Caithness is an area that has plenty to offer residents new and old
Anyone who is under the impression that, the further north you go, the less likely it is that anything exciting is happening, clearly hasn’t been to Caithness of late.
Lovers of good food, for example, have been getting hot under the napkin about The Captain’s Galley restaurant in Scrabster which was last month crowned the Sustainable Restaurant of the Year.
A former Press and Journal restaurant of the year, owner and chef of the restaurant, Jim Cowie, was presented with his award by world-famous chef, Raymond Blanc, President of the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
Jim, who worked as a fish trader for 35 years and had never so much as boiled an egg before opening his harbour-side restaurant in Scrabster, Caithness 13 years ago, now serves customers dishes like monkfish liver and saithe in ginger and miso broth while the sea, which is literally yards from the restaurant door, serves as his larder.
He refuses to serve popular seafood items in his 18-seat restaurant unless they are in season and in plentiful supply. The food there is always good but if you want to know more about which fish to eat and when then make sure you swing by Caithness this autumn, as Jim is looking to host a sustainable seafood festival then.
The busy town of Wick, which is not far from Scrabster, has also been in news following the announcement that the airfield at Wick John O’Groats Airport is set for a major upgrade this year, boosting safety and enabling the airport to handle future growth. Almost £600,000 is to be spent this year refurbishing the airport apron where aircraft are parked, loaded and unloaded. Work on the project is expected to start this summer.
The airport has also recently taken delivery of two new fire appliances, costing almost £700,000. The purpose built tenders are part of a £7million roll out by HIAL of 20 new state of the art vehicles across the group.
In addition, recent figures revealed that Wick John O’Groats recorded a massive increase in passenger numbers in January, thanks to a contract to service a major oil field in the West of Shetland basin. Oil workers have been flowing through the airport since before Christmas after a contract was struck with operator Premier Oil, Aker Solutions and Far North Aviation to service the Solan field. As a result, hundreds of personnel were transferred every week from Caithness to the Safe Scandinavia flotel, temporarily stationed in the Solan field.
HIAL Managing Director Inglis Lyon said at the time: “Wick John O’Groats airport is of huge strategic importance to the HIAL group. The airport serves the business and tourism needs of Caithness and Sutherland but, as last month’s figures illustrate, it is also a particularly important gateway for the energy sector. Our investment this year underlines our commitment to grow the airport and consolidate its status as a hub for the oil, gas and renewables sector.”
Many of those coming through Caithness will find themselves in an area with lots of wide-open space and dramatic coastlines. For those looking to put down roots the first port of call may be the town of Thurso and Wick which are among the biggest in the Highlands.
Thurso has a good range of facilities, including a supermarket, bank, post office, hotels, restaurants and a busy high street with a good variety of shops. Both primary and secondary education is provided in the town.
Possibly the best-known location in Caithness is John O’Groats. It has been the starting point for thousands of people determined to walk, run, cycle or drive to Land’s End and this year has been very busy with visitors from home and away.
Yet, despite what most people think, the coastal village is not the most northerly point on the British mainland, that honour goes to Dunnet Head, but is the north end of the longest distance between two inhabited points on the mainland, Land’s End being the other.
The village is scattered over a large area and has a grocery store, cafes, woollen mill, museum and post office where tourists enjoy sending postcards home from this unspoiled location.
Wick, which has excellent primary and secondary schooling, is another busy town in Caithness. There is a busy harbour and the town’s historic Pulteneytown area is a fascinating place in which to live or to visit.