Thurso Harbour

Thurso Harbour

ID: QZP40_CARD_0188_JG DESCRIPTION: Situated at the mouth of the River Thurso, the harbour has been established here since the 900s, when the Vikings used it as a port and fishing base. At this time, Thurso was an important gateway to the mainland. The name 'Thurso' comes from 'Thorsa', meaning 'Thor's River' in the Norse language. During the 1200s the Scots evicted the Vikings from the Caithness area, but Thurso continued to develop as an important fishing port. By the 1850s a new harbour was being built at Scrabster, to the west of Thurso, reducing the importance of the river harbour. However, the area around Thurso continued to develop, with steamer links to Orkney, Shetland, Oban and Leith PLACENAME: Thurso OLD COUNTY/PARISH: CAITHNESS: Thurso CREATOR (AV): Jamie Gaukroger DATE OF IMAGE: 8 October 2009 PERIOD: 2000s SOURCE: Am Baile Asset ID: 32086 KEYWORDS: