ON THE AGRICULTURE OF THE COUNTY OF SUTHERLAND. 3 



extends across tlie Caithness bonndary into this county. It 

 sends one representative to Parliament, the sitting member being 

 the Marquis of Stafford ; while the royal burgh of Dornoch joins 

 with Dingwall, Tain, Cromarty, Wick, and Kirkwall in elect- 

 ing anotlio!'. Air Jolm Tender at present occupies this latter 

 seat. 



Dornoch is the only royal burgh in the county. It was 

 created so by Charles I. in 1628, and is mentioned frequently in 

 ancient northern history. The circumstance which, according to 

 tradition, gave to Dornoch the name it now bears is so peculiar 

 as to deserve notice. Dornoch is derived from the C4aelic words 

 Dorn-Eich, which signify a horse's foot or hoof ; and a writer in 

 the "Old Statistical Account of Scotland" says— " About the 

 year 1259, the Danes and Norwegians having made a descent on 

 this coast were attacked by William, Thane or Earl of Sutherland, 

 a quarter of a mile to the eastward of this town. Here the Danish 

 general was slain, and his army beaten, and forced to retire to 

 their ships, wliich were not far distant. The Earl of Sutherland 

 greatly signalised himself upon this occasion ; and appears, by 

 his personal valour and exertion, to have contributed very much 

 to determine the fate of the day. While he singled out the 

 Danish general, and gallantly fought his way onwards, the Thane, 

 being by some accident disarmed, seized the leg of a horse, which 

 lay on the ground, and with that despatched his adversary. In 

 honour of this exploit, and of the weapon with which it was 

 achieved, this place received the name of Dorneich, or Dornoch, 

 as it is now called. This tradition is countenanced by the horse- 

 shoe, which is still retained in the arms of the burgh."' Dornoch 

 boasts of a beautiful cathedral which, according to Sir Robert 

 Gordon's "History of Sutherland" (1630-32), was founded by St 

 Bar, Bishop of Caithness, in the eleventh century. Gilbert 

 Murray, consecrated Bishop in 1222, transformed the original 

 church into a magnificent cathedral, which unfortunately was 

 reduced to ruins by fire ui 1570 by John Sinclair, ]\Iaster of 

 Caithness, and lye Mackay of Strathnaver, who, taking advantage 

 of the minority of Alexander, Earl of Sutherland, besieged and 

 plundered Dornoch with a small army from Caithness. Fortu- 

 nately the old tower was saved, and so also were some fine Gothic 

 arches, but the handsome stone pillars that supported the latter 

 were destroyed by a terrific gale of wind on the 5th November 

 1605, — the day, by the way, on which the Gunpowder Plot was 

 discovered. The Earl of Sutherland partially repaired the 

 cathedral in 1614, so as to make it suitable as a place of worship, 

 and in 1863 the late Duchess-Countess of Sutherland re-erected 

 the edifice, and embellished it with even more than its former 

 grandeur. The Sutherland family have a burying place within 

 the cathedral, and in the east aisle are a beautiful marble statue 



