It will feel a bit like a metropolis after a few days touring Scotland’s west and north coast, but Thurso isn’t much more than a regional transport hub and service centre. But if you’re heading west, you’ll want to stock up as this will be the last town with larger supermarkets for some time...

History

Thurso’s history is bound with that of the Orkney Isles and it first hit its stride as their closest mainland port in Viking times when the Orkneys were of much greater consequence. Thurso quickly grew to become a launch point for a sea trade that fanned out to Scandinavian and even Baltic ports.

Transport links persist today, with the frequent Orkney ferry operated by Northlink (4–6 daily; 90min), from Scrabster, a mile west of town, which is served by buses from the Britain’s northernmost railway station.