Thurso. Coordinates: Historically, it is one of two burghs within the county of Caithness. It lies at the junction of the north-south A9 road and the west-east A836 road, connected to Bridge of Forss in the west and Castletown in the east. Etymology[edit] The earliest recorded name is the Celtic Tarvodubron, 'bull water', which became Thjorsá in the Norse translation, but owing to the frequency of Thor in place names, this was later adapted to Thorsá or 'Thor's River.'[4] It was also known as Tarvodunum in old Celtic, meaning "fort of the bull". The local Scots name, "Thursa", derives from the Norse, as does the modern Scottish Gaelic "Inbhir Theòrsa" (The "th" is pronounced as "h" and the "bh" as "v".). History[edit] St. Thurso's history stretches back to at least the era of Norse Orcadian rule in Caithness, which ended conclusively in 1266.
Thurso hosted the National Mod several times in 2010.[6] Governance[edit] Thurso has history as a burgh of barony dating from 1633. Geography[edit] Climate[edit] Thurso. The most northerly town in mainland Scotland, Thurso is a great base for exploring the surrounding countryside and a gateway to the Orkney islands. There’s plenty to see and do in and around the delightful town of Thurso. The town is a hive of lovely traditional shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. Other great ‘must-sees’ are the circular wellhouse of Meadow Well, a fine public library and the impressive Jane Street overlooking the River Thurso close to Thurso Bridge.
Check out the Swanson Gallery which hosts year round exhibitions of fine artwork, or discover the magical world of Glass Creations by artist Ian Pearson. Caithness Horizons is also well worth a visit with fascinating museum exhibits and a changing annual gallery programme. Thurso is also a major surfing area and a premier heavy cold surf destination which hosts surfing championships, including two World Championships for Kayak surfing. Thurso Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland. Thurso is mainland Scotland's most northerly town, and home to the country's most northerly railway station. Located on the north coast of Caithness, its seaward views are dominated by the distant cliffs of Dunnet Head to the north east, and those of the island of Hoy, one of the Orkney Islands, to the north. Modern Thurso tends to be seen as a stepping stone en route to somewhere else rather than as a destination in its own right, although in recent years the sometimes turbulent seas of the Pentland Firth have led to the town becoming an unlikely focus for fans of surfing from all over the world.
Thurso has long been a gateway to Orkney, with the best established of the ferry routes to Orkney, the car ferry to Stromness, leaving from the harbour at Scrabster, a mile and a half to the north west. Thurso is also a point of departure for those embarking on the best scenic route Scotland has to offer, the 140 miles taking in the north and west coasts via Durness to Ullapool. Thurso - The Energy Town | Shopping, Leisure, History, Business and Events. Welcome to Thurso.org. Thurso town map - Ronald P A Smith Street Plans. As well as Thurso and Wick, the street map covers the villages of Castletown, Halkirk and Lybster. To order by post direct from the publisher, please click on the 'Map Ordering' button on the left. Thurso is Scotland's most northerly mainland town and by far the largest community on the northern seaboard. Well situated on a bay at the mouth of the River Thurso, the town was already established by the 12th century.
It was developed in three distinct phases, clearly defined today. Firstly, there is the original old town on the spit of land between the river and the sea; this is distinguished by its irregular street layout and was, to some extent, sympathetically redeveloped around 1960 - an example that was not, unfortunately heeded by many similar towns elsewhere in the country! In marked contrast is the remarkably spacious strict grid iron layout of the 'new town', laid out by Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster in 1798, with its central square as illustrated on the left above. Historical perspective for Thurso. A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H.
Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885. Thurso (old form, Thorsa; Scand. Thors-a, 'Thor's river'), a parish, containing a town of the same name, and also a river, in the extreme NE of Caithness. The parish is bounded N by the Atlantic, E by the parishes of Olrig and Bower, S and SW by the parish of Halkirk, and W by S by the parish of Reay. The boundary is formed for 2¼ miles on the SW by the river Thurso, for 3¾ miles on the W by S by Forss Water, and elsewhere, except on the N, it is artificial. The Town of Thurso stands on the W bank of the river at the month, and has a station at the northern terminus of the Sutherland and Caithness section (1874) of the Highland railway.
