It was unveiled by the Lord Lyon, Dr Joseph Morrow, at a ceremony in Caithness House, Wick on 26 January 2016.

The traditional emblem of Caithness, a galley, is placed in the first quarter, with a raven upon its sail as it appears in the county's civic arms.

291 votes Design B The wildcat head (drawn in Pictish-style art) is a homage to the old Kingdom of Cat, which was centred in Caithness.

The blue field and white chevron symbolises the sea and the county's maritime heritage, while the black stands for the Caithness flagstone.

The wavy blue and white lines covering the rest of the field represent the sea and Caithness' maritime heritage.