DORNOCH, a royal burgh of Scotland, in the county of Sutherland. It is situated on the northern coast of the Frith of Dornoch, on a low sandy beach, nearly opposite the burgh of Tain, which lies on the south side of the frith.
It is of considerable antiquity, and was formerly the seat of the bishops of Caithness, who had here a spacious castle. The parish church is part of the cathedral, which is supposed to have been erected in the eleventh century. Dornoch, although the seat of the county courts, is a mere village, with little or no trade. The population of the town and parish amounted in 1821 to 3100, and in 1831 to 3380.