The History Of Caithness Comes Alive At Thurso Town Hall
2nd December 2008
On Monday 1st December 2008 Caithness Horizons reopened the magnificently restored Thurso Town Hall and Carnegie Library to the public. The new museum and community facility has not only captured the past and brought it to life through displays and interpretation, it also provides a real flavour of Caithness today to tempt visitors to find out more about this diverse county.
Following the opening by Margaret, Viscountess Thurso of Ulbster, visitors had their first chance to look around the facility, which explores the archaeology and history of the area, the geology and ecology, the wildlife, flowers and fauna, our need for fuel and energy and a sustainable future. The building is also home to tourist information, temporary exhibitions and displays, educational projects, audio-visual presentation facilities and a café.
Overwhelmed by the transformation, Lord Lieutenant of Caithness, Anne Dunnett, said: "The Town Hall had become cold, drab and run down and the transformation is astonishing. It is a wonderful facility and one that I hope the people of Caithness will appreciate and use.
"We are extremely fortunate to have such a fantastic facility, which will be a boon to the whole county. I would like to thank all those who have worked so hard to create such a modern interior while ensuring that the main character of the building has remained intact."
Experiencing Caithness Horizons for the first time, Thurso resident, Davie Oag, was also impressed by what he saw. He said: "I am very pleased with what has been done. This is a great project and money well spent. There is so much to discover that people will be encouraged to come back again and again."
Caithness Horizons' chairman, Paul Cariss, said: "We are delighted to finally be able to throw open the doors and give the Thurso Town Hall back to the people of Caithness. It is the culmination of six years' hard work and meticulous planning, and we hope that people will come along and see just what Caithness Horizons has to offer."
Photo
Caithness Horizons Chairman Paul Cariss
John Thurso MP
Margaret, Viscountess Thurso of Ulbster
Related Businesses
Related Articles
High Life Highland's Countryside Ranger's gave members of the public an exciting opportunity to ‘dive in' to the world of marine wildlife at the North Coast Visitor Centre recently. The ‘Whale and Dolphin Watching’ presentation took place on Wednesday 15th November at 11am, and was well attended by the local Caithness community.
The North Coast Visitor Centre in Thurso has achieved a four star award by VisitScotland's quality assurance scheme in its first year of operation. Set in the former Thurso Town Hall and Carnegie Library, the visitor centre includes a museum featuring Caithness history, in addition to an art gallery, a shop and cafe.
The Spirit of the Highlands and Islands 360 degree immersive portal experience has been declared a ‘big hit' with visitors to the North Coast Visitor Centre this October school Holidays. The Spirit of the Highlands and Islands project is a partnership project between The Highland Council and High Life Highland, and is delivered in collaboration with VisitScotland.
The re-launch of the former Caithness Horizons centre in Thurso is set to take place on Tuesday, 2 November 2021, with the facility being rebranded as the North Coast Visitor Centre. Its relaunch will bring back into use a valuable community asset and support the wider community and economic benefit for Thurso and the wider Caithness Area.
Talks have taken place on the possibility of reopening Thurso's Caithness Horizons which closed last week due to financial problems. The operators of the museum and art gallery said increasing running costs and reduced income had made the running of the site "unsustainable".
Uncertainty over funding from Highland council. Caithness Horizons, which tells the story of the county of Caithness from 416 million years ago to the present day, has deleted its manager post and cut its curator's hours from 40 to 20 hours a week in anticipation of funding cuts.
Week Commencing 1st January 2018. Energy & business services: 2018 promises to be another year of exciting change in the energy sector, and to highlight how things have progressed in the north the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm team have produced a short booklet outlining the significant milestones that have been achieved during 2017 - you can access the booklet at https://www.beatricewind.com/single-post/2017/12/22/lookingbackat2017 .
Thursday 10 September, 12.45 -16.30 Caithness Horizons, Thurso (Please note that lunch is not provided, however you are welcome to have lunch at The Caithness Horizons Cafe prior to the event) Running a craft practice is addictive - there is always more to try, new ideas to explore and projects to develop. Growing your business allows you to confidently pursue these exciting new opportunities to strengthen your profile, expand your range of customers and generate healthy profits.
Tuesday 11th August saw local group No Limits Caithness visit the Museum for a morning packed with Viking activities with Curator Joanne Howdle, or Thordis EirÃksdóttir as she is fondly known to local groups and schools. The group helped the Museum to hit the half million visitors mark and to celebrate they were presented with a special cake made in the Museum's cafe.
Scientists from around the world recently gathered in Thurso for an annual biological sciences meeting. The Larwood Symposium was hosted by the Environmental Research Institute (ERI) of the North Highland College UHI on behalf of the International Bryozoology Association.
