Thurso is the most northerly town on the British mainland, and the end of the railway line up from Inverness. The Norse named it for the god Thor — ‘Thor’s river’ — and it still feels like an old fishing town around the river mouth. These days it’s best known for surfing: the reef break at Thurso East pulls in powerful swells and international contests. The ferry to Orkney sails from Scrabster, just to the west.
