Scrabster
Highland

A 19th-century fishing port on the north coast of Caithness, Scrabster lies beneath a cliff on the west side of Thurso Bay, 2 miles (3 km) northwest of the town of Thurso. It is built on the site of a much older Norse homestead, its 13th-century castle being a former stronghold of the Bishops of Caithness. Scrabster House dates from 1834 and from its large harbour, constructed c.1850, ferries connect with Orkney, Shetland and the Faroe Islands. Flagstone quarries nearby were worked until the early 20th century and a lighthouse at Holborn Head was first lit in 1862. A BP oil depot was established in 1978 and the harbour was enlarged in the 1990s to handle large ocean-going fishing boats in addition to Scrabster's lifeboat and coastguard cutter. Scrabster has a business park with a call centre and hi-tech industries.

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