Thurso East facts for kids

Thurso Castle

Thurso East, also known as the North Shore, is a special part of the coastline in northern Scotland. It's located about half a mile east of the town of Thurso in Caithness. This area is right where the River Thurso meets the Atlantic Ocean. You can even see the old ruins of Thurso Castle looking over it.

What makes Thurso East unique is its natural reef. This reef is made from layers of a strong stone called Caithness flagstone. This is the same type of stone used to pave famous streets in places like London and Paris! Because of its special reef, Thurso East is known as Scotland's best place for surfing on the north coast.

Surfing at Thurso East

Thurso East is famous for its fast "reef break" waves. This means the waves break over the rocky reef, creating powerful and exciting rides. This spot is so good that it has hosted many big international surfing competitions.

The waves here can be quite large, ranging from 2 feet up to over 15 feet! They are mostly "right-handers," which means the wave breaks to the right from the surfer's point of view. Depending on the tide and how the ocean swells, you can also find "barrel sections" where the wave curls over, creating a hollow tube for surfers to ride inside.

Thurso East became very well known in 2006. That year, it hosted the first-ever O'Neill Highland Open WQS surfing competition. A British surfer named Russell Winter won this exciting event. From 2006 to 2011, O'Neill continued to sponsor a major international surf contest here, later called the Coldwater Classic. This event often brought many famous surfers from around the world to Scotland. In 2012, O'Neill decided to stop sponsoring the event, but Thurso East remains a top surfing destination.

See Also

• Thurso Flagstone