The Ultimate Guide to Surfing in Thurso

Surfing in Thurso revolves around Thurso East, a wave that’s now considered to be one of the UK’s best right barrels. But there’s also more to it than that.

An introduction to Thurso

Thurso is the thumping barrel that ensures Scotland gets onto the cover of surfing magazines pretty much every winter season. There’s no denying it’s perfection…

If you like your tubes cold, slabby, heavy, and as round as a deep-fried sausage (a local delicacy up here in the north of the UK), then look no further.

The spot we’re waxing about here is now known as Thurso East. Break fast off a shelf of slate reef on the eastern side of the bay from Thurso town, it’s one of Britain’s best waves and the subject of strike missions for anyone within a, let’s say, 10-hour radius, when the charts start showing signs.

But we should stop you if you think that cover-ups on East are the only thing to head here for.

Thurso also has a fun beach break that’s decent enough on its day, and generally better for learners and intermediates when the swell is in the sub-5-foot range.

also unfortunately named Shit Pipe on the opposite western end of the river that divides the bay,. It isn’t named for sewerage but for the muddy water that feeds into the ocean (trust us, it’s a funner wave than it sounds!).

Thurso town is now the hub of Caithness, Scotland’s overall premier surf region in terms of consistency and accessibility. You can base yourself here in a cozy little B&B and drive east and west to find easy beach breaks right up to some of the heaviest UK slabs around.

It would be our first port of call on a Scottish roadie.

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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in Scotland

Surfing in Thurso at a glance

The good…

One epic right hand barrel
Access to the most reliable winter spots in Scotland
It’s a fun adventure, coming up here to roadtrip between spots

The bad…

The water’s cold AF
Weather – and swell – is highly unpredictably

What’s in this guide to surfing in Thurso?

Where is Thurso, exactly?

Thurso is smack dab in the middle of the Caithness region, nestled neatly on the verge between West Caithness and East Caithness. Together, those cover a big portion of the Scottish north coast and almost certainly the most famous surf zone in the country.

More specifically, Thurso occupies its own bay, which is capped off by the small harbor of Scrabster at it’s northern end (that’s where the boats to the Orkney Isles go from, incidentally).

Zooming out, Thurso is pretty much the last stop on the A9 road that runs the whole length of the Scottish east coast after departing the highlands at the hiking town of Aviemore.

We won’t lie – it’s a long drive up here. You’re looking at about 5.5 hours from Edingburgh and nearly 12 from London! But boy is it a stunning one.

BTW: A car is a must here. Public transport will not get you where you need to go to surf the best conditions and will make a nightmare to get in in the first place. Rent one or get your own wheels to drive up.

Thurso surf spots

Thurso’s main bay has three spot – the beach, Shit Pipe, and Thurso East.

There are also one or two breaks within the immediate region that you should know about.

Dunnet Beach

Dunnet Beach will suck in big W swells and pretty any WNW to N swell, so it’s highly consistent throughout the winter, though the downside is that the SW winds are crossshore and can mash up all the peaks if they’re too strong. Low and mid tides are best because they bring the better sandbanks into play. If it’s clean, you can have some very nice rides here off A frame peaks. One of the best learner spots in the region and great for intermediate improvers. About 15 minutes’ drive from Thurso town center.

Thurso East

Thurso East is probably the reason you’re here reading this and probably the reason you’re considering a ridiculous roadtrip all the way up north. It’s been a pilgrimage site for UK surfers since the 70s, when it was first discovered by a couple of Liverpudlian guys. Story goes that they looked at the wave for ages thinking it wasn’t makable because the reef comes too close to the drop in. One day they plucked up the courage to give it a go and realized it wasn’t that tight after all. Bingo: The birth of one of the UK’s most iconic barrels.

Barrel it very much is. Thurso East pings right very quickly into a perfect round tube that offers complete coverups on its best days.

What are the best days? North swell is a must but add some west pulse in it’s prime. You also want good offshore S or SW winds, which help the barrel hold for longer. Mid tide is prime, as too much water on the reef fattens it out and takes the speed away.

