The largest town on the North Coast of Scotland, Thurso is very much both useful and functional but also has plenty to offer tourists.
Perhaps the most important settlement on the North Coast of Scotland, Thurso has the largest population (just under 8000) and is a crucial place to go to get supplies. Most locals see it as a useful and practical place and go to Thurso at least once a week to shop and catch up on other errands. From a visitor/tourist point of view, it would be an unusual stay on the North Coast if it didn't require a trip into Thurso. However, it does offer some touristy highlights as well as practicality.
One of the first touristy things you can do is take a turn off to the right before you enter Thurso, following the signs to Wolfburn Distillery. Here you are book on a tour of this award winning artisan distillery and buy their products.
If you are heading to Thurso to shop then the first supermarket you will see as you enter Thurso on the A836 is Lidl. This Lidl has one of the best views from a Lidl's car park you are ever likely to find in the UK, with views out to Thurso Bay, Scrabster Harbour and the Orkney Isles.
Scrabster Harbour might look a little insignificant from this viewpoint but it is a very important harbour and key to the economy of the area. On occasions you may see a cruise ship docked here or spot the regular car ferry to the Orkney Isles.
It is also a key fishing port on both an industrial and recreational basis, it is a link to the North Sea energy industry, and a major handler of cargo, including the logging industry from the woodlands you will have seen further inland. It is also an excellent place to go if you love seafood as there are several seafood restaurants around the port using the very freshest of fresh fish on their menues.
You will need to head further into Thurso to find the other supermarkets, The Co-Op and Tesco. These are both a similar size to the Lidl Store rather than the huge ones you might be used to from down south. If you want a large superstore, you will have to drive to Wick to find a Tesco Extra and petrol station.
The Co-Op is fairly hidden away on Meadow Lane, reached by a round about route down the back streets (put your Sat Nav on!). It is down these streets that you will find the laundrette, should you need it. Tesco is more obvious, being located just across the bridge over the River Thurso near the junction where the road to Castletown and John O'Groats splits away from the A9.
There are other small shops in Thurso that are worth a visit too, although, like so many places, The High Street is in decline and mostly filled with charity shops and cheap shops. There is a butchers on the High Street that is worth a visit if you are food shopping. If you like fish and seafood then seek out the fishmongers at the end of Riverside Road. There is a café down here if you fancy a spot of lunch. It is worth checking the opening times ahead of a visit to any of these because, unlike further south, this isn't a 24/7 culture. However, on the plus side, there is ample parking choices and it is all free.
The Pentland Hotel offers dining for non-residents and their Sunday carvery offers excellent value for money and a brilliant choice of meats and vegetable accompaniments.
For sporty types, Thurso beach has a reputation for being an excellent surfing location and is also popular with kayakers.
If the slower pace of history is more your bag, then the Old St Peter's Kirk is said to date from circa 1220 and is one of the older churches of Scotland.
With such a northerly location, Thurso can lay claim to several boasts, not withstanding being the most northern town on mainland Britain. The train station is also the most northerly one served by Britain's rail network, and Thurso/Scrabster mark the northern terminus of the A9.
Notes for visitors with limited mobility:
The great thing about Thurso is that there are plenty of places to park and parking is free. Perhaps the hardest place to park is at the end of the High Street near the butchers but it is usually possible. There is plenty of parking along the river on Riverside Road, which offers views of the river, and at the end of this there a vast car park next to the sea wall. Here there are public toilets (possibly closed during winter), the fishmongers and a café.