Single crystal CVD diamond material comprising a total nitrogen concentration of at least 5 ppm and a neutral single substitutional nitrogen. Ns0, to total single substitutional nitrogen, Ns, ratio of at least 0.7. Such a diamond is observed to have a relatively low amount of brown colouration despite the relatively high concentration of nitrogen A method of making the single crystal diamond is also disclosed, the method including growing the CVD diamond in process gases comprising 60 to 200 ppm nitrogen, in addition to a carbon-containing gas, and hydrogen, wherein the ratio of carbon atoms in the carbon-containing gas to hydrogen atoms in the hydrogen gas is 0.5 to 1.5%.