View source for Thurso

{{Short description|Town on the north coast of Scotland}}
{{About|the town in Scotland}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country                          = Scotland
| type                             = [[Towns in England|Town]]
| official_name                    = Thurso
| static_image_name                = Thurso from the hill at Mountpleasant - geograph.org.uk - 8869.jpg
| static_image_caption             = Thurso viewed from Mountpleasant
| gaelic_name                      = Inbhir Theòrsa
| scots_name                       = Thursa
| population                       = {{Scottish locality population|name|POP=Thurso}}
| population_ref                   = ({{Scottish settlement population citation|year}})<ref>{{Scottish settlement population citation}}</ref>
| os_grid_reference                = ND115685
| unitary_scotland                 = [[Highland (council area)|Highland]]
| lieutenancy_scotland             = [[Caithness]]
| constituency_westminster         = [[Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (UK Parliament constituency)|Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross]]
| constituency_scottish_parliament = [[Caithness, Sutherland and Ross (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Caithness, Sutherland and Ross]]
| historic_county                  = 
| post_town                        = Thurso
| postcode_district                = KW14
| postcode_area                    = KW
| dial_code                        = 01847
| london_distance_mi               = 508
| edinburgh_distance_mi            = 183
| coordinates                      = {{coord| 58.596|-3.521|region:GB_type:adm2nd|display=inline,title}}
}}

'''Thurso''' (<small>pronounced</small> {{IPAc-en|ˈ|θ|ɜːr|z|oʊ}}; {{langx|sco|Thursa}}, {{langx|gd|Inbhir Theòrsa}} {{IPA|gd|ˈiɲɪɾʲ ˈhjɔːrˠs̪ə|}}) is a [[Towns of the United Kingdom|town]] and former [[burgh]] on the north coast of the [[Highland (council area)|Highland council area]] of [[Scotland]]. Situated in the historical County of [[Caithness]], it is the northernmost town on the island of Great Britain. From a latitudinal standpoint, Thurso is located more than {{convert|500|mi|km}} north of [[London]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Distance Thurso → London |url=https://www.distance.to/Thurso,Caithness,Scotland,GBR/London,Greater-London,England,GBR |access-date=28 November 2022 |publisher=Distance.to}}</ref> and further north than the southernmost point of [[Norway]]. 

It lies at the junction of the north–south [[A9 road (Scotland)|A9 road]] and the west–east [[A836 road]], connected to Bridge of Forss in the west and [[Castletown, Highland|Castletown]] in the east. The {{convert|34|mi|adj=on}} [[River Thurso]] flows through the town and into [[Thurso Bay]] and the [[Pentland Firth]]. The river estuary serves as a small harbour. At the 2011 Census, Thurso had a population of 7,933. The population of the larger Thurso civil parish including the town and the surrounding countryside was estimated to be 12,057 in 2021.<ref>[https://statistics.gov.scot/resource?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fstatistics.gov.scot%2Fdata%2Fpopulation-estimates-2011-datazone-linked-dataset%2Fyear%2F2021%2FS13002991%2Fage%2Fall%2Fsex%2Fall%2Fpeople%2Fcount Population Estimates Summary]</ref>

Thurso functioned as an important [[Norse activity in the British Isles|Norse]] port, and later traded with ports throughout northern Europe until the 19th century.
A thriving fishing centre, Thurso also had a reputation for its linen-cloth and tanning activities. {{As of | 2015}}, the [[Dounreay Nuclear Power Development Establishment|Dounreay Nuclear Research Establishment]], although mostly decommissioned at the end of the 20th century, employs a significant number of the local population. The Category-A listed ruined [[Old St Peter's Church, Thurso|Old St Peter's Church]] (St. Peter's Kirk) is one of the oldest churches in Scotland, dating to at least 1125. The current church, [[St Andrew's and St Peter's Church, Thurso|St Andrew's and St Peter's]], was built in 1832 to a design by [[William Burn]] in the Gothic style.

The town contains the main campus of [[North Highland College]] and [[Thurso High School]], the northernmost secondary school on the British mainland, which was established in 1958. [[Thurso Castle]], built in 1872, is in ruins. Thurso is home to the [[association football|football]] team [[Thurso FC]], established in 1998, who play in the [[North Caledonian Football League|North Caledonian League]], and the rugby teams Caithness Crushers and [[Caithness RFC]].

[[Thurso railway station]], opened in 1874, is the most northern station in the United Kingdom. The nearby port of [[Scrabster]] provides ferry services to the [[Orkney Islands]]; the [[NorthLink Ferries|NorthLink]] ferry ({{MV|Hamnavoe}}) operates between Scrabster and [[Stromness]].

==Etymology==
Originally Thurso was known by the Celtic name of {{lang|xpi|tarvodubron}} meaning "bull water" or "bull river"; similarly [[Dunnet Head]] was {{lang|xpi|tarvedunum}} standing for "bull fort" and the name of the town name may have its roots there. Norse influence translated its name to {{lang|non|Thjorsá}}, then altered it to {{lang|non|Thorsá}}, based on the deity of [[Thor]] and translating as (the place on) Thor's River.<ref>{{cite book |first=John |last=Field |title=Discovering Place Names |year=1984 |publisher=Shire Publications |isbn=978-0852637029 }}</ref><ref name=Mills>{{cite book |last=Mills |first=A. D. |title=Thurso |section=A Dictionary of British Place Names |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2011 |access-date=10 June 2015 |url=http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199609086.001.0001/acref-9780199609086-e-12964 |url-access=subscription |isbn=978-0199609086 }}</ref>

The local [[Scots language|Scots]] name, {{lang|sco|Thursa}},<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scotslanguage.com/books/view/1/823/Names%20in%20Scots%20-%20Places%20in%20Scotland |title=Scottish Place Names in Scots |publisher=Scots Language Centre |access-date=14 December 2014}}</ref> derives from the Norse, as does the modern [[Scottish Gaelic]] {{lang|gd|Inbhir Theòrsa}}. {{wikt-lang|gd|inbhir|Inbhir}} means a river mouth, and is generally found as ''Inver'' in many anglicised names.

