An exploration of the coastline that makes up the eastern side of Thurso Bay, this walk passes the ruinous Thurso Castle and has good views across to Scrabster, Dunnet Head and Hoy. Thurso is renowned for its surf and you may see surfers braving the waves.
Fairly rough but grassy coastal path. Minor roads on return.
Buses/trains toThurso.
Riverside car park, Thurso.
The walk begins from the Riverside car park in Thurso, set to the east of the main street. Begin the walk by crossing the footbridge over the River Thurso. Bear left to cross the park on a path and then continue left along the road. Pass some houses to the right and then pass between several warehouses to emerge at the mouth of the river and its breakwaters.
Continue to the end of the road; as the track becomes the driveway of a final house, fork left through a gate. A grassy path now continues along the coastline, passing beneath the ruinous Thurso Castle. The present castle was built in the 19th century and replaced a much earlier one; it is in a dangerous state of repair so keep away from the walls.
Beyond the castle, continue on the coastal path, passing between the large corrugated iron barn and the sea. Soon a parking area and the North Shore Surf Clubhouse is reached - keep to the grassy path right beside the sea. This side of Thurso Bay is renowned for its waves, and you may see surfers attempting to ride the breakers.
The path eventually soon reaches a stone Victorian harbour lookout, with grand views of Thurso and its bay, terminated on the far side by the cliffs of Holburn Head. The walk dog-legs right here on the clear but unimproved path above a line of very low coastal cliffs. The waves sometimes break along here with terrific force and there are some good though small coastal formations, with miniature stacks and wave-cut platforms as the walk continues.
Keep to the seaward side of a sewage works with a wind turbine. There are good views towards the cliffs of Dunnet Head and the island of Hoy beyond. There's a low fence across the route; the stile was broken on our most recent visit, but you can easily step over to continue the walk; it is worth going as far as the East Lug of Tung before turning back towards Thurso.
You could simply retrace your steps along the coast right back to Thurso, but you may have noticed a strange castellated building up in the fields to the right earlier in the walk. To visit this, turn left away from the coast immediately beyond (on the Thurso side) of the sewage works and turbine. A path leads inland between the fence of this complex and the field adjacent, soon emerging on a track, which then becomes a tarmac lane. Continue until the lane turns right. From here you can detour into the field (grazing livestock) containing the strange monument. Known as Harold's Tower, it looks like a strangely bulging pebble-dashed miniature castle, but is actually a mausoleum of Clan Sinclair.
Return to the tarmac lane and follow it ahead, ignoring turnings off to the right. It eventually joins the A836 next to an ornate gate house. Go straight on along the pavement, passing a school; about three hundred metres past this turn right down a road that gives access to the footbridge over the River Thurso crossed earlier. Head back across this to return to the Riverside car park.
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