Shit Pipe

Ignore the name – the water here isn’t mud-brown because of fecal matter. It’s brown because this is where the river flows into the main Thurso bay. Some days it will turn coffee colored after there’s been rain and the water brings peat and runoff down from the inland Caithness farms. We tend to keep our mouths closed just in case.

The wave is a fun A-frame that loves a decent NW swell with more N in the compass angle. SW winds are dead on offshore so it hold well most of the season, when the breezes will groom the peak into a glassy drop with a short left that goes towards the rocks and a longer right.

This doesn’t barrel like its starlet bro, Thurso East but is more rippable and playful. Decent wave for intermediate surfers. Usually not so much of a crowd.

Thurso Beach

The inside of Thurso Bay can also get some waves, particularly if there’s a HUGE westerly swell pulse or some good north push in the swell. It’s never great, usually dumpy, but can be good if you’re learning. We think the best peaks are at the western end of the bay, where the lefts form well. Will close out with anything over six footish and becomes a total mess for most of the winter.

Brims Ness

The haunting outline of an old church and building complex stands on the cliffs above the slabby reefs of Brims Ness, which sits about 10 minutes’ drive through the country lanes to the west of Thurso.

There are actually a few workable breaks here, though the most famous is the monster of a slab barrel known as Brimms Ness Bowl that starts kicking on huge NW groundswells – you need 8-15 foot but it can hold way over that. It’s for the deathwishers only and even the paddle out will put your life at risk, so don’t try it unless your surname is Florence or something. Right under the castle itself is a more workable right hander that peels off another bit of rock.

It’s still shallow so best left to more advanced surfers but isn’t crazy stupid. With a nice SW wind it can hold well, offers a small barrel section even. Just kick out at the right point otherwise it’s hello to dry Scottish reef and a mouthful of seaweed.

Where to stay in Thurso?

Thurso isn’t a major tourist destination or anything like that. Really, it’s the surfers that come and go most of the winter season that keeps the hotels going.

The vibe is mainly B&Bs or local inns or house rentals…

Marine Aparthotel – A charming hotel with well designed and newly decorated rooms that open to balconies overlooking Thurso Beach. You’re close to the surf and the center of the town. This would be our go-to stay in the center whenever we go up.
Angus House – A two-bedroom house that can sleep up to five people. It’s got a Harry Potter feel to it, with its old stone walls and cozy lounge. It’s very close to the paddle out points for the main spots in Thurso Bay.
Harland Cottage – The option for those who like to be immersed in nature, this quaint cottage is close to Dunnet’s beach breaks some 15 minutes to the east of Thurso town. It’s cute, cozy, and an escape from it all.

You can use Booking.com‘s handy map feature to check for even more accommodation in the area around Thurso, near the main breaks or regional beaches.

Surf lessons in Thurso

Thurso’s epic barrel might not be the best place to learn to surf, but there are options on the coastline of this region that are great for total beginners, especially with the smaller swells of spring, summer and early fall.

Dunnet Beach is especially good. It’s located about 15 mins to the east of Thurso itself. It’s a sand-bottomed break with loads of space for you to practice on a big foam board and not worry about it.

You don’t have to pre-book lessons but if you do, check out…

North Coast Watersports Surf Lesson on Dunnet Beach – Meet at Dunnet Beach and do a full 2-hour surf lesson. These guys have seasoned instructors and some of the best equipment we’;’ve seen in a surf school.

When to surf in Thurso?

The autumn, winter, and spring are when Thurso’s breaks are working to their best, so come here between October and March.

What you’re after in Thurso is a punch of solid NW Atlantic groundswell. That can happen at any time in the year (we’ve seen Thurso East firing in mid-August) but it’s much more common in the winter months when there are big low-pressure systems moving from Greenland across to Norway in the upper lattitudes.

Summers can be flat but can also be decent. They’re better for beginner surfers who aren’t interested in Thurso East’s freight train barrels but more into the beach breaks around Dunnets for learning on.