The old crofting county of Sutherland is situated in the far northern Highlands of Scotland. It is bordered to the south by the county of Ross-shire and to the north-east by the county of Caithness. With a population of just over 13,000 people living in an area covering 2,300 square miles Sutherland is one of the remotest and sparsely populated, yet beautiful, parts of Scotland. It was the early Viking settlers who came to Caithness that named everything to the south “The Southlands” which is how Sutherland came by its name.
However, despite its location, Sutherland has modern travel and communications connections with the rest of the country. The main A9 trunk road links Sutherland to Inverness and the south, as does the railway line. There are also airports within easy reach at Inverness and Wick. Sutherland is easy to get to and yet once you are here you feel that you are a million miles away from the rest of the world.
The coastline of Sutherland is breathtaking and features many places to visit such as Dunrobin Castle, Dornoch Cathedral, and Highland Stoneware in Lochinver.