Thurso is a community and previous burgh on the north shore of the Highland council location of Scotland. Situated in the historical location of Caithness, it is the northern most town on the British landmass. It exists at the junction of the north-south A9 road as well as the west-east A836 road, connected to Bridge of Forss in the west as well as Castletown in the eastern. The 34-mile (55 km) River Thurso moves through the community and also into Thurso Bay and the Pentland Firth. The river estuary serves as a small harbour. At the 2011 Census, Thurso had a population of 7,933. The larger Thurso civil parish including the town as well as the surrounding countryside had a population of 9,112. Thurso worked as an important Norse port, and also later on patronized ports throughout northern Europe up until the 19th century. A prospering fishing centre, Thurso additionally had a track record for its linen-cloth as well as tanning tasks. As of 2015 the Dounreay Nuclear Research Establishment, although primarily deactivated at the end of the 20th century, employs a significant number of the local populace. The Category-A listed messed up Old St Peter's Church (St. Peter's Kirk) is among the oldest churches in Scotland, dating to a minimum of 1125. The existing church, St Andrew's and St Peter's, was built in 1832 to a style by William Burn in the Gothic style. The community consists of the primary campus of North Highland College as well as Thurso Senior High School, the northern most senior high school on the British mainland, which was established in 1958. Thurso Castle, constructed in 1872, remains in damages. Thurso is residence to the football (soccer) team, Thurso FC, developed in 1998, which play in the North Caledonian League, and also the rugby groups Caithness Crushers as well as Caithness RFC. Thurso railway station, opened in 1874, was the most northern station on the Sutherland as well as Caithness Railway. The neighboring port of Scrabster gives ferry solutions to the Orkney Islands; the Northlink ferry (MV Hamnavoe) runs between Scrabster and also Stromness.