Thurso, oblique aerial view, taken from the SSW.

Description Thurso, oblique aerial view, taken from the SSW.

Date 13/6/1995

Collection RCAHMS Aerial Photography

Catalogue Number C 46105

Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images

Copies SC 873538, SC 1675388

Scope and Content Thurso, Caithness, Highland Thurso was once a thriving market town and port, exporting goods to Scandinavian and Baltic ports from the 14th century. With the development of the Caithness flagstone industry in the early 19th century, Thurso also exported stone throughout north-west Europe. Thurso harbour became less important with the development of new port facilities at Scrabster in the 1850s. This aerial view shows Thurso, Thurso River and Thurso Bay (top). The railway station (centre left), road bridge (centre) and the harbour can also be seen. The railway station marks the terminus of the Sutherland and Caithness branch of the Highland Railway which arrived at Thurso in 1874. Situated on the Pentland Firth, Thurso is the most northerly town on the Scottish mainland. Its name comes from the Norse 'Thorsa', meaning Thor's River and, in the Viking period, Thurso was an important gateway to the mainland. In 1633 Charles I constituted Thurso a free burgh of barony under the control of the Earls of Caithness. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

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