This is the first volume of two books on the historic sites and monuments of Sutherland. Part of the "Historical Guides" series which includes books on Cowal, Lothian, Moray and Badenoch and Angus, the work is a combination of guidebook, history and gazetteer. Sutherland is one of the northernmost districts of mainland Scotland, its rugged western coastline the location of fjords and sandy beaches. It is one of Scotland's most remote and least-known counties, and yet it has some of the best-preserved archaeological remains in Europe. This volume ranges from the Ice Age to the coming of the Picts. It discusses the process of land formation which started tens of thousands of years ago, and analyzes the geological and archaelogical differences between the north-west and south-east of this vast district. The scenery of the area is the setting for such attractions as: Smoo Cave, which was occupied by settlers in the Iron Age; the Brochs at Dornaigil and Carn Liath, two of the best round towers from that period to be found in the country; and Bronze and Iron Age settlements, of which there are over 100 examples in this district.