==History==
[[File:Lowtide.jpg|thumb|Low tide in Thurso]]
[[Image:StPeterKirk.jpg|thumb|right|St. Peter's Kirk, Thurso]]
Thurso's history stretches back to at least the era of [[Norsemen|Norse]] [[Orkney Isles|Orcadian]] rule in [[Caithness]], which ended conclusively in 1266. Neolithic horned cairns found on nearby Shebster Hill, which were used for burials and rituals, date back about 5,000 years.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-17463275|title=Neolithic horned cairns near Caithness wind farm scanned|publisher=BBC|access-date=14 December 2014|work=BBC News|date=21 March 2012}}</ref> The town was an important Norse port, and has a later history of trade with ports throughout northern Europe until the 19th century. In 1330 Scotland's standard unit of weight was brought in line with that of Thurso at the decree of [[David II of Scotland|King David II]] of Scotland, a measure of the town's economic importance.{{sfn|Mitchell|1825|p=385}} Old St Peter's Kirk is said to date from circa 1220 and the time of Caithness Bishop Gilbert Murray, who died in 1245.{{sfn|McFadden|1999|p=301}}

In 1649, Gaels from Ireland, led by Donald Macalister Mullach, attacked Thurso and were chased off by the residents, headed by Sir James Sinclair. One of the locals, a servant of Sinclair was said to have killed Mullach by "cutting a button from his master's coat and firing it from a musket".<ref name="BBC13"/> In 1811, the parish had 592 houses with a population of 3,462.{{sfn|Rees|1819|p=603}} This had decreased to 2,510 people by 1841.<ref>''The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge, Vol.IV'', (1848), London, Charles Knight, p.16</ref> Following the passage into law of the 1845 [[Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845|Poor Law Act]],<ref name="Poor relief">{{cite web |title=Poor Relief |url=http://www.scan.org.uk/knowledgebase/topics/poorhouses_topic.htm |publisher=Scottish Archive Network |access-date=20 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924094756/http://www.scan.org.uk/knowledgebase/topics/poorhouses_topic.htm |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=live |mode=cs2}}</ref> a combination [[Scottish poorhouse|poorhouse]] was constructed; work commenced in 1854 and was completed by 1856. The building, which had a capacity to house 149 inmates,{{sfnp|Groome|1885|p=438|ps=}} was on a {{convert|5|acre|adj=on|0}} site to the west of Thurso Road and provided [[poor relief]] for Thurso and the parishes of [[Bower, Highland|Bower]], [[Canisbay]], [[Dunnet]], [[Halkirk]], [[Olrig]], [[Reay]] and [[Watten, Highland|Watten]].<ref name="Poorhouse">{{cite web |title=Thurso Combination, Caithness |first=Peter |last=Higginbotham |publisher=workhouses.org |access-date=6 June 2015 |url=http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Thurso/}}</ref> Many of the poorhouses in Scotland were under used,{{sfnp|Higginbotham|2012|loc=The 1845 Scottish Poor Law Act|ps=}} and by 1924 the building had been unoccupied for several years so was sold; it was later utilised as housing but by 2001 was again abandoned.<ref name="Poorhouse"/>

Much of the town is a planned 19th-century development. In 1906, a new [[Royal National Lifeboat Institution]] boathouse and slipway was inaugurated near Scrabster Harbour. A fire on 10 December 1956 destroyed the building and its [[47ft Watson-class lifeboat]] and a new building and boat was built, launched the following year.<ref name="Visitor"/> A new lifeboat, named "The Three Sisters" was inaugurated in 1971 by [[the Queen Mother]]. A major expansion occurred in the mid-20th century when the Dounreay [[nuclear power plant]] was established at [[Dounreay]] in 1955,<ref>{{cite book|title=ThirdWay|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yr6kOu9YVjUC&pg=PA5|date=April 1986|publisher=Hymns Ancient & Modern Ltd|page=5}}</ref> {{convert|9|mi}} to the west of the town. The arrival of workers related to the power station caused a three-fold increase in the population of Thurso; the 1951 census gave a figure of 3,000 but this had swelled to 9,000 by 1971.<ref name="UKAEA">{{citation |publisher=UKAEA |title=The History and Achievements of UKAEA Dounreay |access-date=10 June 2015 |url=http://www.dounreay.com/UserFiles/File/archive/History/the_history_and_achievements_of_dounreay.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610194354/http://www.dounreay.com/UserFiles/File/archive/History/the_history_and_achievements_of_dounreay.pdf |archive-date=10 June 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> This led to around 1,700 new houses being built in Thurso and nearby [[Castletown, Highland|Castletown]], a mixture of local authority housing blended with private houses and flats built by the [[United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority]].<ref name="UKAEA" /> Decommissioned at the end of the 20th century, it is estimated the site will not be cleared of all the waste until the 2070s, so will continue to provide employment.<ref name=Engineer>{{citation |url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-179193410.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924145249/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-179193410.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = 24 September 2015 |title=Dounreay Decommissioning: Monumental task|date=19 May 2008|work=The Engineer|access-date=22 June 2015|url-access=}}</ref>

