| Brough | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
 Brough Slipway | |
  Brough Location within the Caithness area | |
| Population | 72 Scotland Census 2011 |
| OS grid reference | ND222733 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | THURSO |
| Postcode district | KW14 |
| Dialling code | 01847 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament |
|
Brough /brɒx/ is a small village in Caithness on the far north coast of mainland Scotland.[1] It is the most northerly village of mainland Great Britain. It is 10 miles (16 km) east of Thurso, 20 miles (32 km) north-west of Wick, 200 miles (320 km) north of Edinburgh, and 500 miles (800 km) north of London. It is on the southern shore of the Pentland Firth, the sea channel between Caithness and the Orkney Islands, notorious for strong tidal currents and exceptionally violent sea conditions.[2] Brough is located on the B855 single-track road, 2.5 miles (4 km) south east of Dunnet Head Lighthouse, the most northerly lighthouse and point on mainland Britain. The neighbouring village of Dunnet and the wide sandy beaches of Dunnet Bay lie 1.6 miles (2.6 km) to the south. Brough is within the civil parish of Dunnet. John o' Groats, the north-easterly point of the mainland, lies 10 miles (16 km) to the east.[3][4]
Brough is the site of Brough Castle, a twelfth-century Norse fortress; the ruins are on the property now known as Heathcliff.
In 2011, the village had a population of 72.[5] The village has a bus stop and had a village post office and tea room, now closed. Brough harbour, a small cliff-enclosed shingle bay to the north of the village, faces Little Clett rock, an islet which shelters the harbour from the north. The slipway was originally built to assist the construction and maintenance of Dunnet Head lighthouse (1831). The harbour is quite sheltered, but is surrounded by the notorious, powerful currents of the Pentland Firth and the rocky cliffs of Dunnet Head. A second harbour is located at Ham, at the eastern end of the village.
To the south of the village lies St. John's Loch, which supports large, beautifully marked specimen brown trout.[6] The surrounding countryside is wild, largely treeless and dominated by peat bog and small crofting farmsteads.
In 2014, Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton was in Brough filming a short film Special sets the standard for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe.[7] Brough Harbour provided the backdrop for the film, which was noted for its mysterious atmosphere and raw beauty.The campaign was produced by MoMA-featured photographer and director Roe Ethridge, designer Haider Ackermann, and cameraman Andre Chemetoff.[8]
- ^ Thomas Brown (of Sanguhar.) (1807). Union Gazetteer for Gt. Br. & Ireland ... p. 175. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
- ^ Marine Accident Investigation Board. "MAIB Inv Report 8/2016 - Cemfjord - Very Serious Marine Casualty" (PDF). Marine Accident Investigation Board. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ Bartholomew's Half Inch to Mile Map of Scotland - Sheet 27 Caithness; publ. John Bartholomew, 1929
- ^ Microsoft; Nokia. "Brough, Caithness" (Map). Bing Maps. Microsoft. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
- ^ ScotlandsCensus. "Search the Census". ScotlandsCensus. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ Douglas, Gordon. "St John's Loch". Dounreay Fly Fishing Association. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ "Mercedes Benz release Caithness commercial". John O Groat Journal. John O Groat Journal.
- ^ "Tilda Swinton Stars in New Mercedes-Benz Ad". Benz Insider. Retrieved 28 May 2024.