Caithness Horizons

Caithness Horizons opened to the public on the 1st December 2008 following the refurbishment of the Thurso Town Hall and adjacent Carnegie Library.  Since opening, the Museum has been awarded a 5 Star Visitor Attraction rating by VisitScotland and has acheived Full Museum Accreditation.

Caithness Horizons houses a permanent exhibition which uses the Museum's Collection of objects to tell the story of the county of Caithness from the geological period known as the Devonian (about 416 to 359 million years ago) to the present day.  Some of the star objects that are on display in the permanent exhibition are:

Examples of the famous fossil fish of Caithness which date from the Devonian period

A Bronze Age clay beaker that was found near Achavanich

A late Neolithic/early Bronze Age carved stone ball that was found in the Thurso River

Two Pictish Stones - the Ulbster Stone and the Skinnet Stone

A Viking cross shaped gravestone which is incised with runic letters that was found near to Old St. Peter's Kirk in Thurso in 1896

Geological and botanical specimens that were collected by Robert Dick (1811-1866) a local baker and renowned self-taught botanist, geologist and naturalist

Technical models of the Dounreay Fast Reactor (DFR) and the Dounreay Prototype Fast Reacter (PFR)

Caithness Horizons is also home to a temporary exhibition gallery which plays host to an annual programme of changing exhibitions.  In addition Caithness Horizons has a lovely Gift Shop and Cafe which serves delicious home baking.