Thurso is a community and previous burgh on the north shore of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical area of Caithness, it is the northern most community on the British landmass. It lies at the junction of the north-south A9 road and also the west-east A836 road, linked to Bridge of Forss in the west and Castletown in the eastern. The 34-mile (55 km) River Thurso moves via the town and right into Thurso Bay as well as the Pentland Firth. The river estuary works as a tiny harbour. At the 2011 Census, Thurso had a population of 7,933. The larger Thurso civil parish including the community and the surrounding countryside had a population of 9,112. Thurso operated as an important Norse port, and also later patronized ports throughout north Europe until the 19th century. A thriving angling centre, Thurso additionally had a credibility for its linen-cloth and also tanning tasks. Since 2015 the Dounreay Nuclear Research Establishment, although mainly decommissioned at the end of the 20th century, uses a considerable variety of the local populace. The Category-A provided ruined Old St Peter's Church (St. Peter's Kirk) is just one of the earliest churches in Scotland, dating to at least 1125. The present church, St Andrew's and also St Peter's, was integrated in 1832 to a design by William Burn in the Gothic style. The town contains the major school of North Highland College and also Thurso Secondary School, the northernmost secondary school on the British landmass, which was developed in 1958. Thurso Castle, built in 1872, is in ruins. Thurso is house to the football (soccer) group, Thurso FC, developed in 1998, which play in the North Caledonian League, as well as the rugby groups Caithness Crushers as well as Caithness RFC. Thurso railway station, opened in 1874, was the most north station on the Sutherland and Caithness Train. The close-by port of Scrabster supplies ferryboat solutions to the Orkney Islands; the Northlink ferryboat (MV Hamnavoe) runs in between Scrabster and also Stromness.