as a whole. The northeast corner of Sutherland, traditionally known as the Province of Strathnaver, was not incorporated into Sutherland until 1601. This was the home of the powerful and warlike Clan Mackay, and as such was named in Gaelic, Dùthaich 'Ic Aoidh, the Homeland of Mackay. Even today this part of Sutherland is known as Mackay Country, and, unlike other areas of Scotland where the names traditionally associated with the area have become diluted, there is still a preponderance of Mackays in the Dùthaich.
Much of the population of approximately 13,000 inhabitants are situated in small coastal towns, such as
Geography
The inland landscape is rugged and very sparsely populated. Despite being Scotland's fifth-largest county in terms of area, it has a smaller population than a medium-size Lowland Scottish town. It stretches from the
Sutherland has many rugged
There are a large number of inland lochs in the county. The most prominent being:
Owing to its isolation from the rest of the country, Sutherland was reputedly the last haunt of the native
The importance of the county's scenery is recognised by the fact that four of Scotland's forty national scenic areas (NSAs) are located here.[3] The purpose of the NSA designation is to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development. The areas protected by the designation are considered to represent the type of scenic beauty "popularly associated with Scotland and for which it is renowned".[4] The four NSAs within Sutherland are:
- The Assynt-Coigach NSA has many distinctively shaped mountains, including Quinag, Canisp, Suilven, Cùl Mòr, Stac Pollaidh and Ben More Assynt, that rise steeply from the surrounding "cnoc and lochan" scenery. These can often appear higher than their actual height would indicate due to their steep sides and the contrast with the moorland from which they rise.[5] Assynt lies within Sutherland, whilst Coigach lies within Ross and Cromarty.
- The Dornoch Firth NSA also straddles the boundary between Sutherland and Ross and Cromarty, and covers a variety of landscapes surrounding the narrow and sinuous firth.[5]
- The Kyle of Tongue NSA covers the mountains of Ben Hope and Ben Loyal, as well as woodlands and crofting settlements on the shoreline of the kyle itself.[5]
- The Loch Laxford and Handa Island.[5]
Islands
- A' Chleit
- A' Ghoil-sgeir
- Am Balg
- An Calbh
- An Cruachan
- An Dubh-sgeir
- An Garbh-eilean
- Boursa Island
- Calbha Beag
- Calbha Mòr
- Clach Mhòr na Faraid
- Clobh-sgeir
- Cùl Eilean
- Dubh Sgeir
- Dubh-Sgeir Mhòr
- Dubh Sgeirean
- Duslic
- Eilean a' Bhreitheimh
- Eilean a' Bhuic
- Eilean a' Chaoil
- Eilean a' Chonnaidh
- Eilean a' Ghamhna
- Eilean a' Mhadaidh
- Eilean an Achaidh
- Eilean an Aigeich
- Eilean an Eireannaich
- Eilean an Ròin Beag
- Eilean an Ròin Mòr
- Eilean an t-Sithein
- Eilean Àrd
- Eilean Choraidh
- Eilean Chrona
- Eilean Clùimhrig
- Eilean Dornaidh Oscair
- Eilean Dubh an Teoir
- Eilean Dubh Chal Cinn
- Eilean Dubh Dhrombaig
- Eilean Dubh na Fionndalach Bige
- Eilean Dubh nam Boc
- Eilea Garbh
- Eilean Hoan
- Eilean Iosal
- Eilean Meall a' Chaorainn
- Eilea na h-Aiteig
- Eilean na Coille
- Eilean na Bearachd
- Eilean na Rainich
- Eilean na Saille
- Eilean nam Boc
- Eilean nan Airbhe
- Eilean nan Ròn
- Eilean nan Uan
- Eilean Port a' Choit
- Eilean Rairidh
- Eilean Riabhach
- Eileanan Dubha
- Garbh-eilean
- Glas Leac (several islands with this name)
- Handa Island
- Meall Beag
- Meall Earca
- Meall Mòr
- Meall Thailm
- Na Cluasnadh
- Na Glas Leacan
- Neave Island (also known as Coomb Island)
- Oldany Island
- Ox Rock
- Rabbit Islands
- Seana Sgeir
- Sgarbagh
- Sgeir a' Bhuic
- Sgeir a' Chlaidheimh
- Sgeir an Trilleachain
- Sgeir Iosal
- Sgeir Leathan
- Sgeir Liath
- Sgeir nan Gall
- Sgeir Ruadh
- Sgeirean Cruaidhe
- Sgeirean Glasa
- Soyea Island
Transport
The
Helmsdale on the east coast is on the A9 road, at a junction with the A897, and has a railway station on the Far North Line. Buses operate about every two hours Mondays-Saturdays and infrequently on Sundays from Helmsdale to Brora, Golspie, Dornoch, Tain and Inverness in the south, and Berriedale, Dunbeath, Halkirk, Thurso and Scrabster in the north.[6] These are on route X99 and are operated by Stagecoach Group, but tickets can be bought on the Citylink website. Various other Stagecoach buses link the other towns of eastern Sutherland, such as Lairg and Bonar Bridge to Tain and Inverness.[7] The western areas of the county are less well served by public transport, however the Far North Bus company does provided scheduled services connecting Durness to Lairg (bus 806), and from Durness to Thurso via the towns of the north Sutherland coast (bus 803).[8]
