Thurso (pronounced /ˈθɜːrzoʊ/; Scots: Thursa, Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Theòrsa [ˈiɲɪɾʲ ˈhjɔːrˠs̪ə]) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland.

As of 2015[update], the Dounreay Nuclear Research Establishment, although mostly decommissioned at the end of the 20th century, employs a significant number of the local population.

[4][5] The local Scots name, Thursa,[6] derives from the Norse, as does the modern Scottish Gaelic Inbhir Theòrsa.

Thurso's history stretches back to at least the era of Norse Orcadian rule in Caithness, which ended conclusively in 1266.

Neolithic horned cairns found on nearby Shebster Hill, which were used for burials and rituals, date back about 5,000 years.

[9] In 1649, Gaels from Ireland, led by Donald Macalister Mullach, attacked Thurso and were chased off by the residents, headed by Sir James Sinclair.

The arrival of workers related to the power station caused a three-fold increase in the population of Thurso; the 1951 census gave a figure of 3,000 but this had swelled to 9,000 by 1971.

[21] Thurso hosted the National Mòd in 2010, which was the first time this festival of Gaelic language and culture had been held so far north.

Thurso is the most northerly town on the British mainland, situated on the northern coastline overlooking the Orkney Islands.

[35] Thurso has a cool oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb), featuring similar weather to the Scottish Highlands.

Although Thurso is mild enough to permit the growth of trees, the windswept surroundings mostly consist of grasslands resembling the offshore northern archipelagoes of Orkney and Shetland.

[11] Fishing has always been of major significance in the running of the local economy, and the Thurso Shipowner's Association oversaw much of the shipping activity.

[37] The port of Scrabster lies about 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) to the west of the estuary of the River Thurso, and plays a significant role in the white fish industry in Scotland.

The harbour includes a berth for the MV Hamnavoe, a roll-on/roll-off ferry operated by Northlink linking the Scottish mainland with Stromness on Orkney.

From June 2007, a summer-only weekly ferry service operated by the Faroese company Smyril Line reopened,[39] connecting Scrabster with the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Norway, but has now been discontinued.

On 12 January 2010, approval was granted for the Baillie wind farm near Thurso which will feature 21 turbines and supply 52.5 MW, enough for 25,000 homes.

In 1701, a woman who had a relationship with a Dutch sailor had her head shaved and was publicly shamed, paraded through the town by the local hangman.

[42] The pipe organ was added by Norman & Beard in 1914, and in 1922 Oscar Paterson contributed some of the stained glass windows such as 'The Sower'.

[10] Holburn Head Lighthouse, within the parish territory, was completed in 1862 to a design by David & Thomas Stevenson and has since achieved Category B listed status.

Also of note is the wellhouse of Meadow Well at the junction of Traill Street and Manson's Lane, which was the primary water supply for Thurso for centuries.

It offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from subjects as diverse as Nuclear Decommissioning, Hairdressing, Gamekeeping and Golf Management.

[51] Mount Pleasant Primary School has a Scottish Gaelic medium unit, part of a revival of the language in Caithness.

[58] The football team, Thurso FC (nicknamed "the Vikings"), was established in 1998 and plays in the North Caledonian League.

The A9 trunk road, which connects Thurso to Inverness, Perth, the M90 motorway and the Central Belt ends at the ferry terminal.