Caithness Thurso & North Coast
As the northernmost town on mainland Scotland, Thurso is the heart of the north coast. Situated where the River Thurso meets the Pentland Firth, the town enjoys stunning coastal vistas, from sandy beaches to rugged cliffs.
But if you think this is sleepy rural life, think again. Thurso is a lively town with some of the best surfing in the world. The town centre blends tradition with modern convenience, offering an excellent range of shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants. The population of north Caithness rapidly expanded when the nuclear power station Dounreay set up base in the 1950s, and this huge employer has continued to drive employment in the region. The new economy is moving away from nuclear towards renewable energy, supported by several generations of highly-skilled professionals.
Top three reasons to move to Caithness Thurso and North Coast:
The mighty Pentland Firth
Paradise for water sports lovers, and a key driver of the local economy, offering employment to generations of Caithnessians, local and adopted.
World class education
The Highlands has its own university. UHI North, West and Hebrides is based in Thurso with campuses across the Highlands and Islands, offering education right up to PhD level. It also has an international reputation for environmental research and innovation.
Atmospheric villages
Caithness is home to some true gems, such as the iconic John O’Groats, picture-perfect Reay village and the Castle of Mey with its longstanding Royal links.
Discover our regions
Thurso has a long seafaring tradition, and Scrabster Harbour is a bustling industrial port with a ferry terminal and a maintenance base for the offshore wind industry. The waves in this part of the world are legendary, and Thurso is home to the World Surfing Championships as well as several water sports clubs. For a gentler pace, Dunnet Sands is a truly stunning and unspoilt beach popular with locals and visitors alike.
Thurso is an enterprising town and hosts many community groups and a highly successful development trust, spearheading local regeneration and conservation efforts. It’s also an enormously welcoming area, with a vast range of activities and events to suit all ages and abilities. The area has strong musical roots celebrated in the annual Tunes on the Dunes festival of traditional music.
Castletown and Dunnet
Caithness is renowned for its sweeping views and wide open landscapes and nowhere captures this better than the villages that frame the long, sandy stretch of Dunnet Bay. On opposite sides of the bay sit the coastal communities of Castletown and Dunnet.
Castletown offers a great range of local amenities, including a primary school, village shop, doctors’ surgery, traditional butcher, and a welcoming hotel. Just across the water, Dunnet is home to its own cosy hotel and a popular local distillery known for its warm hospitality.
Between these two villages stretches Dunnet Bay, a vast arc of golden sand bordered by grassy dunes and an endless sky, making it one of the most striking beaches in the North Highlands. It’s a favourite for nature lovers, families, dog walkers and surfers. The beach’s gentle slope into the sea makes it ideal for paddling, wild swimming, and water sports.
Halkirk
Halkirk is a small, sociable village in central Caithness, surrounded by low-lying farmland and expansive ‘Big Sky’ views over the vast landscape towards Movern and Maidens Pap. Halkirk lies on the edge of the Flow Country and is set along the banks of the River Thurso, renowned for its salmon fishing.
The village offers a warm welcome and is well-equipped with local amenities, including a primary school and playgroup, a doctor’s surgery, village shop, post office, hotel, and pub. The Ross Institute, the village’s central community hub, hosts a variety of social events, clubs, and activities, from indoor bowls to live music and martial arts.
A highlight in the village calendar is the Halkirk Highland Games, which each summer, on the last Saturday in July, attracts up to 5,000 visitors and locals for a day full of sports and highland culture, featuring kilted strongmen, Highland dancers, track and field athletes, cyclists, clay pigeon shooters, and children, all competing for top prizes.
Approx 7,000 in Thurso and a further 2,000 in the surrounding region.
Dounreay is on a decommissioning journey but remains a major employer to the area, along with the neighbouring Rolls-Royce submarine base. North Caithness also has a history of innovation in battery storage, an industry of increasing importance as we produce more power from renewables. NHS Highland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Highland Council are the main public sector employers, and the region has a booming tourist trade as well as a strong reputation for food and drink.
North Caithness offers local primary school education, while secondary education is provided at Thurso High School. Tertiary education is available at the Thurso campus of UHI North, West and Hebrides, which enjoys strong links with local employers and apprenticeship providers.
House prices in Caithness are generally below the national average, and there is a great variety of modern new builds or more traditional period properties. Whether you choose to live in the town or countryside, there is no shortage of scenic walks and activities, in one of the safest places to live in the UK.
Thurso is served by the main A9 road and is the most northernly mainland stop on the Far North Rail Line. Ferries to Orkney are available from nearby Scrabster Harbour and Wick Airport, just 20 miles south east, provides regular subsidised flights to Aberdeen.
The Dunbar community hospital in Thurso offers primary care services, outpatient clinics and seven inpatient beds. Further medical care is available from Caithness General Hospital, a 20-minute drive away, and there are teleconference appointments available with hospitals in Inverness and Aberdeen. North Caithness also has a number of NHS-run medical centres, dentists and care homes, as well as a care at home service.
Chase epic waves and dreamy sunsets in the North Highlands.
Thurso Beach, image by Colin Campbell Photography
Embrace the warm community spirit of the North Nighlands