There are no commercial airports in the county. There is a small general aviation airstrip south of Dornoch, the former RAF Dornoch, which sees little traffic.[9]
Highland Clearances
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1801 | 23,117 | — |
1811 | 23,629 | +2.2% |
1821 | 23,840 | +0.9% |
1831 | 25,518 | +7.0% |
1841 | 24,782 | −2.9% |
1851 | 25,793 | +4.1% |
1861 | 24,157 | −6.3% |
1871 | 23,298 | −3.6% |
1881 | 22,376 | −4.0% |
1891 | 21,896 | −2.1% |
1901 | 21,440 | −2.1% |
1911 | 20,179 | −5.9% |
1921 | 17,802 | −11.8% |
1931 | 16,101 | −9.6% |
1951 | 13,670 | −15.1% |
1961 | 13,507 | −1.2% |
1971 | 13,055 | −3.3% |
2011 | 12,650 | −3.1% |
Source: Vision of Britain |
Sutherland, like other parts of the Highlands, was affected by the Highland Clearances, the eviction of tenants from their homes and/or associated farmland in the 18th and 19th centuries century by the landowners. Typically, this was to make way for large sheep farms. The Sutherland Estate (consisting of about two thirds of the county) had the largest scale clearances that occurred in the Highlands, much of this being carried out in 1812, 1814 and 1819–20. In this last period (the largest of the three listed), 1,068 families were evicted: representing an estimated 5,400 people. This population was provided with resettlement in coastal areas, with employment available in fishing or other industries. However, many instead moved to farms in Caithness or left Scotland to emigrate to Canada, the US or Australia.[10]
It was the villages produced by this policy that formed the last Gaelic speaking communities to be found on the east coast of Scotland, as discovered by Nancy Dorian in the early 1960s, and there are still some native speakers of the East Sutherland dialect of Gaelic in this area.[11]
Local government
In 1890 Sutherland became a
In 1975 the Local Government council and the burgh council were superseded under the
In 1996 local government in Scotland was again reformed, by the
In 2007 new multi-member wards were created for elections under the single transferable vote (STV) electoral system. Some local decisions are delegated to the Sutherland County Committee, which consists of all councillors representing Sutherland.[15]
Civil parishes
In 1894 Parish councils covering rural areas of the county were established. In 1931 the parish councils were superseded under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929.
Civil parishes are still used for some statistical purposes, and separate census figures are published for them. As their areas have been largely unchanged since the 19th century this allows for comparison of population figures over an extended period of time. (Refer to map:[16]) The following individual parish population figures, giving a total population of 12,650 at the 2011 Census for the 13 Civil Parishes (1930 boundaries), were extracted from Census Table QS112SC using the interactive Standard Outputs system at the Scotland's Census website.[17]
Of the 871 civil parishes in Scotland listed on the General Register Office for Scotland website,[18] 13 are identified on the Wikipedia list of civil parishes in Scotland as being in Sutherland. In addition, the list states that Reay used to be partly in Sutherland, until 1891.
Eddrachillis and Tongue were formerly part of Durness parish, being separated in 1724.[19] The other eleven parishes are ancient in origin.
Community councils
Although created under local government legislation (the
Settlements
- Achriesgill
- Altnaharra
- Armadale
- Assynt
- Bettyhill
- Bonar Bridge
- Brora
- Clashmore, Assynt
- Creich
- Dornoch
- Drumbeg
- Durness
- Embo
- Evelix
- Golspie
- Helmsdale
- Inchnadamph
- Invershin
- Kildonan
- Kinbrace
- Kinlochbervie
- Lairg
- Lochinver
- Melvich
- Portgower
- Portskerra
- Pulrossie
- Rogart
- Rosehall
- Scourie
- Skelbo
- Skerray
- Stoer
- Strathy
- Tongue
Abandoned Settlements
Constituency
The Sutherland constituency of the
The
Sutherland in popular culture
In
Rosamunde Pilcher's last novel Winter Solstice is largely set in and around the fictional Sutherland town of Creagan, located in the Sutherland town of Dornoch.
