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Watten, Highland: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 58°28′31″N 3°18′03″W / 58.47526°N 3.3008°W / 58.47526; -3.3008
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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox UK place
{{Infobox UK place
|country = Scotland
|country = Scotland
|official_name= Watten
|official_name= Watten
|scots_name=
|scots_name= Watten
|gaelic_name=
|gaelic_name= Bhatan
|population=
|population=
|os_grid_reference= ND242544
|os_grid_reference= ND242544
|map_type= Caithness
|map_type= Caithness
|coordinates = {{coord|58.47526|-3.3008|display=inline,title}}
|latitude=58.47526
|static_image_name = Church of Scotland, Watten - geograph.org.uk - 244027.jpg
|longitude=-3.3008
|static_image_caption = Watten Parish Church
|unitary_scotland= [[Highland (council area)|Highland]]
|unitary_scotland= [[Highland (council area)|Highland]]
|lieutenancy_scotland=
|lieutenancy_scotland=
|constituency_westminster=
|constituency_westminster=
|constituency_scottish_parliament=
|constituency_scottish_parliament=
|historic_county=
|post_town= [[Poolewe]]
|post_town= Wick
|postcode_district = KW15
|postcode_district = KW1
|postcode_area= KW
|postcode_area= KW
|dial_code=
|dial_code=
⚫
}}'''Watten''' ({{Langx|gd|Bhatan}}) is a small village in [[Caithness]], in the [[Highland (council area)|Highland]] area of [[Scotland]], on the main [[road]] ([[A882 road|A882]]-[[A9 road (Great Britain)|A9]]) between the [[burgh]] of [[Wick, Caithness|Wick]] and the [[town]] of [[Thurso]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scothighlands.com/Details?content=Drive-from-Thurso-to-Wick-Scotland&id=213|title=Scothighlands - Drive from Thurso to Wick, Scotland|website=www.scothighlands.com|access-date=2019-11-13}}</ref> about twelve kilometres (eight miles) west of Wick and close to [[Wick River]] and to [[Loch Watten]]. The village is on The [[Far North Line|Far North]] railway line but trains stopped calling at the village in 1960. [[watten railway station|The railway station]] is now a private house.
}}
[[File:Loch Watten.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Loch Watten]]


⚫
The village is within the '''parish of Watten''', which has the parish of [[Bower, Highland|Bower]] to the north, that of Wick to the east, that of [[Latheron]] to the south and that of [[Halkirk]] to the west.
⚫
'''Watten''' is a small village in [[Caithness]], in the [[Highland (council area)|Highland]] area of [[Scotland]], on the main [[road]] ([[A882 road|A882]]-[[A9 road (Great Britain)|A9]]) between the [[county town]] of [[Wick, Caithness|Wick]] and the [[burgh]] of [[Thurso]], about twelve kilometres (eight miles) west of Wick and close to [[Wick River]] and to [[Loch Watten]]. The village is on The [[Far North Line|Far North]] railway line but trains stopped calling at the village in 1960. [[watten railway station|The railway station]] is now a private house.


⚫
Loch Watten is the largest body of water in Caithness. The name of the village and loch appear to come from the [[Old Norse]] ''Vatn'', meaning water or lake,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Horne |first1=John |title=The County of Caithness |date=1907 |publisher=W. Rae |location=Wick |page=43 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i0Jw4xczRGQC |accessdate=6 June 2020}}</ref> and the loch is famous for its [[brown trout]] fishing. {{fact|date=May 2013}} The local [[public house]] is also named "The Brown Trout" after the local produce.
⚫
The village is within the '''parish of Watten''', which has the [[Parish of Bower]] to the north, that of Wick to the east, that of [[Latheron]] to the south and that of [[Halkirk]] to the west.

⚫
Loch Watten is the largest body of water in Caithness. The name of the village and loch appear to come from the [[Old Norse]] ''Vatn'', meaning water or lake, and the loch is famous for its brown trout fishing. The local [[public house]] is also named "The Brown Trout" after the famous local produce.


