Help please..

[Sandra_B]

My boys go to an International school here. Every year the school has it's multi-cultural week. This year I have been picked to give information on the area I come from.

What would you tell people about the history of Caithness and life there now? I am having a complete mental block, it doesn't help that I left home almost 20 years ago either.

Also would it be okay to put the link to this site on the information papers?

Thanks in advance

[paris]

Hi sandra B, im afraid i cant help you with this but dont worry im sure you wll get lots of help from fellow c.orgers.

[star]

Hi sandra B, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wick,_Caithness, this site might help you out a bit good luck.

[golach]

My boys go to an International school here. Every year the school has it's multi-cultural week. This year I have been picked to give information on the area I come from.

What would you tell people about the history of Caithness and life there now? I am having a complete mental block, it doesn't help that I left home almost 20 years ago either.

Also would it be okay to put the link to this site on the information papers?

Thanks in advance

Try here http://www.caithness.org/history/

[golach]

My boys go to an International school here. Every year the school has it's multi-cultural week. This year I have been picked to give information on the area I come from.

What would you tell people about the history of Caithness and life there now? I am having a complete mental block, it doesn't help that I left home almost 20 years ago either.

Also would it be okay to put the link to this site on the information papers?

Thanks in advance

Also here http://www.frayston.demon.co.uk/genuki/cai/

[Bill Fernie]

It really depends on how much time you ahve to spend on the topic. Caithness.org covers the county in a great many sections - some in more detail than others. For a short description start in the Geography section at http://www.caithness.org/geography/

A quick look in the Arts Index http://arts.caithness.org/ will give you some idea of the huge breadth of cultural activity there is in Caithness depite a relatively small population.

The history section http://www.caithness.org/history/ has big range of items but may be too much to get to grips with if all you need is something short. Caithness has a rich heritage once being part fo the vking sphere of influence extending through Orkney to the north of Scotland. Later clans such as Sinclair, Gunn, Keith and others struggled through the centuries for power and influence. Many people from Caithness have emigrated over the centruies especially in the nineteenth and early twentieth century sso that there are many folk in the USA, Canada, Asutralia and New Zealnd with connections.
The county has been dominated for employment purposes since the 1950's by the dounreay nuclear site being the biggest employer tin the north. Farming is still one fo themain activities of the area and depsite hard times for farming in recent years is currently fighting back in range of areas in Caithness not least under the banner of Mey Selections headed by a team under the patronage of the Prince Of Wales.

Once the herring capital of Europe Wick has suffered from a long slow decline due to slumps in the fishing industry and the final death knell sounded when European fishing rules refused to make Wick a listed landing port and virtually ending all but a small amount of fish landings along with some shellfish.
Howve there are recent signs that government bodies, the council and others aree begining to see some hope for Wick and there is current flurry of activity with a a growing array of new shops, housing and a variety of improvements from roads, water etc being undertakien in the town. Unemployment has begun to fall although the town is stil oen of the highest unemployment towns in the Highlands albeit lower than many other places in Europe. A list of projects being undertaken or about to happen in the near future can be found at http://www.caithness.org/atoz/wick/changingwick11december2005/index.htm

There is much more around the web site.

good luck in your research.

cheers

Bill Fernie