Thurso is also the name of the [[Viscount Thurso|viscountcy]] held by the Sinclair family in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.{{sfn|Groot|1993|p=236}} Thurso hosted the [[Royal National Mòd|National Mòd]] in 2010, which was the first time this festival of Gaelic language and culture had been held so far north.<ref name=BBC-primary>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-23507745 |title=Gaelic medium primary department for Caithness |work=BBC News |date=30 July 2013 |access-date=14 December 2014}}</ref><ref name=SMO>{{cite web|url=http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/mod/ |title=List of Mod's places|publisher=[[Sabhal Mòr Ostaig]] |access-date=14 December 2014}}</ref>

===Governance===
[[File:Thurso.JPG|thumb|View of Thurso from the north]]
[[File:Thurso towenhall.jpg|thumb|[[Thurso Town Hall]]]]
Thurso has history as a [[burgh of barony]] dating from 1633 when it was established by Charles I.<ref>{{cite book|title=Publications|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XJkgAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA753|year=1855|page=753}}</ref> From 1870, the burgh council was based at [[Thurso Town Hall]].<ref>{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB41988|desc= Town Hall, High Street, Thurso|access-date=5 September 2022}}</ref> In 1975, under the [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973]], the [[Local government in Scotland|local government]] [[burgh]] was merged into the [[Caithness]] district of the two-tier [[Highland (council area)|Highland]] [[Regions and districts of Scotland|region]]. In 1996, under the [[Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994]], the district was abolished and the region became a [[unitary council area]]. From 1996 until 2007, the town of Thurso was covered by two or three [[ward (politics)|ward]]s, each electing one councillor by the [[first-past-the-post voting|first-past-the-post]] system of election. In 2007, a single [[Highland Council wards created in 2007|Thurso ward]] was created to elect three councillors by the [[single transferable vote]] system.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://alexgraham.org.uk/highland-council-members/|title=Highland Council|date=19 May 2007 |publisher=Alexgraham.org.uk|access-date=14 December 2014}}</ref> In 2017 the Thurso ward was absorbed into a new multi member ward along with the Western portion of Landward Caithness,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.highland.gov.uk/councillors/specificWard/2/02_thurso_and_northwest_caithness | title=The Highland Council }}</ref> the new ward, named [[Thurso and North West Caithness (ward)|Thurso and Northwest Caithness]], was contested for the first time in the [[2017 Highland Council election|Highland Council election of 2017]]. The incumbent councillors are Cllr Matthew Reiss (Independent), Provost Struan Mackie ([[Scottish Conservatives|Scottish Conservative]]), Cllr Ron Gunn ([[Scottish Liberal Democrats]]) and Cllr Karl Rosie ([[Scottish National Party]]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thornton |first=Matt |title=2022 Local Government elections results |url=https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/800/election_results/998/2022_local_government_elections_results |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=www.highland.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref>

Electing four members to the new ward, it is one of two within the [[Highland Council]]'s [[Highland Council|Caithness ward management area]] and one of seven within the council's [[Highland Council|Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross corporate management area]].<ref>{{citation |last=Wilson |first=P. |newspaper=The Press and Journal |date=13 February 2007 |page=4 |title=Council to save pounds 1m in jobs changes}}</ref>

Thurso Community Council was created in 1975 when the burgh was abolished.<ref name="Visitor">{{cite web|url=http://www.visitoruk.com/thurso/20th-century-T1911.html|title=Thurso|publisher=Visitoruk.com|access-date=14 December 2014}}</ref> The [[community council]] is not a tier of local government, but it is recognised as a level of [[Statute|statutory]] representation. The community council represents an area which is somewhat smaller than that represented by ward councillors. The ward area also includes parts of other community council areas.

==Geography==
[[File:River Thurso - geograph.org.uk - 623832.jpg|thumb|Thurso from the river]]
[[File:Scrabster2009-1.jpg|thumb|[[Scrabster Harbour]]]]
Thurso is the most northerly town on the British mainland, situated on the northern coastline overlooking the [[Orkney Islands]].{{Sfn|Atkinson|2010|p=929}} It is situated at the northern terminus of the [[A9 road (Great Britain)|A9 road]], the main road linking [[Caithness]] with the south of Scotland, and is {{convert|19.5|mi}} west of [[John o' Groats]] and {{convert|20.4|mi}} northwest of [[Wick, Highland|Wick]], the closest town.<ref>{{Google maps| url =https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/John+o%27+Groats/Thurso,+Highland,+UK/@58.5461489,-3.5963802,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x489adf22b8be52c3:0x86f8db37f5b5c574!2m2!1d-3.068553!2d58.637299!1m5!1m1!1s0x4890092d2a23b333:0xa84be448e11aaa47!2m2!1d-3.52208!2d58.593566  | access-date =14 December 2014}}</ref> [[Thurso railway station]] is the most northerly location served by Britain's [[Network Rail|rail network]], which links the town directly with Wick, the [[county town]] of Caithness, and with Inverness. Thurso is bordered by the [[parish]]es of [[Olrig]] and [[Bower, Highland|Bower]] to the east, [[Halkirk]] to the south, and [[Reay]] to the west, and stretches from [[Holborn Head]] and Crosskirk Bay in the west to [[Dunnet Head]] and [[Dunnet Bay]] in the east.{{sfn|Krauskopf|2001|p=9}} It lies slightly further north than the Alaskan capital of [[Juneau]], and slightly further south than the Swedish capital of [[Stockholm]].[[File:Thurso Beach.jpg|thumb|Thurso Beach]]

