Editing Caithness (section)

===Natural heritage===
[[File:St John's Loch near Dunnet Head - geograph.org.uk - 326534.jpg|thumb|St John's Loch near [[Dunnet Head]] has the distinction of supporting the most northerly hatch of [[Mayfly]] in the British Isles]]
Caithness is one of the [[Watsonian vice-counties]], subdivisions of [[Great Britain|Britain]] and [[Ireland]] which are used largely for the purposes of biological recording and other scientific data-gathering. The vice-counties were introduced by [[Hewett Cottrell Watson]], who first used them in the third volume of his ''{{lang|la|Cybele Britannica}}'', published in 1852.

The underlying geology, harsh climate, and long history of human occupation have shaped the natural heritage of Caithness. Today a diverse landscape incorporates both common and rare habitats and species, and Caithness provides a stronghold for many once common breeding species that have undergone serious declines elsewhere, such as [[wader]]s, [[European water vole|water vole]]s, and flocks of [[bird migration|overwintering]] birds.

Many rare mammals, birds, and fish have been sighted or caught in and around Caithness waters. [[Harbour porpoise]]s, dolphins (including [[Risso's dolphin|Risso's]], [[bottle-nosed dolphin|bottle-nosed]], [[common dolphin|common]], [[Atlantic white-sided dolphin|Atlantic white-sided]], and [[white-beaked dolphin]]s), and [[minke whale|minke]] and [[long-finned pilot whale]]s<ref>ALISTAIRMUNRO. 2017. [https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/lifestyle/outdoors/1332966/video-amazing-footage-pilot-whales-rissos-dolphins-off-coast-caithness/ VIDEO: Amazing footage of pilot whales and Risso’s dolphins off the coast of Caithness] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930180212/https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/lifestyle/outdoors/1332966/video-amazing-footage-pilot-whales-rissos-dolphins-off-coast-caithness/ |date=30 September 2017 }}. ''[[The Press and Journal (Scotland)|The Press and Journal]]''. 30 September 2017</ref> are regularly seen from the shore and boats. Both [[grey seal|grey]] and [[common seal]]s come close to the shore to feed, rest, and raise their pups; a significant population over-winters on small islands in the Thurso river only a short walk from the town centre. [[Otter]]s can be seen close to river mouths in some of the quieter locations.

Much of the centre of Caithness is known as the [[Flow Country]], a large, rolling expanse of [[peat]]land and [[wetland]] that is the largest expanse of [[blanket bog]] in Europe. Around {{cvt|1500|km2}} of the Flow Country is protected as both a [[Special Protection Area]] (SPA) and [[Special Area of Conservation]] (SAC) under the name [[Caithness and Sutherland Peatlands]],<ref name=spa>{{cite web|url=https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/8476|title=Caithness and Sutherland Peatlands SPA|publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|access-date=2019-01-30|archive-date=31 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131092837/https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/8476|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/8218|title=Caithness and Sutherland Peatlands SAC|publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|access-date=2019-01-30|archive-date=31 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131093010/https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/8218|url-status=live}}</ref> and a portion is further designated as the [[Forsinard Flows National Nature Reserve|Forsinard Flows national nature reserve]].<ref name="nnr">{{cite web|url=https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/10526|title=Forsinard Flows National Nature Reserve|publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|access-date=2019-01-29|archive-date=31 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131093103/https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/10526|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2014 {{convert|44|sqmi|km2}} of the eastern coastline of Caithness between [[Helmsdale]] and [[Wick, Caithness|Wick]] was declared a [[Marine Protected Areas in Scotland|Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area]] under the title [[East Caithness Cliffs]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/10408|title=East Caithness Cliff MPA(NC)|access-date=30 August 2019|publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|archive-date=16 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816095231/https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/10408|url-status=live}}</ref> The cliffs are also designated as both a Special Protection Area and a Special Area of Conservation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/8492|title=East Caithness Cliffs SPA|publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|access-date=27 September 2019|archive-date=27 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190927120403/https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/8492|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=sac>{{cite web|url=https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/8248|title=East Caithness Cliffs SAC|publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|access-date=27 September 2019|archive-date=27 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190927120404/https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/8248|url-status=live}}</ref>