Biggest Industries in Caithness and Looking Forward

8th August 2025

Caithness, in the far north of Scotland, is undergoing a dynamic transformation.

While historically known for its nuclear legacy, the region is now diversifying into high-tech, green, and maritime sectors.

Here's a breakdown of the most significant industries:

Energy & Renewables

Nuclear
The decommissioning of the Dounreay nuclear site continues to be a major employer and skills hub, with expertise exported globally (e.g., Japan's Monju reactor cleanup).

Offshore Wind
Projects like the Ayre Offshore Wind Farm are driving investment and rural regeneration, supported by developers like Thistle Wind Partners.

Wave & Tidal
The Pentland Firth offers some of the strongest tidal currents in the world, making Caithness ideal for marine energy innovation.

Hydrogen & Grid Tech
Emerging interest in hydrogen production and smart grid integration is positioning Caithness as a green energy powerhouse.

Engineering & Advanced Manufacturing

Oil & Gas Support
Subsea 7 and Imenco operate major facilities in Wick, producing pipeline bundles and high-tech equipment for offshore platforms.

Battery Tech
LionVolt's acquisition of AMTE Power's Thurso site introduces cutting-edge 3D solid-state battery manufacturing to the region.

Precision Engineering
Local firms like Envision Engineering and Gow's Lybster are investing in automation and carbon-cutting technologies.

Maritime & Logistics

Scrabster Harbour
A strategic base for West of Shetland oil operations, offering faster crew and cargo transfers than Aberdeen.

Wick John O'Groats Airport
Supports offshore logistics and could expand as green energy projects scale up.

Food & Drink / Tourism

Distilleries
Dunnet Bay Distillery is expanding into whisky production, integrating sustainable heat recovery systems.

Tourism & Heritage
Projects like the John O'Groats Mill redevelopment boosting tourism.

Space & Data (Emerging)

Caithness is part of the wider Focus North initiative, which includes ambitions in space tech, data infrastructure, and conservation—positioning the region for future innovation.

Caithness Industry Forecast to 2030

Education & Skills Outlook
Caithness is on track to evolve into a multi-sector innovation region by 2030, with energy, space, and advanced manufacturing leading the charge. Here's a combined forecast of industry growth and how education is adapting to support it.

Vocational Surge: Passes in vocational and technical qualifications (e.g. construction, hospitality, engineering) rose 22.6% year-on-year across Scotland a trend reflected in Caithness.

STEM & Green Skills: Local schools and colleges are aligning with energy and space sectors, offering pathways in renewables, robotics, and aerospace.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Eligible students in Caithness can access £30/week support to stay in education, helping reduce dropout rates and support low-income learners.

Attainment Gap Narrowing: The poverty-related attainment gap has narrowed at National 5, Higher, and Advanced Higher levels, improving access to skilled jobs.

Strategic Implication

By 2030, Caithness could become a model for rural regeneration, blending:

High-tech industry (space, batteries)

Green energy leadership

Inclusive education and training

Applications open for Education Maintenance Allowance 2025/26 - £30 per week Apply now
All eligible young people are being encouraged to apply for a weekly, term time allowance of £30 per week from August 2025.

The Highland Council administers Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in respect of eligible young people from across its 29 secondary schools. Colleges administer this scheme for their students.

During the last academic year, over 400 young people across Highland secondary schools benefited from approximately £350,000 from this Allowance. The Allowance provides an incentive for young people aged 16-19 from lower income families to continue with their post-16 education, either in school or college.

Eligibility for the scheme is based upon the total taxable household income for 2024/25:

up to £24,421 taxable income for households with 1 dependant child.

up to £26,884 taxable income for households with 2 or more dependant children.

This weekly term time allowance is paid directly into the young person's bank account and does not affect the child benefit or other benefits being paid to their parents or carers.

Further information about Education Maintenance Allowance, including full eligibility criteria, is available on the Highland Council's website at www.highland.gov.uk/ema.

The Council’s Welfare Support Team can complete the online application form with the young person and in the wider context, can support all eligible households to apply for benefits and other entitlements.

The Welfare Support Team can be contacted by telephoning 0800 090 1004 or emailing welfare.support@highland.gov.uk.