The {{convert|34|mi|adj=on}} [[River Thurso]], reputable for its salmon fishing,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-13075050.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409201340/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-13075050.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 April 2016|title=Lord Thurso puts his famous salmon river up for sale at GBP 2m|publisher=The Scotsman|date=8 October 2005|access-date=7 June 2015}}</ref> flows through the town and into [[Thurso Bay]] and the [[Pentland Firth]].{{sfn|Lewis|1848|p=534}} The river estuary serves as a small harbour. Thurso has a fine harbour and beach and looks out over the Pentland Firth to the Orkney island of [[Hoy, Orkney|Hoy]] and the towering [[Old Man of Hoy]] (a stack of rock standing out from the main island).{{Sfn|Tait|Johnstone|1836|p=640}}

===Climate===
Thurso has a cool [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Cfb''), featuring similar weather to the [[Scottish Highlands]]. The highest temperature recorded was {{convert|25|°C|disp=or}}
(July 1995) and the lowest {{convert|−11|°C|1|disp=or}} (December 2010). Although Thurso is mild enough to permit the growth of trees, the windswept surroundings mostly consist of grasslands resembling the offshore northern archipelagoes of [[Orkney]] and [[Shetland]]. The sea remains chilly also in summer and offshore [[sea surface temperature]]s do not fluctuate much throughout the year.

{{weather box
|location = Thurso, Scotland
|width = auto
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 14.1
|Feb record high C = 14.4
|Mar record high C = 17.8
|Apr record high C = 19.8
|May record high C = 22.8
|Jun record high C = 24.3
|Jul record high C = 25.0
|Aug record high C = 24.9
|Sep record high C = 23.0
|Oct record high C = 19.9
|Nov record high C = 16.2
|Dec record high C = 13.8

|Jan high C =  6.2
|Feb high C =  6.6
|Mar high C =  8.0
|Apr high C = 10.2
|May high C = 12.7
|Jun high C = 14.6
|Jul high C = 16.6
|Aug high C = 16.6
|Sep high C = 14.6
|Oct high C = 11.6
|Nov high C =  8.5
|Dec high C =  6.6
|year high C= 11.1
|Jan low C =  0.8
|Feb low C =  0.8
|Mar low C =  1.7
|Apr low C =  3.2
|May low C =  5.2
|Jun low C =  8.1
|Jul low C = 10.1
|Aug low C = 10.2
|Sep low C =  8.2
|Oct low C =  5.8
|Nov low C =  3.2
|Dec low C =  1.1
|year low C=  4.9
|Jan record low C = −10.6
|Feb record low C = -10.0
|Mar record low C =  −7.8
|Apr record low C =  −5.3
|May record low C =  −2.6
|Jun record low C =  −0.9
|Jul record low C =   1.2
|Aug record low C =   0.6
|Sep record low C =  −3.4
|Oct record low C =  −6.2
|Nov record low C =  −8.8
|Dec record low C = -11.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 100.4
|Feb precipitation mm = 79.4
|Mar precipitation mm = 82.3
|Apr precipitation mm = 58.0
|May precipitation mm = 55.3
|Jun precipitation mm = 63.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 70.5
|Aug precipitation mm = 76.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 96.8
|Oct precipitation mm = 104.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 115.5
|Dec precipitation mm = 110.4
|year precipitation mm = 1002.4
|Jan sun = 36.6
|Feb sun = 67.9
|Mar sun = 96.4
|Apr sun = 145.3
|May sun = 196.3
|Jun sun = 157.3
|Jul sun = 140.9
|Aug sun = 135.2
|Sep sun = 114.1
|Oct sun = 76.2
|Nov sun = 45.7
|Dec sun = 28.7
|year sun = 1240.5
|source = <ref name="UK Met Office">{{cite web |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/so/ |title=climate: Thurso |publisher=[[Met Office]] |access-date=8 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605044019/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/so/ |archive-date=5 June 2011}}</ref>
}}

==Economy==
[[File:Rotterdam Street, Thurso - geograph.org.uk - 574344.jpg|thumb|Rotterdam Street, Thurso]]
Historically, Thurso was known for its production of linen cloth and had a thriving tanning business.{{sfn|Rees|1819|p=603}} Fishing has always been of major significance in the running of the local economy, and the Thurso Shipowner's Association oversaw much of the shipping activity.<ref>''Aberdeen Journal'' – Saturday 1 March 1879, p. 8, Accessed via The [[British Newspaper Archive]] {{subscription required}}. Retrieved 14 December 2014.</ref> The port of [[Scrabster]] lies about {{convert|1+1/2|mi}} to the west of the estuary of the River Thurso, and plays a significant role in the white fish industry in Scotland.<ref name="Fish">{{cite web |title=Scotland's marine atlas: Fishing |publisher=The Scottish Government |date=March 2011 |access-date=10 June 2015 |url=http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2011/03/16182005/63 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610174916/http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2011/03/16182005/63 |archive-date=10 June 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> Scrabster has deep water in the shelter of Holborn Head. The harbour includes a berth for the ''[[MV Hamnavoe]]'', a [[roll-on/roll-off]] [[ferry]] operated by [[NorthLink Ferries|Northlink]] linking the Scottish mainland with [[Stromness]] on Orkney. There is also a large fishmart and the local lifeboat is stationed there too. From June 2007, a summer-only weekly ferry service operated by the Faroese company [[Smyril Line]] reopened,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highland.gov.uk/download/meetings/id/53892/cc4807pdf|title=Reopening of North Atlantic Link to Scrabster|publisher=Highland Council|access-date=14 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214171021/http://www.highland.gov.uk/download/meetings/id/53892/cc4807pdf|archive-date=14 December 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> connecting Scrabster with the [[Faroe Islands]], [[Iceland]] and Norway, but has now been discontinued.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7721684.stm |publisher=BBC |title=Summer ferry sailings cancelled |access-date=23 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403044442/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7721684.stm |archive-date=3 April 2015 |url-status=live|date=11 November 2008 }}</ref>

