Quick facts

Thurso - Inbhir Theòrsa

Inbhir Theòrsa is the Gaelic name of this north coast town. Like many names around Scotland, it has Norse origins, as the Vikings named it after Thor’s River. The Gaelic name means The Mouth of Thor’s River.

Population

The population of Thurso is around 9,000.

Twin Towns

Brilon, Germany

Weather

The Pentland Firth, separating the Scottish mainland from Orkney, has seen a marked rise in storms in the last decade. Bad weather can interrupt transport services, but strong winds and high seas are a boon to surfers who revel in those conditions.

Local Clans

Although not clans in the traditional, Highland or Gaelic sense of the word, Thurso and the Caithness area are associated with the following families: Gunn, Sinclair, Grant

Gaelic Place names near Thurso

Caithness was not, traditionally, a Gaelic stronghold although the language was spoken there. Many of the names are of Viking origin, and are similar to those found in Lewis, for example. They refer to farms, homesteads and settlements as well as to personal names.

Among the most common place name elements found in Caithness are:

Ster – meaning a farm or homestead (examples: Lybster, Scrabster, Bilbster)

Dale – meaning a type of valley (Berriedale, Sordale, Westerdale)

Wick – meaning a bay (examples: Wick, Freswick)

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Did you know?

Juneau, the state capital of Alaska, lies at 59° north – the same latitude as Thurso!

Thurso has been voted Scotland’s town of the year 14 times.

The most northerly point in the British railway network is Thurso – which is over 800 miles from the most southerly point, Penzance.

Thurso is in the region of Caithness, which has it’s very own professional theatre company, ‘Greycoast’, named after a novel by legendary writer Neil Gunn.

Many of the streets of Paris (and other continental cities) are paved with Caithness flagstone from the region around Thurso – this industry peaked in the late 19th century.

King David II of Scotland (reigned 1329-1371) decreed that the Caithness pound weight should be the standard weight for the whole country, underlining how important the town and its trade with Baltic and Scandinavian lands were.

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Local heroes

Anne McKevitt

Ann McKevitt is a hugely successful interior designer, motivational speaker and businesswoman after coming to fame as a TV presenter on interior design and home improvement shows. She was born and raised in Thurso before leaving for London as a teenager. She became a junior for the famous London hairstylist John Frieda, and rose through the ranks with her work appearing in magazines such as Vogue. A life-threatening car crash left her bed-ridden for a year before she recovered and became successful as a designer. She is now reputed to earn more per annum than celebrities such as David Bowie and Michael Caine.

Neil Gunn

Arguably the most famous person from Caithness is the esteemed novelist and writer Neill Gunn (1891-1973). He was born in the village of Dunbeath, 28 miles south of Thurso. After leaving school, he worked as a civil servant in London, before returning home to become a Customs and Excise Officer. In his early 30s he began his writing career (short stories, articles) after meeting Hugh McDiarmid. He bought a house with the proceedings of his first novel, ‘The Grey Coast’, and went on to write other classic works including ‘The Lost Glen’, ‘The Silver Darlings’ and ‘The Atom of Delight’.

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Well known landmarks

Dounreay

Although not the most beautiful of views, Dounreay is home to the 5 nuclear reactors with which it has become synonymous. Since they were established on a disused WW II airfield in 1950s the reactors produced power for the National Grid, and provided employment for many thousands of people. Even now that it has been decommissioned, many people are still working on this process. Dounreay is also the site of a long-ruined castle.

Dunnet Bay

Dunnet Bay is 14 miles north-east of Thurso. It is at the end of a stunning, 3-mile long beach, which is very popular with surfers. It offers incredible views across the Pentland Firth to Orkney and (if the weather is clear) all the way along the north coast to Cape Wrath!

Castle of Mey

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother bought the Castle of Mey, the most northerly on the British mainland, in 1952. She grew to love it greatly, and spent long periods of her life there, especially during the summers, as she oversaw the development of its gardens – something that HRH Prince Charles now takes great interest in. The Castle of Mey has ‘traditional’ walled gardens, with lawns, flower beds and vegetable gardens. The Castle lies between Thurso and John O’Groats. It was previously the seat of the Earls of Caithness and was originally known as Barrogill Castle.

