Flag of Caithness
{{Short description|(since 2016)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox flag
| Name = Caithness
| Article =
| Type =
| Image = Flag of Caithness.svg
| Use =
| Symbol =
| Proportion = 3:5
| Adoption = 26 January 2016
| Design = Sable, a Nordic cross Azure fimbriated Or, and on a canton a galley proper Or charged with a raven sable
| Designer = Andrea Merchant and Niall Smith{{cite web |url=https://britishcountyflags.com/2013/06/23/lancashire-flag/ |title=Caithness |author= |date=2 February 2016 |work=British County Flags |access-date=24 December 2023}}
}}
The Caithness flag is the flag of the county of Caithness. It was registered with the Flag Institute as the official flag of the county in 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/News/New-Caithness-flag-unveiled-at-Wick-ceremony-26012016.htm|title=VIDEO - New Caithness flag unveiled at Wick ceremony|publisher=John O'Groat Journal and Caithness Courier|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206073713/https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/new-caithness-flag-unveiled-at-wick-ceremony-26012016.htm/|archive-date=6 February 2017}} The flag was adopted following a competition arranged by the Highland Council. It was unveiled by the Lord Lyon, Dr Joseph Morrow, at a ceremony in Caithness House, Wick on 26 January 2016. The Nordic cross design symbolises the ancient ties of the county to the Vikings. The black recalls the county's geology with the famous Caithness flagstone, while the gold and blue allude to the beaches and sea reinforcing the maritime nature of the county and its heritage. The traditional emblem of Caithness, a galley, is placed in the first quarter, with a raven upon its sail as it appears in the county's civic arms.{{cite news |title=Winner of Caithness flag competition announced |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-35407820 |access-date=1 October 2024 |work=BBC News |date=26 January 2016}}{{cite web |title=Caithness flag unfurled |url=https://www.highland.gov.uk/news/article/9241/caithness_flag_unfurled |website=The Highland Council |access-date=1 October 2024 |date=26 January 2016}}{{cite news |title=New Caithness flag unveiled by Highland Council |url=https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/new-caithness-flag-unveiled-by-highland-council-1484508 |access-date=1 October 2024 |work=The Scotsman |date=27 January 2016}}
2015 competition finalists
Design A
File:Flag of Caithness.svg The winning design.
291 votes
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Design B
File:Flag of Caithness Design B.svg The wildcat head (drawn in Pictish-style art) is a homage to the old Kingdom of Cat, which was centred in Caithness. The triangle serves as a stylised representation of the shape of the county; a peninsula jutting out into the sea. As the word "ness" means "promontory", the cat and triangle together can also be seen as a play on Caithness' name ("Cat-ness"). The blue field and white chevron symbolises the sea and the county's maritime heritage, while the black stands for the Caithness flagstone.{{cite web |url=https://www.highland.gov.uk/news/article/8712/public_vote_opens_to_select_a_flag_for_cait |title=Public vote opens to select a Flag for Caithness |author= |date=19 June 2015 |work=The Highland Council |access-date=24 December 2023}}
226 votes
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Design C
File:Flag of Caithness Design C.svg The galley with the raven on its sail is taken from the civic arms of Caithness, and is the traditional emblem of the county. The ship is placed in the canton to further highlight its importance. The wavy blue and white lines covering the rest of the field represent the sea and Caithness' maritime heritage. The black colour of the canton stands for the Caithness flagstone.
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Design D
File:Flag of Caithness Design D.svg The galley with the raven on its sail (again from the civic arms of the county) is depicted as sailing on the sea, representing Caithness' maritime nature and heritage. The black background once again symbolises the Caithness flagstone.
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See also
References
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{{Subnational flags of the United Kingdom}}
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