Castletown

Castletown is a small coastal village in Caithness, in the northern Highland council area of Scotland, lying on the southern shore of Thurso Bay a few miles east of Thurso. Its north‑coast position gives wide views across the Pentland Firth and towards the islands of Orkney, and it sits close to the road routes used by visitors heading for John o' Groats; the surrounding landscape is a mix of windswept beaches, dunes and agricultural moorland with notable birdlife.

Historically connected to a small harbour and the coastal fishing trade, Castletown grew in the 19th century and today serves as a modest local centre and commuter village for nearby Thurso, with shops, community facilities and holiday accommodation. The community is small and close‑knit, with coastal walks, local heritage linked to crofting and seafaring, and a quieter, more rural side of Highland life that attracts people interested in landscape and history rather than mass tourism.