[[File:Thurso Visitor Centre - 2.jpg|thumb|Inside North Coast Visitor Centre, Thurso]]
Thurso has a small [[museum]], North Coast Visitor Centre, several hotels and bars, a surf shop/cafe stocking famous brands, and a small skatepark. There is also a sizeable [[British Telecom]] call centre and a plant making lithium-ion batteries for the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|MoD]] on the west side of the town, which along with the [[Dounreay Nuclear Power Development Establishment|Dounreay Nuclear power plant]], provide a high level of employment in Caithness. On 12 January 2010, approval was granted for the Baillie wind farm near Thurso which will feature 21 turbines and supply 52.5&nbsp;MW, enough for 25,000 homes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2010/01/12110442 |title=News release: Two wind farm schemes approved |publisher=Scottish Government |date=12 January 2010 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/3011/20130203142729/http://scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2010/01/12110442 |archive-date=3 February 2013}}</ref>

==Landmarks==
{{further|List of listed buildings in Thurso, Highland}}
[[File:Thurso (8990368425).jpg|thumb|Old St Peter's Church (St. Peter's Kirk)]]
The [[Listed building#Scotland|Category A listed]] ruined [[Old St Peter's Church, Thurso|Old St Peter's Church]] (St. Peter's Kirk) is one of the older churches in Scotland, dated to at least 1125, and at one time it was the principal church for the county, administered by the Bishops of Caithness.<ref name="BBC13">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-22308900|title=Gravestones vandalised at Old St Peter's Church in Thurso|publisher=BBC|date=26 April 2013|access-date=14 December 2014}}</ref> The church held hearings against criminal activity and determined how those caught should be punished. In 1701, a woman who had a relationship with a Dutch sailor had her head shaved and was publicly shamed, paraded through the town by the local hangman.<ref name="BBC13"/>

The current church, [[St Andrew's and St Peter's Church, Thurso|St Andrew's and St Peter's]], was built in 1832 to a design by [[William Burn]] in the Gothic style with buttressed walls and a square tower.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotlandschurchestrust.org.uk/church/st-peters-st-andrews-church-thurso|title=St Peter's & St Andrew's Church, Thurso|publisher=Scotland Church's Trust|access-date=14 December 2014}}</ref> The pipe organ was added by [[Norman & Beard]] in 1914, and in 1922 [[Oscar Paterson]] contributed some of the stained glass windows such as 'The Sower'. In 2013 gravestones were vandalised in the graveyard.<ref name="BBC13"/> [[Holburn Head Lighthouse]], within the parish territory, was completed in 1862 to a design by David & Thomas Stevenson and has since achieved Category B listed status.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nlb.org.uk/LighthouseLibrary/Lighthouse/Holburn-Head/|title=Holburn Head|publisher=Northern Lighthouse Board|access-date=14 December 2014|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305200629/http://www.nlb.org.uk/LighthouseLibrary/Lighthouse/Holburn-Head/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:HolburnHead.jpg|thumb|left|Holburn Head Lighthouse]]
The Swanson Gallery of Thurso hosts exhibitions throughout the year, and showcases glass art by Ian Pearson.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/thurso-p243991|title=Thurso|publisher=Visitscotland.com|access-date=14 December 2014}}</ref> The North Coast Visitor Centre also hosts exhibitions. Hotels of note include the 103-room Royal Hotel,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bespokehotels.com/royalhotelthurso|title=The Royal Hotel|publisher=Bespokehotels.com|access-date=14 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214162723/http://www.bespokehotels.com/royalhotelthurso|archive-date=14 December 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Pentland Hotel, Waterside House, Murray House and the Category B listed Forss House Hotel, about 4 miles to the west of Thurso in a Georgian country mansion.{{Sfn|Wilson|2012|p=262}} At Sir John's Square is an ornamental garden and statue which was donated to the town by [[Sir John Sinclair, 3rd Baronet|Sir Tollemache Sinclair]] in memory of his grandfather [[Sir John Sinclair, 1st Baronet|Sir John Sinclair]], a prominent local figure responsible for the "compilation of the First Statistical Account of Scotland and the pioneering of agricultural reforms in Caithness".<ref name="Caithness">{{cite web|url=http://www.caithness.org/atoz/thurso/|title=Thurso|publisher=Caithness.org|access-date=14 December 2014}}</ref> A Category C listed fountain was built in 1894 by the son of Sir George Sinclair. Also of note is the wellhouse of Meadow Well at the junction of Traill Street and Manson's Lane, which was the primary water supply for Thurso for centuries. The current well, with a conical roof, was completed in 1823.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/8501/details/thurso+manson+s+lane+meadow+well/|title=Meadow Well|publisher=Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland|access-date=14 December 2014}}</ref>

