| − | '''Sutherland''' is a [[British counties|shire]] in the north and west of the [[Scottish Highlands]]. Having around 13,000 inhabitants, Sutherland is among the most sparsely populated counties in Great Britain. The county is mainly mountainous. It is bound by coast to the north, south-east and west, having land borders with the counties [[Caithness]], [[Cromartyshire]] and [[Ross-shire]]. The county town is [[Dornoch]], which is the county's only former royal burgh. | + | '''Sutherland''' is a [[British counties|shire]] in the north and west of the [[Scottish Highlands]]. Having around 13,000 inhabitants, Sutherland is among the most sparsely populated counties in Great Britain. The county is mainly mountainous. The name is ultimately from [[Old Norse]] ''suðurland'', meaning "southern land"; although Sutherland contains some of the northernmost land in [[Scotland]], and indeed the United Kingdom, it was considered 'southern' to the [[Vikings]] who arrived from [[Norway]] in the 9th century. It is bound by coast to the north, south-east and west, having land borders with the counties [[Caithness]], [[Cromartyshire]] and [[Ross-shire]]. The county town is [[Dornoch]], which is the county's only former royal burgh. |