Caithness Flag registered

On Tuesday 26 January a piped procession through Wick featured in the unveiling ceremony for the new Caithness Flag.

The Lord Lyon and the Communities Vexillologist were both in attendance and gave speeches to all those present.

Caithness is the first community on mainland Scotland to gain its own flag.

It is also the first anywhere in Scotland to select its flag through a public competition.

This competition was run in partnership between the Highland Council, the Lyon Court and the Flag Institute.

Many congratulations to the winning designers Andrea Merchant and Niall Smith, whose flag features a Nordic cross symbolising the county’s ancient ties to the Vikings.

The black recalls the local geology, including the famous Caithness flagstone and flow country.

The gold and blue reference the beaches and the sea, emphasising the maritime nature of the county and its heritage.

The first quarter contains a golden galley, the traditional emblem of Caithness.

This includes a raven on its sail as it appears in the Caithness civic arms.

Learn more about the flag in UK Flag Registry: http://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/flags/caithness/