Brims Ness

Thurso · Scotland · United Kingdom

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Brims Ness (wave height, swell, wind, tide and a 0–10 rating for every hour of the next 16 days) are only shown on SurfCams. They change every hour, so this text doesn’t contain them. To check today’s surf, open https://surf-cams.com/spot/brims-ness.

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Brims Ness is a rocky point west of Thurso with several powerful reef waves around it. The Bowl is a heavy slab with a step in the face that breaks at high tide; the Cove is a smaller slab, and the Point is a left that works at low tide. It picks up more swell than anywhere else nearby, so it is where surfers go when the rest of the coast is flat.

Level
Experts only
Break
Slab, reef
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Some company
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or step-up you trust in heavy, hollow waves.

When it works

✓ A 1–2.5 m north-west swell with a southerly wind; pick the wave that suits the tide.

When it doesn't

✕ Northerly and westerly winds blow straight in, and big swells make the slabs deadly.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • rips

Best months

September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May

Local tips

These are shallow slabs over flat rock, for experienced surfers only. The Bowl breaks at high tide, the Point at low tide. Drive slowly on the single-track farm road and park where you will not block it.

Getting there

From Thurso, take the A836 west towards Reay and turn right onto the single-track farm road to Brims; follow it to the end.

Travel notes

How often it works
Very consistent. It catches swell from the west round to the north-east and works on small days when everything else is flat.
Crowd and vibe
Usually empty on weekdays, with a few strong local surfers at weekends.
Camping and vans
Thurso Bay Caravan and Camping Park is about 8 km east. Nearest campsite about 8 km away.
Facilities
None at the spot. Everything you need is in Thurso, 15 minutes away.
Water quality
Not a designated bathing water, so there is no official water quality result here.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WNW–N best, W–NE works
Size
1–2.5 m offshore swell; starts at 0.6 m, holds to 3.5 m
Period
9 s minimum, best from 13 s
Wind
Offshore SSE–SSW; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid best
Faces
NW (325°)

Live cam

No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.

In the guides

Nearby spots

All spots in Scotland · All spots

Sources