Baile an Or

South of Thurso, in the 1860s, was Scotland’s very own goldrush. 50 years after a huge nugget of gold had been found in River Helmsdale, a local man named Robert Gilchrist got permission to prospect for gold in 1868. Having learned the trade in the Australian goldmines, he struck lucky, finding deposits in two of theHelmsdale’s tributaries. Within months, over 600 others had joined him. Within 18 months, after two temporary ‘towns’ had sprung up, the rush was over. You can still apply in writing for permission to pan for gold today … as long as you are aged 70 or over and accompanied by a female.

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Local specialities

Seafood

The seas of the Pentland firth offer a tremendous variety of whitefish and shellfish, and is home to many of the country’s successful fish-farming ventures.

Traditional Pork

Dunnet Head is home to a rare-breed pork farm specialising in producing organic, free-range pork.

Mey Selections

Mey Selections is the first brand from HRH Prince Charles’s North Highland Initiative, set up to promote the produce of the north Highlands in niche food markets. It promotes high-quality beef, mutton and lamb

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Sports

Although the location is not tropical, Thurso and the surrounding area are already highly regarded by surfers. The size and power of the waves are apparently comparable to those in Hawaii, and Thurso has hosted the European Surfing Championships.

Thurso is also great for other water sports such as kayaking, canoeing and wind surfing, while the beaches and breezes of the north offer ample opportunity for kite surfers.

The Pentland Firth, which separates the mainland and Orkney, is renowned for its sea-angling opportunities.

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Best time to visit

During the summer the long days and short nights mean you can enjoy the outdoors 24 hours-a-day … if you can stay awake!

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What's on

April

Here is a pick of upcoming events that our characters would like to recommend for the month ahead!

Morag

A Woman’s Journey Art Exhibition

30/03/07 – 30/04/07 – The Kirk, Beauly

Inverness Beltane Festival (Ceòl Beò)

05/05/07 – 13/05/07 – Inverness Beltane Festival (Ceòl Beò), Inverness

Donnie Munro Concert

06/05/07 – Aviemore Highland Resort, Aveimore

Wooing, Weddings, Woe

11/05/07 – Dunrobin Castle, Golspie

Hill-Walking for Beginners

12/05/07 – Drumnadrochit

Melodaidh

O’ Neil Highland Open Surfing Competition

24/04/07 – 01/05/07 – Thurso

Shetland Folk Festival

04/05/07 – Shetland

Ceòl aig Tuath

05/05/07 – Lyth Arts Centre

Ullapool Book Festival

10/05/07 – 13/05/07 – Ullapool

Cape Wrath Challenge

13/05/07 – 19/05/07 – Durness Village Hall, Durness

Munro Jr

Aberfeldy

02/05/07 – Dunnet Head Lighthouse, Thurso

Wolfstone Concert

05/05/07 – Moray Ice Rink, Elgin

Scottish Six Days Motorcylce Trials

07/05/07 - 12/05/07 – Fort William

Sound of Rum

11/05/07 - 13/05/07 – Isle of Rum Festival

Isle of Skye Music Festival

25/05/07 - 26/05/07 – Ashaig Airstrip, Skye

Seanair

Spirit of Speyside Whiskey Festival

03/05/07 – Speyside, Moray

Wild Isles

05/05/07 – 11/05/07 – Mull and Iona Wildlife Week

Caithness Walking Festival

05/05/07 – 21/05/07 – http://www.walkcaithness.com

Scottish Variety Show

09/05/07 – Wick Pipe Band Hall, Wick

Wick Fly In

25/05/07 – 27/05/07 – Wick Airport, Wick

Brochan

Blingery Dog Walking Event

28/04/07 – Blingery Forest, Sutherland

Information about local events and external links to H07 events via the H07 website.

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Learn Online

Learn Gaelic at BBC Alba

The BBC offers an array of online learning tools for the Gaelic beginner. They have their “Beag air Bheag” online course, they have Colin and Cumberland games and they also have an online version of “Litir Bheag” from Radio nan Gàidheal.

