Cait, or Cat, Pictish province of, (now Caithness and Sutherland, q.v.), in three parts, (1) Ness, (2) Strathnavern, and (3) Sudrland; description of land; unsuitable for trees in Ness; west uninhabited in Viking times; deer, etc., abounded; Athelstan's naval demonstration; held by earls of Orkney; Duncan the maormor; Picts and Norse; map; Pictish clergy driven from north-east by Norse; land and people on arrival of Norse. Cat, maormors of; Duncan, or Dungall; Moldan or Moddan. Caithness (Ness), part of the ancient province of Cat, q.v.; Norse occupied fertile parts; ancient monuments; writing; _Orkneyinga Saga_ only record before 12th cent.; earlier notices and later records; earldom claimed by Sigurd Hlodverson; Skuli Thorfinnson cr. earl; C. people in Iceland; sea battle between Ulf and Helgi; Moddan, earl of C.; his expedition to; Norse earls; Thorfinn returns to, after Scottish conquests; "king of Catanesse," in "William the Wanderer"; St. Magnus; seized by earl Hakon; earl Magnus favoured in; earldom conferred on Ragnvald Gudrodson; much of owned by Moddan's family; Norse steadily lost hold on C.; Norse driven outward and eastward; bishopric founded; bishop Andrew; Norse earls; family of Freskyn de Moravia; earldom of David I; robberies by Sweyn; Malcolm IV granted half earldom to Erlend Haraldson; red deer and reindeer hunting; rebellions; bishop's litigation with earls of Sutherland; Innes family; earldom held of Scottish crown; diocese and cathedral; bishop Andrew; first conquest by King William; subdued by King William; earl Ragnvald's half conferred on Harald Ungi; earl Harold slew earl Harald Ungi; Caithness given to Ragnvald Gudrodson; who defeated earl Harold at Dalharrold; Ragnvald's stewards left in charge, their fate; the lawman; Ragnvald bought earldom; extent of earl Harold's earldom; Scottish policy in the north; old Norse earldom broken up; services of Freskyn family; extent of earldom of earl David; the burning of bishop Adam; thingstead and lawman; the earldom; succession to earldom; subjected by king Alexr. II, 1222; king Hakon's fine; escaped attack by Hakon; Scottish subjection of Norse; Norse adopted Gaelic; Norse place-names; Norse type still in evidence; Normans, Cheynes, Oliphants and St. Clairs; inheritance of Erlend lands by Normans; inhabitants a blend of Gael and Norse. Caithness, church in; bishopric founded; cathedral at Halkirk, at Dornoch; bishop's palace at Thurso; constitution of diocese; records; bishops: Andrew; John; Adam; Gilbert; William; Walter de Baltroddi.