|
THURSO , a municipal and police burgh, and seaport ofSee also: Caithness, Scotland
.
Pop
.
(1901), 3723
.
It is situated at the mouth of the Thurso, on Thurso See also: Bay, 21 m
.
N.W. of See also: Wick, and 319 M
.
N. of See also: Edinburgh by the See also: North See also: British and Highland See also: railways, the most northerly See also: town in Scotland
.
Coaches run daily to Mey and Wick and every See also: day a See also: mail-See also: car goes to See also: Tongue, in See also: Sutherlandshire, about 40 M. west
.
In See also: Macdonald Square, laid out with ornamental walks, there is a statue of See also: Sir See also: John
See also: Sinclair
.
A See also: promenade along the sands was opened in 1882
.
The town-See also: hall contains a public library and museum, which possesses the
See also: geological and botanical specimens of Robert See also: Dick (1811-1866), the " Thurso See also: baker," as well as a large collection of See also: northern birds
.
In the neighbour-See also: hood are quarries for Caithness flags, which are cut and dressed in the town
.
They constitute the leading export, but the See also: trade of the See also: port is hindered by the inconvenience of the harbour
.
There is, however, communication daily from Scrabster pier, 2 M. north-west, with Scapa andSee also: Stromness in See also: Pomona (Orkneys), calling at Hoxa; once a week with Wick, See also: Aberdeen and See also: Leith; and occasionally in summer with Liverpool
.
To the See also: east is Thurso See also: Castle, the residence of the Ulbster branch of the Sinclairs, and near it is Harold's Tower, built over the See also: grave of See also: Earl Harold, once owner of See also: half of Caithness, and half of the Orkneys and Shetlands, who See also: fell in See also: battle with Earl Harold the Wicked in 1190
.
About three-quarters of a mile west stand the ruins of the See also: bishop's palace, which was destroyed by fire in 1222
.
Thurso was the centre of the Norse power on the mainland when at its height under Thorfinn (1014), and afterwards till the battle of See also: Largs (1263)
.
Count Modach, See also: nephew of See also: King
See also: Duncan, quartered his army for a See also: time at Thurso and despoiled it till he was surprised and slain by Thorfinn in 1040
.
In the time of See also: Malcolm II
.
Earl Erlend resided in the town
.
In 1633 it was created a burgh of See also: barony, and was the seat of the See also: sheriff courts of the county till they were removed to Wick in 1828
.
|
|
|
[back] THURSDAY ISLAND |
[next] THURSTAN, or TURSTIN (d. 1140) |
There are no comments yet for this article.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.
Links to articles and home page are encouraged.