Rotary Club of Thurso 

History

Thurso is a long established town with origins dating back to Viking times when it was an important Norse settlement; the major gateway to mainland Scotland. Indeed, the town's name probably comes from comes from the Viking "Thor's-a" which means river of the god Thor. It has developed significantly since the first fisherman's houses were built around the harbour in the 17th Century and Sir John Sinclair developed the wide streets and Georgian houses of Thurso. The influx of workers to Dounreay in the mid 1950s led to the biggest change, bringing a boom in the town's population. 

Thurso was created a Royal burgh in 1633. It has always been important as a major trading port with the Northern Isles and Scandinavia, and was, for a long time, the county town before Wick became the centre for administration. 

Location

Situated on the Pentland Firth in the beautiful sheltered Thurso bay, it is the most northerly town on the British mainland. The bay sweeps from Holborn Head in the west to Dunnet Head (the most northerly point of the British mainland) in the east, with fine sandy beaches in Thurso and Dunnet. There are spectacular views over the Firth to the Orkney Islands, but particularly the island of Hoy with its breathtaking 1100 feet high cliffs dwarfing the 450 foot famous stack, the Old Man of Hoy, which can be seen clearly from the town. 

This spectacular scenery and wildlife is something that makes Caithness so special. The coastline of soaring cliffs with stunning natural arches, caves, sea stacks and "geos" is truly a birdwatchers paradise.  The towering cliffs in the area are ideal nesting sites for vast colonies of sea-birds. The combination of spectacular cliffs and the noise and smells of the massive birdlife colonies are an experience not quickly forgotten. Inland, the internationally famous peatlands of Caithness (and Sutherland) contain a vast array of peat bogs, pools and moorland, recognised as one of Europe's last great wilderness.  Home to plants, birds and animals specially adapted to this immense natural area. 

Distances are:

Thurso Today

For many years a centre for production of flagstone, this has now been replaced by more modern industries, most notably nuclear power, which employs almost 2,500 people in the local area in the two establishments of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) Dounreay and Vulcan Naval Reactor Test Establishment (NRTE) adjacent. Other large local employers include:

The fishing industry, so vibrant in earlier days still survives into the 21st Century, having moved to the large port of Scrabster, which can be seen from Thurso beach as it is only 2 miles west of Thurso. Scrabster is literally at the end of the A9, terminating at the main ferry terminal serving the Orkney Island. The ferry departs several times a day from here on the 2 hour crossing to Stromness.

Thurso is a small town of about 8,600 people, but the busy high street with a full range of shops often surprises visitors. 

Leisure facilities are extremely good for such a small population (some have web sites; click on the picture below to follow the link):

                Thurso GC             Reay GC

Surfing has also recently brought the town to prominence as both National and International events are held in the Thurso bay.

....and finally

No mention of Caithness is complete without mentioning the weather. It varies from beautiful sunny, calm days when the spectacular scenery can be seen at its best, to those days when you can barely stand up due to the force of the wind. It really is true to say that we get all four seasons in one day; hail, snow, sunshine and rain! But that's what makes the place so special; it's a small friendly little town where people talk to each other in the street and everyone has plenty to do to keep themselves happy.

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Last updated:Friday August 18, 2006