From Faraid Head to Dunnet Head, to the east you will find the best surfing waves in Scotland. Bays like Torrisdale, Farr, Strathy, Melvich and Sandside are classics in their own right. The A836, which winds its way across the northernmost tip of Scotland, connects them all. Home of past rounds of the European Surf Championships, Thurso and its surrounding beaches offer awesome reef and beach breaks. The waves have a tendency to tube in cross-offshore winds and can make it a little tricky getting out. Submerged reefs abound although most are well over fin deep at the base of everything but the largest swells. Local knowledge is a must and you will find many a friendly surfer more than willing to scare you to death with tales of gnarly 15ft sets week in week out. Tales? Possibly. The truth? Probably.