54 • DESCRIPTION OF THE PHYSICAL FEATURES 
The coast around Noss and Ackergill is interesting, but does 
not compare with the higher cliffs of the north and north-east. 
The ruins of the old castle of Girnigoe are very fine and massive, 
standing out— as most old Caithness castles do when near the 
coast-line — upon a far sea-reaching promontory of cliff protected 
from invasion by deep goes, and by a moat and portcullis gate on 
the narrow landward side. 
Around Ackergill bay is a fine stretch of sand, and a limited 
area of sandhills — a sweet smiling bay in the otherwise rock- 
bound coast. A similar bay, but smaller, is imbedded in the cliffs 
at Freswick, south of Skirsa Point. 
South of Wick the shore is very rugged and fine, and though 
not of great elevation, yet there are some deep goes and caves, 
massive stacks, and gaunt precipices, holding a large population of 
birds, and quite recently the nesting site of the raven and also of 
the peregrine falcon. On the summit level Primula scotica, the 
little rare Scotch primrose, grows abundantly, starring the close 
turfy grass slopes with its pale green leaves. Some of the goes 
are utilised as fishing coves, just as they are upon the east coast 
of Aberdeen. One stack — Dunbar's Stack — is occupied by the 
lesser black-backed gull, now comparatively a rare Caithness 
bird, owing to the systematic destruction by gamekeepers, assisted 
by the apparently superior colonising powers of the herring gulls. 
Be that as it may, the Wild Birds Preservation Act has distinctly 
had the effect of increasing the numbers of the herring gull, but 
not those of the lesser black-back, whilst the great black-back has 
been almost extirpated in the county. 
The wooded areas of Caithness are few, small, and stunted, 
the only well-wooded portions being those around Berriedale and 
Langwell, and at Lathero.n and Dunbeath. Small plantations 
occur around most of the county gentlemen's seats, as at Sir 
Tollemache Sinclair's estates near Thurso — at Thurso and Brawl 
Castles ; at Olrig House near Castleton ; at Barrogill Castle, the 
country seat of the Earl of Caithness, in the north ; and at Stirkoke, 
Hempriggs House, and a few other isolated localities, including 
the walled-in gardens in the towns. But these oases are wind- 
