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Latheron

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"LATHERON, a parish at the southern extremity of the county Caithness, Scotland. It contains the post-office stations and villages of Berriedale, Lybster, Latheron, Dalbeath, and Swiney. It extends 27 miles N. from the Burn of the Ord, along the seacoast, and measures from 15 to 16 miles in breadth. The surface is a succession of hill and valley, and the boundary line with the county of Sutherland is very mountainous. Tho principal mountains are Morven, Scarabine, and Maidenpass, the former being 1,221 feet above sea-level. The greater portion of the parish is pastoral, or waste, and about 9,000 imperial acres under tillage. The principal rivers are Dunbeath, Langwell, and Berriedale. The coast is bold and rocky, but indented with several inlets, which serve as harbours for fishing-vessels. There are several caves (some from 300 to 400 feet long) by the sea-side, in which a great number of seals are killed. Many of the inhabitants are employed in fishing on the coast, where herrings, cod, salmon, turbot, and lobsters, are taken. The parish is in the presbytery of Caithness, and synod of Sutherland and Caithness. The minister's stipend is £253. The parish church, erected in 1734, and enlarged in 1822, is a commodious structure. At Berriedale is a government church, together with a Free church. There are Free churches respectively at Bruan, Latheron, and Lybster, and at the last-named place there is also a chapel-of-ease. There are about eighteen non-parochial schools. In the neighbourhood is a Druid circle and fort. Along the cliffs from Ord to Clyth are several castles (chiefly in ruins), viz: Dunbeath, Berriedale, Latheron, Forsa, Swiney, &c., the first-mentioned being still inhabited."

Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)

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Churches

Presbyterian / Unitarian
Latheron, Church of Scotland
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Description & Travel

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Gazetteers

Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, Samuel Lewis - 1851

LATHERON, a parish, in the county of Caithness, 17 miles (S. W.) from Wick (reckoning to Latheron church) containing, with the late quoad sacra districts of Berriedale and Lybster, and the villages of Dunbeath and Swiney, 7637 inhabitants. This place, which is situated on the south-eastern coast of Caithness, is supposed with great probability to have derived its name, signifying in the Gaelic language " the resort of seals ", from its shores having been formerly frequented by vast multitudes of those animals, of which considerable numbers are still found in the caverns near the sea. From the numerous remains of castles and fortresses, extending along the coast from the Ord of Caithness to Bruan, where the parishes of Latheron and Wick meet, it would appear to have been the scene of ancient warfare; but the only authentic record of its early history preserved, is that of the last invasion of the country by the Danes. On the landing of a large body of troops under the command of the young Prince of Denmark, near the town of Thurso, the inhabitants of that district, unable to meet them in the field, retreated before the invaders to the hill of Ben-a-gheil, in this parish, where, having taken up a favourable position, they resolved to give the enemy battle. The Danes pursued them to this post, and attempted to dislodge them; but the Scots, having in the retreat considerably increased their numbers, bore down upon them in one compact body, broke their line, and, killing their leader, put them completely to the rout.

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference ND114330 (Lat/Lon: 58.276632, -3.51231), Latheron which are provided by:

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

Poorhouses - Scotland

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