The war memorial in Thurso dates from 1922 and was designed by [[Percy Portsmouth]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/warmemscot-ftopic1115.html|title = The Scottish Military Research Group – Commemorations Project :: Percy Portsmouth}}</ref>

==Education==
[[File:Pennyland House - geograph.org.uk - 243317.jpg|thumb|right|Pennyland House]]
The main campus of [[North Highland College]], formerly Thurso College, is one of several partner colleges which constitute the [[University of the Highlands & Islands]]. It offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from subjects as diverse as Nuclear Decommissioning, Hairdressing, Gamekeeping and Golf Management. Adjacent to the UHI is [[Thurso High School]], the most northerly secondary school on the British mainland, established in 1958. The town also has three primary schools, Pennyland, Miller Academy Primary{{efn|Originally Miller Institution, it changed to only a Primary School in 1958 when Thurso High School was built to accommodate the influx of people connected to the Dounreay Nuclear Power Station.<ref name="Miller">{{citation |last=Ramsay |first=Pat |journal=Miller Academy Primary School Handbook 2015–2016 |url=http://www.highland.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/7192/miller_academy_handbook|title=About our school |access-date=10 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610194544/http://www.highland.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/7192/miller_academy_handbook |archive-date=10 June 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>}} and Mount Pleasant.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highland.gov.uk/download/.../id/.../pennyland_primary_schoolpdf|title=Pennyland Primary School|publisher=Highland Council|access-date=14 December 2014}}{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}</ref> Mount Pleasant Primary School has a [[Scottish Gaelic]] medium unit, part of a revival of the language in Caithness.<ref name=BBC-primary /> According to the 2011 census, 110 residents of the town age three and over (1.43%) speak Gaelic while 181 overall (2.35%) have some facility with the language.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/ods-web/data-warehouse.html|title= 2011 Scottish Census (Table QS211SC)|publisher=Scotlandscensus.gov.uk|access-date=14 December 2014}}</ref> A Gaelic language nursery school, Cròileagan Inbhir Theòrsa, was created in the town in 1996.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.linguae-celticae.org/dateien/Gaidhlig_Local_Studies_Vol_22_Cataibh_an_Ear_Ed_II.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204162120/http://www.linguae-celticae.org/dateien/Gaidhlig_Local_Studies_Vol_22_Cataibh_an_Ear_Ed_II.pdf |url-status=usurped |archive-date=4 February 2012 |title=Scottish Gaelic Local Studies|publisher=Linguae-celticae.org|access-date=14 December 2014}}</ref>

North Coast Visitor Centre is a small museum that opened in 2021, following the closure of Caithness Horizons in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.highland.gov.uk/news/article/14034/former_caithness_horizons_facility_set_to_relaunch_as_the_north_coast_visitor_centre_from_november_2021 |title=Former "Caithness Horizons" facility set to relaunch as the North Coast Visitor Centre from November 2021  |publisher=[[Highland Council]] |access-date=31 August 2023}}</ref> The museum continues to host panels from the control room at the Dounreay Materials Testing Reactor (DMTR), which in 1958 had become Scotland's first operation nuclear reactor.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-30326670 |title=Dounreay control room given to museum in Thurso |work=BBC News |date=5 December 2014 |access-date=14 December 2014}}</ref>

==Sport==
[[File:Surf in Thurso East.jpg|thumb|Thurso is popular with water sports enthusiasts.]]
With its powerful swells, Thurso is a notable location for [[surfing]] and [[kayaking]], with international surfing championship events having regularly been held in the area.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/roger-cox-thurso-still-boasts-world-class-waves-1-3191665 |title=Thurso still boasts world-class waves |last=Cox |first=Roger |work=The Scotsman |date=16 November 2013 |access-date=8 December 2014}}</ref> It attracts surfers from all over the world,{{sfn|Mason|2011|p=12}} and both the European Surfing Championships and Scottish Surf Kayaking Championships have been held in Caithness, with Thurso East being the main focus of activity. An annual raft race is organised by the North Coast Branch of Coastguard Association.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.caithness.org/fpb/august2003/photogallery/index.php?gallery=20&image=1|title=Thurso Bay Raft Race|publisher=Caithness.org|access-date=14 December 2014}}</ref>

