Forss Water, known also as Forss River, has its

source Source may refer to: Research * Historical document * Historical source * Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence * Source (journalism), a person, publication, publishing institute o ...

at the northern end of Loch Shurrey, at . About 13 kilometres north of its source the river flows into

Crosskirk Bay Crosskirk is a small remote hamlet, overlooking Crosskirk Bay, in Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scotland, Scottish council area of Highland Council area, Highland. The hamlet of Crosskirk is situated less than 1 mile north east of ...

and the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

at . Crosskirk Bay is on the north

coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

and about 8 kilometres west of the

burgh A burgh is an autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland and Northern England, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burg ...

Thurso Thurso (pronounced ; sco, Thursa, gd, Inbhir Theòrsa ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great ...

Caithness Caithness ( gd, Gallaibh ; sco, Caitnes; non, Katanes) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded by ...

, in

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

, Scotland. The river marked the eastern extent of the

Clan Mackay Clan Mackay ( ; gd, Clann Mhic Aoidh ) is an ancient and once-powerful Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan from the far North of the Scottish Highlands, but with roots in the old Mormaer of Moray, Kingdom of Moray. They supported Robert I ...

raid in the

Sandside Chase The Sandside Chase (The Chase of Sandside, The Chase of Sansett; in Gaelic, Ruoig-Hansett, Ruaig Handside or Ruaig-Shansaid) was a Scottish clan battle which took place in 1437 in Caithness, about west of Thurso. The Clan Mackay launched a raid ...

of 1437.

Tributaries

* Alt Torigil, known also as Alt Forsiescye, enters the river at . * Alltan Guinne enters at . * The Burn of Baillie enters at . * The

Burn of Brimside A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur mai ...

enters at .

Bridges

The river is crossed by four

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

s and one footbridge. The road bridges are: * Near the river's source at Loch Shurrey, at . * Near

Broubster Village Broubster is a village in Highland, Scotland. Near Broubster, there is a Bronze Age megalithic arrangement. Ten stones remain of an original set of approximately 36. The arrangement is similar to a larger arrangement at Achavanich. Geography Brou ...

, at . * Near Westfield, at . * Near Lythmore, at . * The

Bridge of Forss A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

, which carries the A836 road at . The A836 leads towards

and John o' Groats in the east and towards

Reay Reay ( gd, Ràth) is a village which has grown around Sandside Bay on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. It is within the historic Parish of Reay and the historic county of Caithness. The village is on the A836 road some ...

Melvich Melvich (from Norse Mel Vik – "sand dune bay" – rendered into gd, A' Mhealbhaich) is a village in the county of Sutherland on the north coast of Scotland. It is situated on the A836 road, near the mouth of the River Halladale. It has a suc ...

Bettyhill Bettyhill ( gd, Am Blàran Odhar) is a village in the parish of Farr, on the north coast of Scotland. Bettyhill lies on the A836 road west of Thurso and from Tongue. It lies from the village of Skerray; its former fishing port was called N ...

and

Tongue The tongue is a muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surfa ...

in the west. The footbridge is near the river's mouth at , providing access to St Marys Chapel, to the west of the river, from

Crosskirk Crosskirk is a small remote hamlet, overlooking Crosskirk Bay, in Caithness, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scotland, Scottish council area of Highland Council area, Highland. The hamlet of Crosskirk is situated less than 1 mile north east of ...

, to the east.

References

Rivers of Highland (council area) {{Scotland-river-stub