LATHERON

The name Gunn (see the previous post about the author Neil Gunn) is prevalent around these parts, and there is a Heritage Centre in Latheron's 18th century kirk devoted to the Clan Gunn, a powerful Caithness family, which makes an extraordinary claim, namely that one of the Gunns reached the Americas a century before Christopher Columbus. The Gunns were Norse in origin and decided to settle in this northeast corner of Scotland when they came on one of their raids. There are Bronze Age standing stones to the north of the village, and nearby Latheronwheel has a cute little harbour with a path leading to clifftop walks.  Just outside the village is the Buldoo Standing Stone, the tallest in Caithness, standing at just over twelve and a half feet high and dating from the Bronze Age.

Map of the area.

Latheron, the old church - geograph.org.uk - 596902. Photo by Chris Downer, via Wikimedia Commons.