Thurso is a town as well as former burgh on the north coastline of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical area of Caithness, it is the northern most town on the British landmass. It lies at the joint of the north-south A9 road and the west-east A836 road, linked to Bridge of Forss in the west as well as Castletown in the eastern. The 34-mile (55 kilometres) River Thurso streams through the community as well as into Thurso Bay and also the Pentland Firth. The river estuary serves as a tiny harbour. At the 2011 Census, Thurso had a population of 7,933. The bigger Thurso civil church including the town and the surrounding countryside had a population of 9,112. Thurso functioned as an important Norse port, as well as later on traded with ports throughout north Europe until the 19th century. A prospering fishing centre, Thurso additionally had a track record for its linen-cloth and also tanning activities. Since 2015 the Dounreay Nuclear Research Establishment, although primarily deactivated at the end of the 20th century, uses a considerable number of the local population. The Category-A noted wrecked Old St Peter's Church (St. Peter's Kirk) is just one of the earliest churches in Scotland, dating to at the very least 1125. The existing church, St Andrew's and also St Peter's, was integrated in 1832 to a layout by William Burn in the Gothic design. The community consists of the main campus of North Highland University and also Thurso High School, the northernmost senior high school on the British landmass, which was established in 1958. Thurso Castle, integrated in 1872, remains in ruins. Thurso is home to the football (soccer) team, Thurso FC, established in 1998, which play in the North Caledonian League, and also the rugby groups Caithness Crushers and Caithness RFC. Thurso railway station, opened in 1874, was the most northern station on the Sutherland and also Caithness Railway. The nearby port of Scrabster supplies ferry solutions to the Orkney Islands; the Northlink ferryboat (MV Hamnavoe) operates between Scrabster and also Stromness.