Thurso High Street @ High.St - High Street shops and High St businesses. Thurso has a history dating back to Viking Times when Thurso was known as the gateway to Scotland. The town is the most northerly on mainland Britain and its harbour nestles in the sheltered and picturesque Thurso Bay. In recent years the area has become well known to the windsurfing community with the O'Neill Highland Open, a world qualifying event, now an annual fixture. Sixteen miles from Thurso, on the road to John O'Groats, is The Castle of Mey.
This castle was built in the late 16th century and bought by the Queen Mother in 1952. She restored it and it became her summer home until she died; leaving the Castle of Mey in Trust to benefit the local community. The Castle is just 6 miles from the accepted northerly tip of the UK mainland, John O'Groats. The Ronald P A Smith Street Maps web site has further useful information about Thurso. There is also a link to Thurso on the Caithness Community web site. Shops & Map Click on shop to see more details Shop name Olrig Street/Traill Street. Thurso Lifeboat. The Thurso River - Caithness. Thurso Surf: Scottish Surfing School. Visitor information for Thurso Bay Central Beach | Thurso | Highland | British Beaches. A sandy beach in the town of Thurso. The eastern area of the beach has some rocky reefs that produce some of the UK's most celebrated waves for surfing.
Beach Type Sand/Rock Facilities Camp sitesToiletsFurther facilities available in town Activities SurfingVisits to the museumThurso is the port for the ferry to the Orkney Islands Nature and Wildlife Explore the town and surrounding coastline. take the ferry on a day trip to the Orkney Islands. Water Quality Acceptable Lifeguard No Dogs No dog restrictions. Tourist Information Thurso TIC. Location Nearest town: ThursoCounty: HighlandLatitude/Longitude: 58.5977, -3.51775Postcode: KW14 8BB(postcode is for sat-nav purposes only, and may not represent the actual address of the beach) Explore more of the area around , Highland at Explore Britain.
Access Thurso is at the end of the A9 that comes up from Inverness. Public Transport Served by bus Service 958. Nearest Railway Stations Important! Parking parking available close to the beach. Nearby Car Parks. The Thurso Surfing Championships. The Thurso Surfing Championships October 27th-28th October The Thurso Surfing Championships promises to be the biggest event seen at this legendary location The event features the Wave North Festival which includes live music and evening entertainment In addition the event site will host a skateboard and BMX park purpose built for the event We look forward to seeing you all their Event Sponsor ScottishPower Renewables Event Partners Event Scotland Wave North Highland Council. Dead whale washed ashore at Thurso Beach | John O'Groat Journal | News. Thurso Pipe Band. Thurso Players. Murrayfield goalposts find new home in Thurso - Top stories.
IT only takes 45 words to move the goalposts - official! Scotland’s most famous rugby uprights have found a new home after more than 30 years gracing Murrayfield. Scotland’s most famous rugby uprights have found a new home after more than 30 years gracing Murrayfield. The goalposts have borne witness to some of the greatest moments in Scottish rugby history - including two grand slams and victories against the Springboks and Wallabies. They are now to move north to a tiny club in the Highland town of Thurso – thanks to a little ditty. The steel rugby posts were there when Scotland won the Grand Slams in 1984 and 1990 and the last ever Five Nations Championship in 1999. They were dismantled for the last time earlier this year, being replaced by more modern posts that are easier to put up. All clubs in Scotland were invited to enter a competition to have the chance to win them. The Millbank club beat off competition from 30 clubs to give the posts a new place to call home.
Zombie Run Thurso 2013 | Zombie Run Thurso 21st-22nd JUNE 2013.