== Prisoner of war camp ==
== Prisoner of war camp ==


A military camp was built in Watten during [[World War II]], in early 1943, and at the end of the war this became [[Prisoner of war camp|POW]] Camp 165.<ref>[http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/Prisoner_of_War_Camps.pdf PRISONER OF WAR CAMPS (1939 – 1948), English Heritage 2003]</ref> This had been described as "Britain's most secretive prisoner of war camp" because many prominent [[Nazis]] were moved there from [[Prisoner of war camp|POW]] Camp 21 at [[Comrie]] in [[Perthshire]].<ref>''Camp 165 Watten Scotland's Most Secretive Prisoner of War Camp'', Valerie Campbell, Whittles Publishing 2008, ISBN 978-1-904445-60-9</ref><ref>[http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/3650/New_book_provides_insight_into_Watten_POW_camp.html New book provides insight into Watten POW camp, John O'Groat Journal 14th December 2007]</ref> These prisoners included [[Gunter d'Alquen]], [[Heinrich Himmler|Himmler's]] chief propagandist, leading [[U-boat]] captain [[Otto Kretschmer]], dubbed the "Wolf of the Atlantic", and [[SS]]-[[Sturmbannführer]] [[Max Wünsche]], one of [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler's]] top aides. The camp closed in 1948.
A military camp was built in Watten during [[World War II]], in early 1943, and at the end of the war this became [[Prisoner of war camp|POW]] Camp 165.<ref>[http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/Prisoner_of_War_Camps.pdf PRISONER OF WAR CAMPS (1939 – 1948), English Heritage 2003]</ref> This had been described as "Britain's most secretive prisoner of war camp" because many prominent [[Nazis]] were moved there from [[Cultybraggan Camp|POW Camp 21]] at [[Comrie, Perth and Kinross|Comrie]] in [[Perthshire]].<ref>''Camp 165 Watten Scotland's Most Secretive Prisoner of War Camp'', Valerie Campbell, Whittles Publishing 2008, {{ISBN|978-1-904445-60-9}}</ref><ref>[http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/3650/New_book_provides_insight_into_Watten_POW_camp.html New book provides insight into Watten POW camp, John O'Groat Journal 14 December 2007]</ref> These prisoners included [[Gunter d'Alquen]], [[Heinrich Himmler|Himmler's]] chief propagandist, leading [[U-boat]] captain [[Otto Kretschmer]], dubbed the "Wolf of the Atlantic", and [[SS]]-[[Sturmbannführer]] [[Max Wünsche]]. The camp closed in 1948.


== Notable people ==
== Notable people ==
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==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat-inline}}


[[Category:Populated places in Caithness]]
[[Category:Populated places in Caithness]]
[[Category:World War II prisoner-of-war camps in Scotland]]

[[Category: Parishes in Caithness]]

{{Highland-geo-stub}}

[[nl:Watten (Schotland)]]

Latest revision as of 17:38, 9 November 2024

Watten
Watten Parish Church
Watten is located in Caithness
Watten
Watten
Location within the Caithness area
OS grid referenceND242544
Council area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWick
Postcode districtKW1
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
List of places
UK
Scotland
58°28′31″N 3°18′03″W / 58.47526°N 3.3008°W / 58.47526; -3.3008

Watten (Scottish Gaelic: Bhatan) is a small village in Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland, on the main road (A882-A9) between the burgh of Wick and the town of Thurso,[1] about twelve kilometres (eight miles) west of Wick and close to Wick River and to Loch Watten. The village is on The Far North railway line but trains stopped calling at the village in 1960. The railway station is now a private house.

The village is within the parish of Watten, which has the parish of Bower to the north, that of Wick to the east, that of Latheron to the south and that of Halkirk to the west.

Loch Watten is the largest body of water in Caithness. The name of the village and loch appear to come from the Old Norse Vatn, meaning water or lake,[2] and the loch is famous for its brown trout fishing. [citation needed] The local public house is also named "The Brown Trout" after the local produce.

Prisoner of war camp

[edit]

A military camp was built in Watten during World War II, in early 1943, and at the end of the war this became POW Camp 165.[3] This had been described as "Britain's most secretive prisoner of war camp" because many prominent Nazis were moved there from POW Camp 21 at Comrie in Perthshire.[4][5] These prisoners included Gunter d'Alquen, Himmler's chief propagandist, leading U-boat captain Otto Kretschmer, dubbed the "Wolf of the Atlantic", and SS-Sturmbannführer Max Wünsche. The camp closed in 1948.

Notable people

[edit]

Watten was the birthplace of Alexander Bain, inventor of a type of pendulum-regulated electric clock and the fax machine. Bain is commemorated by a carved stone monument outside the village hall. The fax machine is referred to on this monument as "The Electric Printing Telegraph".

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Scothighlands - Drive from Thurso to Wick, Scotland". www.scothighlands.com. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  2. ^ Horne, John (1907). The County of Caithness. Wick: W. Rae. p. 43. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  3. ^ PRISONER OF WAR CAMPS (1939 – 1948), English Heritage 2003
  4. ^ Camp 165 Watten Scotland's Most Secretive Prisoner of War Camp, Valerie Campbell, Whittles Publishing 2008, ISBN 978-1-904445-60-9
  5. ^ New book provides insight into Watten POW camp, John O'Groat Journal 14 December 2007
[edit]

Media related to Watten, Highland at Wikimedia Commons

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