Web: www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/alba

learndirect Scotland

If you are living outside Skye and Lochalsh, learndirect scotland has a range of interesting online courses. These include, among others, a series of online basic Gaelic and Scottish History and Geography Courses:

Gaelic (Gaidhlig):

1. Gaelic for Arts and Festivals

2. Gaelic for Food Services

3. Gaelic for Managers

4. Gaelic for Marketing

5. Gaelic for Outdoor Workers

6. Gaelic for Parents

7. Gaelic for Receptionists

8. Gaelic for Retail Workers

9. Gaelic for TIC Workers

10. Gaelic for Travel Workers

11. Scottish History and Geography

Contact: 0808 100 9000

Web: http://www.learndirectscotland.com

Learn in the Community

Comhairle nan Sgoiltean Araich (CNSA)

CNSA run a series of “Gàidhlig san Dachaigh” (Gaelic in the Home) courses throughout the Isle of Skye. The classes are total immersion classes whereby the tutor only converses in Gaelic. There are classes throughout the Highlands in Inverness and Skye areas and also in Argyll.

Contact: CNSA Main Office

Tel: 01463 225 469

Clì Gàidhlig

Clì Gàidhlig run various Gaelic classes in communities throughout Scotland. They run various courses for learners of the language including conversation classes and grammar classes. They have also begun a series of Gaelic Awareness classes.

Contact: DJ MacIntyre

Tel: 01463 226710

Email: dj@cli.org.uk

Web: www.cli.org.uk

Learn Full-Time

Cùrsa Comais – Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

The Cùrsa Comais or Immersion Course is a full-time residential course at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Scotland’s Gaelic college. It is aimed at those wishing to obtain fluency in the language and can contribute to the first year of a degree course.

Contact: 01471 888 000

Email: trusadh@smo.uhi.ac.uk

Web: http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk

Cùrsa Comais is Cùrsaichean Ceum – Lews Castle College

This course is designed for Gaelic learners who are not yet fluent. You will develop your language skills and learn about the history of the Highlands and Islands. This course can also contribute as the first year of the degree program.

Contact: 01851 770459

Email: annie.macsween@lews.uhi.ac.uk

Web: http://www.lews.uhi.ac.uk/

Learn Part-Time

Short Courses – Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

The Gaelic college on Skye also offers weekly residential courses for beginners and intermediate beginners. A full timetable of courses usually runs during the Easter holidays and also throughout the summer months.

Contact: 01471 888 000

Email: cg@smo.uhi.ac.uk

Web: http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk

Short Courses – Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle

The Gaelic centre on Islay offers a short course programme. These courses are for all levels of learners.

Contact: 01496 810 818

Web: http://www.ile.ac.uk/

Cùrsa Inntrigidh - Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

The Cùrsa Inntrigidh is a distance-learning course based at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. The course is about gaining the confidence to use your Gaelic practically, with priority given to speaking and listening skills. It takes advantage of new technology to reach those people who are too far away or whose schedule makes it impractical to attend existing courses. Workbooks and accompanying CDs allow students to work at any time of day or night that suits them. Weekly conversation classes through teleconferencing offer the opportunity to chat to tutors and practice with others on the course. Weekend schools held at the College offer the opportunity to consolidate and put into practice what has been learned, as well as the chance to get to know students and tutors in a convivial Gaelic atmosphere.

Contact: 01471 888 000

Email: sm00cin@groupwise.uhi.ac.uk

Web: http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk

Learn Gaelic Abroad

Comunn Gàidhlig Astràilia

Comunn Gàidhlig Astràilia Comunn Gàidhlig Astràilia (The Scottish Gaelic Association of Australia) is a non-profit organisation which supports the language and culture of Scottish Gaels in Australia, and is the primary source of information regarding Gaelic classes and workshops in Australia and New Zealand.

Email: fios@ozgaelic.org

Web: http://www.ozgaelic.org

An Commun Gàidhealach America

An Comunn Gàidhealach America (The Gaelic Society of America) strives to promote and preserve the Gaelic language and culture by supporting Gaelic language study and interest in Gaelic literature, song, music, art and history in North America and the world.

Email: webmaster@acgamerica.org

Web: http://www.acgamerica.org/

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