Wick in historic gazetteers

Gazetteer of the British Isles (Edinburgh: Bartholomew, 1887). John Bartholomew

Wick, seaport, parl. and royal burgh, par., and co. town of Caithness, on Wick Water and Wick Bay, 161½ miles NE. of Inverness by rail and 110 NW. of Aberdeen by sea - par., 47,264 ac., pop. 12,822; parl. burgh, pop. 8026; royal burgh, pop. 2954; town, pop. 8053; P.O., T.O., 6 Banks, 2 newspapers. Market-day, Friday. Wick consists of three portions - Wick proper (the oldest part), Louisburgh, and Pultneytown, and is the seat of a very important and extensive fishery district. The harbour has been enlarged and greatly improved, subsequent to 1883, at a cost of about £100,000. There is regular steam communication with Aberdeen, Granton, Kirkwall, and Lerwick. (For shipping statistics, see Appendix.) Fishing, particularly herring fishing, is the great industry. There are rope and sail factories, a distillery, and a brewery. The royal burgh, created in 1589, was extended in 1883. The Wick Burghs (Wick, Kirkwall, Dornoch, Dingwall, Tain, and Cromarty) return 1 member to Parliament. The Castle of Old Wick, or "The Auld Man o' Wick," is situated on a headland 1½ mile SW. of the town.