The Northern Constabulary is the police force for Northern Scotland, covering the council areas of Highland, Na h-Eileanan Siar (the Western Isles), the Orkney Isles and the Shetland Isles, which comprise a major part of the Highlands and Islands area. It is the police force covering the largest geographical area in the United Kingdom, and has about 700 officers. See Justice Support to Local Authories, The Annual Report of the Scottish Executive

The police force was formed on May 16, 1975 and merged a pre-existing Northern Constabulary, the Ross and Sutherland Constabulary and the Inverness Constabulary, along with the northernmost portion of the Argyll County Police area, and the Nairn part of the Scottish North East Counties Constubulary. The previous Northern Constabulary had been created in 1969 by the merger of the Caithness, Orkney and Shetland forces.

The new Northern Constabulary was created at the same time as local government reorganisation created the Highland regional council and the islands councils of the Western Isles, the Orkney Isles and the Shetland Isles. The rest of the Argyll County Police were merged into the Strathclyde Police, and the rest of the Scottish North East Counties Constubulary into the Grampian Police.

The Northern Constabulary area is also the area covered by the Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service.

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