The football team, [[Thurso FC]] (nicknamed "the Vikings"), was established in 1998 and plays in the [[North Caledonian Football League|North Caledonian League]]. Caithness Crushers are a [[rugby league]] club playing in the [[Scotland Rugby League]] Conference Division 1, while [[Caithness RFC]] are a [[rugby union]] club that participate in the [[Caledonia Regional Leagues (Rugby Union)|Caledonia One]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/caithnessrugbyfootballclub/a/history-31127.html?page=1 |title=Caithness Rugby Football Club: history: CRFC 1962 – Present Day |publisher=Pitchero.com |access-date=14 December 2014}}</ref> The local athletics club is Caithness Amateur Athletics Club (C.A.A.C.); hurdler Moira Mcbeath was a 1986 Commonwealth Games athlete.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/News/Caithness-baton-bearers-named-12062014.htm |title=Caithness baton bearers named |work=John O'Groat Journal |date=12 June 2014 |access-date=13 December 2014 |archive-date=31 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031043808/https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/News/Caithness-baton-bearers-named-12062014.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Thurso has the largest swimming club in the Highland area, Thurso Amateur Swimming Club (TASC), with over 250 members.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thursoasc.org.uk/|title= Thurso Amateur Swimming Club |publisher=Thursoasc.org.uk|access-date=14 December 2014}}</ref> Thurso Bowling Club is next door to the [[Tesco]] supermarket. Also of note is Caithness Motocross Club, which stages races fortnightly during the summer on tracks around the county.<ref name="Sport">{{cite web |title=Caithness Moto-X Club |publisher=sport.caithness.org |url=http://sport.caithness.org/group.php?id=125 |access-date=10 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610172058/http://sport.caithness.org/group.php?id=125 |archive-date=10 June 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Transport==
[[File:Thurso Station geograph-4040779-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg|thumb|[[Thurso railway station]]]]
[[Thurso railway station]] opened in 1874. It was the most northern station on the [[Sutherland and Caithness Railway]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Perkins |first=T.&nbsp;R. |date=August 1904 |title=The 'Farthest North' British Railway |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X5BIAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA93 |magazine=[[The Railway Magazine]] |publication-place=London |volume=XV |pages=93{{ndash}}104 |access-date=11 August 2024}}</ref> The station became part of the [[Highland Railway|Highland Railway Company]] in the late 19th century{{sfn|Campbell|1920|p=150}} before being absorbed into the [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]] in 1923.{{Sfn|Whitehouse|Thomas|2002|p=204}} and it is now part of the [[Far North Line]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scotrail.co.uk/scotland-by-rail/great-scenic-rail-journeys/far-north-line-inverness-thurso-wick |title=Far North Line: Inverness to Thurso and Wick |publisher=ScotRail |access-date=23 June 2015}}</ref>

The nearby port of [[Scrabster]] provides ferry services to the [[Orkney Islands]]. The [[A9 road (Scotland)|A9]] trunk road, which connects Thurso to [[Inverness]], [[Perth, Scotland|Perth]], the [[M90 motorway]] and the [[Central Belt]] ends at the ferry terminal.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/29/scottish-independence-my-way-and-the-highway|title=Scottish independence: my way and the highway|newspaper=The Guardian|date=29 August 2014|access-date=7 June 2015}}</ref> [[Stagecoach Group|Stagecoach]] run bus services from Thurso to [[Wick, Caithness|Wick]] and [[John o' Groats]], and a long-distance service to [[Helmsdale]] and [[Inverness]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stagecoachbus.com/PdfUploads/Timetable_51336_77%2080%2081%20181%20Caithness%20.pdf|title=Timetable 51336 77|publisher=[[Stagecoach Group]]|access-date=7 June 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622114552/https://www.stagecoachbus.com/PdfUploads/Timetable_51336_77%2080%2081%20181%20Caithness%20.pdf|archive-date=22 June 2015}}</ref>

==Twin towns==
Thurso is twinned with [[Brilon]], Germany.

==Notable people==
* [[Andrew Geddes Bain]] (1797–1864) — geologist, road engineer, palaeontologist and explorer.{{Sfn|Bain|1949|p=xii}}
* [[Colin Birss]] (born 1964) — British judge.
* [[David O. Calder|David Orson Calder]] (1823–1884) — academician and pioneer settler in Utah.{{Sfn|Chamberlin|1960|p=584}}
* [[Jock Campbell (VC)|John Charles "Jock" Campbell]] (1894–1942) — British Army officer, recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]].{{Sfn|Zabecki|2015|p=283}}
* [[Martin Carr]] (born 1968) — writer and musician.{{Sfn|Larkin|2011|p=10}}
* [[Robert Dick (geologist)|Robert Dick]] (1811–1866) — geologist; lived in Thurso from 1830 until death.<ref>{{cite book|title=Harper's Weekly|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_YYM-AQAAMAAJ|year=1879|publisher=Harper's Magazine Company|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_YYM-AQAAMAAJ/page/n82 95]}}</ref>
* [[John Finlaison]] (1783–1860) — civil servant and government actuary.{{Sfn|Urban|1860|p=194}}
* [[George Finlayson]] (1790–1823) — naturalist and traveler.<ref>{{cite book|title=The British Critic|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=odjQAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA158|year=1826|publisher=F. and C. Rivington|page=158}}</ref>
* [[Bryan Gunn]] (born 1963) — professional football goalkeeper and manager.{{Sfn|Brack|2011|p=24}}
* [[Robin Harper]] (born 1940) — politician.{{sfn|Spicer|2004|p=132}}
* [[William Henderson (physician and homeopath)|William Henderson]] (1810–1872) — physician and homeopath.{{Sfn|Debus|1968|p=783}}
* [[Christina Keith]] (1889–1963), Scottish academic and author
* [[Jock Macdonald]] (1897–1960) — Canadian painter and art educator.{{Sfn|Zemans|1985|p=7}}
* [[Gary Mackay-Steven]] (born 1990) — professional football winger, played for [[Celtic F.C.]] & [[Heart of Midlothian F.C.]]
* [[Tommy McGee]] (born 1979) — Scottish rugby league and rugby union footballer.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby/latest/mcghee-lands-seven-week-suspension-1-870376|title=McGhee lands seven-week suspension|newspaper=The Scotsman|access-date=22 June 2015}}</ref>
* [[Anne McKevitt]] (born 1967) — entrepreneur, TV Personality, author and philanthropist.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northhighland.uhi.ac.uk/news/apprentice-contestant-alex-epstein-to-participate-in-college-enterprise-day|title=Apprentice contestant, Alex Epstein to participate in college Enterprise Day|publisher=North Highland College|access-date=22 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622111838/http://www.northhighland.uhi.ac.uk/news/apprentice-contestant-alex-epstein-to-participate-in-college-enterprise-day|archive-date=22 June 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Martin Rennie (football manager)|Martin Rennie]] (born 1975) — professional football coach.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/scots-manager-martin-rennie-ill-5294172|title=Scots manager Martin Rennie: I'll put my heart and Seoul into running new club in Korea|newspaper=The Daily Record|access-date=22 June 2015}}</ref>
* [[W. D. Ross|Sir William David Ross]], (1877–1971) — moral philosopher, editor and translator of Aristotle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.giffordlectures.org/lecturers/william-david-ross|title=William David Ross|publisher=Giffordlectures.org|access-date=22 June 2015|date=18 August 2014}}</ref>
* [[Arthur St. Clair]] (1737–1818) — American Revolutionary War soldier and politician.{{Sfn|Browning|1898|p=154}}
* [[William Alexander Smith (Boys' Brigade)|Sir William Alexander Smith]] (1854–1914) — founder of the [[Boys Brigade]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Oliver and Boyd's Edinburgh Almanac and National Repository ...|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QWQKAQAAMAAJ|year=1912|publisher=Oliver & Boyd|page=751}}</ref>
* [[Donald Swanson]] (1848–1924) — senior police officer in the Metropolitan Police during the Jack the Ripper murders.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-28755249|title=True detective: The Scot who hunted Jack the Ripper|work=BBC News|date=14 August 2014|access-date=22 June 2015}}</ref>
* Rev [[Walter Ross Taylor]] (1805–1896) Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland in 1884 and his son Rev [[Walter Ross Taylor (1838–1907)]] Moderator in 1900

