16th November 2026
Caithness has become accustomed to reading about economic difficulties, declining public services, empty shops, rising costs and the challenges facing rural communities. These are important issues and should not be ignored. But there is another side to the story which deserves more attention.
Across Caithness, people are investing, businesses are developing, community organisations are finding new ways forward and projects are creating opportunities for the future.
Perhaps it is time to remind ourselves that Caithness is not simply a place struggling with problems. It is also a place with considerable strengths, talented people and opportunities that are sometimes overlooked.
There are some encouraging developments worth celebrating.
Communities taking matters into their own hands
One of the most encouraging examples is the purchase of St Fergus Church in Wick by Wick Development Trust.
The historic building, which is almost 200 years old, could easily have become another empty property in the town. Instead, the Trust secured its purchase for £80,000, with considerable support from the community and funding from SSEN Transmission's Shetland HVDC Link Local Fund.
The intention is to develop it into a community centre, providing space for organisations, meetings and events.
There is still work to do, including repairs and securing funding for improvements, but the important thing is that the opportunity has been preserved.
It demonstrates what can happen when local people decide that an important building should have a future rather than simply becoming another casualty of changing times.
Investment in the places people visit
Tourism is an important part of the Caithness economy, and there are signs of further investment in the facilities that make the area attractive to visitors.
The Whaligoe Steps are one of the most distinctive attractions in the county. The dramatic steps leading down to the former fishing harbour provide a remarkable glimpse into the area's maritime history.
The Caithness Area Committee has recently approved £159,500 for improvements to access and visitor infrastructure at Whaligoe.
This is part of a wider £237,155 allocation approved for six local community projects.
Other successful applications include £25,000 for woodland regeneration at Dunnet Community Forest, improvements to Thurso Bowling Club, modernisation of Thurso Royal British Legion's community hall and £20,000 for improvements to The Haven, operated by Caithness Mental Health Support Group.
There is also funding for picnic benches across Caithness.
These might appear to be relatively modest projects when compared with major industrial developments, but collectively they improve the places where people live, work and visit.
They also demonstrate that investment in Caithness is not confined to large commercial developments.
Wick's town centre has a chance to look forward
Wick has faced considerable difficulties in recent years, particularly with the changing nature of its town centre.
However, the £1.25 million Wick Street Design Project has brought significant improvements to Bridge Street, the High Street and Market Square.
The project includes wider pavements, improved pedestrian facilities, cycling infrastructure, planting, lighting and public spaces.
It will not, on its own, solve the problems facing traditional town centres. Shops still need customers and businesses need to make a living.
But making Wick a more attractive place to spend time is a worthwhile step.
A town centre should be somewhere people want to visit, not simply somewhere they pass through on their way to a supermarket.
The challenge now is to build on the improvements by encouraging more businesses, community activities and reasons for people to spend time in the town.
Protecting jobs and maintaining important services
There has also been encouraging news for local employment and transport.
The transfer of the former Stagecoach bus operations in Wick and Thurso to Highland Council-owned D&E Coaches secured the jobs of all 26 employees, with no redundancies.
The operation includes drivers, maintenance staff, vehicles and depots, as well as services supporting local communities, schools and Dounreay.
For a rural area where public transport is essential to many people, maintaining these services is important.
Public ownership does not automatically guarantee a better service, and the operation must remain financially sustainable. However, securing the existing workforce and providing a longer-term approach to rural transport is a positive development.
Opportunities in energy and industry
Caithness also has an important part to play in Scotland's changing energy economy.
The approval of the Cairnmore Hill Wind Farm near Thurso is another example of investment in renewable energy.
The five-turbine development has an expected capacity of 21.5 megawatts and is associated with local investment and business-rate income over its operating life.
There are wider opportunities too.
Wick Harbour's developing masterplan could create opportunities connected with offshore wind, marine services, cargo handling and other commercial activities.
These proposals are not guaranteed jobs, and it is important to distinguish between investment ambitions and projects that have actually been delivered.
Nevertheless, Caithness has a geographical advantage in the development of offshore energy. The challenge is to ensure that local businesses and workers benefit rather than simply watching activity take place offshore.
A natural and cultural asset of international importance
Sometimes we overlook just how unusual the natural environment around us is.
The Flow Country's UNESCO World Heritage status has given the far north international recognition.
Its importance extends beyond scenery. It provides opportunities for scientific research, environmental education, nature tourism and work connected with peatland restoration.
Caithness also has an extraordinary historical inheritance, from its archaeological sites and brochs to its fishing communities, flagstone industry and maritime history.
These are assets that cannot easily be recreated elsewhere.
The opportunity is to make more of them, encouraging visitors to stay longer, explore more widely and support local businesses.
The people are perhaps our greatest asset
However, the most important reason for optimism may not be found in investment figures or development plans.
It is the people who continue to make things happen.
Community groups, volunteers, small businesses, sports clubs, charities and local organisations provide services and opportunities that would otherwise be missing.
Some operate with very limited resources. Others have taken on buildings, developed new activities or created businesses where larger organisations might see too many obstacles.
Their achievements rarely make national headlines, but they contribute enormously to the quality of life in Caithness.
We should also recognise the younger people who choose to remain here, return after studying elsewhere or establish businesses in the north.
They are an important part of the area's future.
A more balanced picture of Caithness
None of this means that the problems facing Caithness have disappeared.
We still need more permanent employment, better transport connections, investment in housing, reliable public services and stronger town centres.
There are difficult questions about how we attract and retain younger people, support local businesses and ensure that the benefits of major energy developments reach the communities hosting them.
But it is equally important not to allow those difficulties to become the only story we tell.
Caithness has businesses with ambitions, communities prepared to invest in themselves, a remarkable natural environment, an interesting industrial heritage and opportunities arising from changes in energy, tourism and technology.
Perhaps we should spend a little more time recognising what is going right.
There is a danger that constantly discussing decline can create the impression that nothing worthwhile is happening and that the future is already decided.
It isn't.
Caithness has plenty to celebrate, and plenty of people working hard to make its future better.
Sometimes the best way to encourage a place to move forward is to remind its people of what they already have to be proud of.