Thurso going from strength to strength after achieving BowlsMark Gold Award
Thurso Bowling Club has been honoured with the Bowls Scotland BowlsMark Gold Award for good governance.
The presentation was made by Stuart Bell, national development officer for the north at Bowls Scotland, to the club’s president Douglas Morrison and secretary Janet Sinclair along with some of the members.
The BowlsMark accreditation scheme is designed to support clubs to develop and grow. Douglas and Janet described it as a great achievement, underlining how bowling is going from strength to strength in Thurso.
To date only five clubs in Scotland have achieved the accolade.
The club was opened at Millbank in 1887 and bowling has been a popular sport in Thurso ever since. Nestled between the Tesco store and Millbank Road, the green is busy from April through to September and it is in continuous use by the members every day of the week.

The club now has more than 160 members, with an enthusiastic and thriving junior section run by Lynne Swanson on Monday and Friday afternoons. It is hoped to start a high school junior club as well.
This year the club had nine ladies travelling to Ayr to represent the North district in the Bowls Scotland National Championships. They were Janet Sinclair, Julie Knapp and Lynne Swanson in the triples, Hilary Budge and Marina Bain in the pairs and Jill Tewnion, Maureen Moncur, Fiona Macleod and Linda Morrison in the fours.
Although they did not bring home any silverware, they all played well and enjoyed the experience. Dounreay Communities Fund helped with the expenses for the five-day trip to Ayr.
Club members were also delighted to have won the Caithness inter-club trophy, the Munro Shield, bringing it back to Thurso for the first time in five years.
Another proud moment for the club came when Jamie Newman won the Northern Counties Bowling Association junior championship for 2024.
Although the season is nearly over for this year, anyone interested in giving bowling a try can go along to the club and they will be made very welcome. All that is asked is that they wear flat-soled shoes or trainers, and bowls will be provided.
At the beginning of the 2025 season the club will hold its popular “come and try” day which will be advertised in April and May.