==References==
'''Notes'''
{{notelist}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Sources===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Atkinson|first=David|title=Great Britain|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6cBuHueeTCMC&pg=PA929|year=2010|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-1742203416}}
* {{cite book|last=Bain|first=Andrew Geddes|title=Journals|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PG4cAAAAMAAJ|year=1949|publisher=Van Riebeeck Society}}
* {{cite book|last=Brack|first=Ted|title=There's Only One Sauzee: When Le God Graced Easter Road|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LhMjAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT24|year=2011|publisher=Black & White Publishing Limited|isbn=978-1845023959}}
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* {{cite book|last=Campbell|first=H.F.|title=Caithness and Sutherland Cambridge County Geographies|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1920|isbn=978-1107692800}}
* {{cite book|last=Chamberlin|first=Ralph Vary|title=The University of Utah: A History of Its First Hundred Years, 1850 to 1950|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rUwXAAAAIAAJ|year=1960|publisher=University of Utah Press}}
* {{cite book|last=Debus|first=Allen G.|title=World Who's who in Science: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Scientists from Antiquity to the Present|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CZNNAQAAIAAJ|year=1968|publisher=Marquis-Who's Who}}
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* {{cite book|last1=Macleod|first1=Norman|last2=Dewar|first2=Daniel|title=A Dictionary of the Gaelic Language|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fb5UAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA563|year=1845|publisher=Bohn}}
* {{cite book|last=Mason|first=Paul|title=Surfing: The World's Most Fantastic Surf Spots and Techniques|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O_Ck6vM1nNYC&pg=PP12|year=2011|publisher=Capstone|isbn=978-1-4296-6879-8}}
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* {{cite book|last=Mitchell|first=James|title=The Scotsman's Library: Being a Collection of Anecdotes and Facts Illustrative of Scotland and Scotsmen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lqYuAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA385|year=1825|publisher=J. Anderson}}
* {{cite book|last=Rees|first=Abraham|title=The Cyclopaedia; Or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences and Literature. London, Longman, Hurst (usw.) 1819–20|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tUVRAAAAcAAJ&pg=PT603|year=1819|publisher=Longman, Hurst}}
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* {{cite book|last1=Tait|first1=William|last2=Johnstone|first2=Christian Isobel|title=Tait's Edinburgh Magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CAkbAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA640|year=1836|publisher=W. Tait}}
* {{cite book|last=Urban|first=Sylvanus|title=The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Review|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5LYUAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA194|year=1860}}
* {{cite book|last1=Whitehouse|first1=Patrick|last2=Thomas|first2=David St John|title = LMS 150 : The London Midland & Scottish Railway A century and a half of progress|publisher = David & Charles|year=2002|isbn=0715313789}}
* {{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Neil|title=Lonely Planet Scotland's Highlands & Islands|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8pXmlIqynQwC&pg=PT262|date=2012|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-1742206882}}
* {{cite book|last=Zabecki|first=David T.|title=World War II in Europe: An Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mq_lCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT283|date=2015|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1135812423}}
* {{cite book|last=Zemans|first=Joyce|title=Jock Macdonald|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PwA3AQAAIAAJ|date=1985|publisher=National Gallery of Canada|isbn=978-0888845276}}

{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Thurso}}
* [https://archive.today/20130114045849/http://www.travelscotland.co.uk/guide/Thurso Guide to Thurso] at Travelscotland.co.uk

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Thurso| ]]
[[Category:Populated places in Caithness]]
[[Category:Towns in Highland (council area)]]
[[Category:Ports and harbours of Scotland]]
[[Category:Viking Age populated places]]
[[Category:Orkneyinga saga places]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns in Scotland]]
[[Category:Parishes in Caithness]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Scotland]]