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Thurso beach, UK

Stay in Thurso: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Thurso

Watch this spot We email you when Thurso beach is worth the trip.

About Thurso beach

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces N (13°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (193°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 18). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 8°C in February, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 13°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Thurso, 1.7 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 18 h 10 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to INV, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB).

    See flights ORD → INV · Skyscanner from about £370 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 25 from the airport to Thurso beach.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in ThursoAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Thurso · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Thurso · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Thurso beach on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct574 ft7 smushy153kJ11°C
Mon 19Oct06 ft11 shollow814kJ11°C
Tue 20Oct07 ft11 shollow971kJ12°C
Wed 21Oct446 ft10 shollow595kJ10°C
Thu 22Oct155 ft8 scrumbling359kJ10°C
Fri 23Oct415 ft9 scrumbling370kJ9°C
Sat 24Oct06 ft9 scrumbling624kJ8°C
Sun 25Oct85 ft9 shollow313kJ8°C
Mon 26Oct213 ft9 shollow156kJ8°C
Tue 27Oct134 ft9 smushy245kJ9°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to INV, changing at DUB, then 2h 25 by road. About 18h 10 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Brimms Ness

    Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 6 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Brimms Ness

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Brimms Ness

    Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Brimms Ness

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Brimms Ness

    Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to INV, changing at DUB, then 2h 25 by road. About 18h 10 door to door

The plan picks the best of 5 spots near Thurso each day: Brimms Ness, Sewer Pipe, The Bowl, Thurso beach, Thurso East.

The trip from Thurso, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,100–£2,040 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to INV, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£370–£765
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£105–£175
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£250–£420
Food7 days eating out£240–£445
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£100–£170
Total£1,100–£2,040

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Thurso

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.