Location type

Station

Name and dates

Thurso (1874-)

Station code: THS National Rail ScotRail
Where: Highland, Scotland
Opened on the Sutherland and Caithness Railway.
Open on the Far North Line.

Description

This is a two platform station and is the furthest north station in Britain. The main platform, on the west side of the station's loop, is partly covered by the all-over timber roof of the station, a remarkable survivor, all the more remarkable that Wick has also survived. The other and shorter platform, without a loop, is on the west side of the island platform.

To the west of the passenger platform was the new cattle dock and coal siding of 1943, the line bordering the cattle market (which has relocated).

There main goods yard is to the east of the trainshed and loop. It is now out of use and taken over by a buildings supply company. From west to east the lines were:
- the line closest to the trainshed was an end-loading siding
- the goods shed, which was to the south and east of the trainshed, has been demolished
- the coal siding
- original cattle bank siding
- fish dock

To the south of the goods yard was the locomotive shed, Thurso Shed. It was approached from the south via the turntable. Having survived intact after withdrawal of steam it was disappointingly demolished in recent years.

The station's signal box was on the west side of the line at the south end. It closed in 1936 when replaced by a ground frame.

A railway cottage still stands, in private ownership, to the west of the station.

Steamer

The Sutherland and Caithness Railway obtained the contract for carriage of mails to the Orkneys via Thurso. An order was placed with Gourlay Bros & Co of Dundee for a vessel, the 1877 S.S. 'John o'Groat'. This vessel operated out of Scrabster Harbour. She carried the mails until 1882.

Local

John O' Groats is 19 miles east of Thurso station.

Scrabster Harbour , port for the Orkneys is 2 miles north west from the station.

Tags

Station Terminus

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67

Nearby stations Hoy Georgemas Junction Halkirk Scotscalder Bower Watten Bilbster Altnabreac Wick Thrumster Welsh^s Crossing Halt Forsinard Ulbster Parkside Halt Lybster	Thurso Shed Scrabster Harbour River Thurso Viaduct [Todholes] Georgemas Snowblower Georgemas Trolley Shed River Thurso Viaduct [Halkirk] Dounreay Power Station Balloch Railway Cottage Spittal Mains Quarry Olgrinbeg Peat Powerstation (here?) Tourist/other North Coast Visitors Centre Thurso Bay Dunnet Bay St Mary^s Chapel Crosskirk Cnoc Freiceadain Long Cairns
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.