The ship captained by Horatio Hornblower in C. S. Forester’s book A Ship of the Line is called HMS Sutherland.
The short story Monarch of the Glen by Neil Gaiman is set in Sutherland, and includes a discussion on the origin of the name.
It is still common to refer to the entire Gaelic-speaking world with the phrase "Ó Chataibh go Cléire" (from Sutherland to Cape Clear) or "Ó Chataibh go Ciarraí" (from Sutherland to Kerry). Cléire and Ciarraí are Gaelic-speaking regions in the far south west of Ireland.
Notable people with Sutherland connections
- George Mackay Brown (1921–1996), 'Bard of Orkney', whose mother was born in Strathy
- John Lennon (1940–1980), a frequent visitor to Durness
- Norman MacCaig (1910–1996), Edinburgh born poet, who wrote about, the region of Assynt, which he visited many times over a period of forty years.
- Patrick Sellar (1780–1851), lawyer and factor
- W.C. Sellar(1898–1951), humourist who wrote for Punch, best known for the book 1066 and All That
- William Young Sellar (1825–1890), classical scholar
- Joe Strummer (1952–2002), frontman of the Clash; born John Graham Mellor in Ankara, Turkey; his mother, Anna Mackenzie, was a crofter's daughter born and raised in Bonar Bridge
- Donald Ross(1872-1948), Golfer and golf course designer, born in Dornoch. Ross's most famous designs are Pinehurst No. 2, Aronimink Golf Club, East Lake Golf Club, Seminole Golf Club, Oak Hill Country Club, Glen View Club, Memphis Country Club, Inverness Club, Miami Biltmore Golf Course and Oakland Hills Country Club; all in the United States of America.
See also
- Subdivisions of Scotland
- Clan Sutherland
- List of counties of Scotland 1890–1975
- Medieval Diocese of Caithness
Footnotes
- The Glasgow Herald. p. 5. Archivedfrom the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
- ^ "Centre for History - University of the Highlands and Islands". www.uhi.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "Map: National Scenic Areas of Scotland" (PDF). Scottish Government. 1998. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ "Countryside and Landscape in Scotland - National Scenic Areas". Scottish Government. 4 July 2017. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ^ a b c d "The special qualities of the National Scenic Areas" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- ^ "Stagecoach North Scotland - Caithness and Sutherland Area Guide from 20 August 2018" (PDF). Retrieved 23 June 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Stagecoach North Scotland - Black Isle and Easter Ross Travel Guide from 07 January 2019" (PDF). Retrieved 23 June 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "The Durness Bus". Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
- ^ "Dornoch". Abandoned Forgotten & Little Known Airfields in Europe. www.forgottenairfields.com. Archived from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-78027-165-1.
- ^ [1] Archived 18 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "No. 18541". The Edinburgh Gazette. 3 March 1967. p. 179.
- ^ "Sutherland Technical School". Golspie Heritage Society. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Drummuie, Golspie Technical School (LB7065)". Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ "Sutherland County Committee: Tasks and responsibilities". Highland Council. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
- ^ "Old Roads of Scotland". Old Roads of Scotland. Archived from the original on 30 April 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
- ^ GROS. "Standard Outputs - Census Data Explorer - Scotland's Census". www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ "2001 Census - Geography Classifications" (PDF). gro-scotland.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ GENUKI. "Genuki: Durness, Sutherland". www.genuki.org.uk. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- Western Isles as Suðreyjar (the "Southern Isles"), southern in relation to the "Northern Isles" of Orkney, Shetland and the Faroe Islands.
- ^2 Sutherland has two main names in the local, indigenous Scottish Gaelic: Cataibh may be used for the whole of Sutherland, but tended historically to apply to the south east, and Dùthaich MhicAoidh (Mackay Country) which was used for the north west, sometimes referred to as Reay Country in English. Cataibh can be read as meaning among the Cats and the Cat element appears as Cait in Caithness. The Scottish Gaelic name for Caithness, however, is Gallaibh, meaning among the Strangers (i.e. the Norse who extensively settled there).
External links
- Map of Sutherland on Wikishire
- "Small Area Population Estimates 2004" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2009. (412 KB) (www.highland.gov.uk)
- Miss Dempster "Folk-Lore of Sutherlandshire" Folk-Lore Journal. Volume 6, 1888.
Bibliography
- Omand, Donald (1991). The Sutherland Book. Golspie: The Northern Times Limited. ISBN 1-873610-00-9.