If you’re in Caithness during the summer, be sure to check what events are on at the weekend. From Highland Games to Caithness Pride, from the Game Fair to the Gala, Caithness comes out to celebrate every weekend all summer long.
If your spirit stirs at the thought of a marching pipe band, if you want to see Highland dancers, or if you fancy finding out if your pup has the waggiest tail, then be sure to go to one of these events.
The dates are for 2026, but each event is held around the same time every year. Most events are ticketed on the gate, but some are free.
This is a must if you love old cars, bikes, tractors or trucks, and you have kept your dad’s Haynes manuals! You can even enter your own vintage or classic vehicle – the deadline is the 24th May.
Hosted by the Caithness and Sutherland Vintage and Classic Vehicle Club with the Caithness Vintage Tractor and Machinery Club, the day is a chance to see some wonderful machinery and meet like-minded people. It’s a true family day out, including local trade stands, craft stalls, food and drink, and kids’ activities, as well as the pipe band and highland dancers.
If you miss the Rally, be sure to go to the Vintage Motor Museum in Halkirk – a showcase of vintage cars and memorabilia which is one of the North Coast 500’s truly hidden gems.
Wick Harbour Day is a fund-raiser held at Wick Harbour for the Wick RNLI, which relies entirely on donations and is staffed by volunteers. The day includes lifeboat tours and displays by the emergency services, as well as the pipe band, and highland dancers. You may get the chance to go on the lifeboat, the supply boats for the Beatrice windfarm, or on the Victorian fishing boat, the Isabella Fortuna.
Be sure to pop into nearby Wick Museum to find out more about the lives of the men, women and children who worked in the Herring Fishing industry here, or walk route of the Telford Trail around Pulteneytown, which was built to house them, dropping into the Old Pulteney distillery as you go past.
A new event in Caithness’s calendar in 2025, Caithness Pride is the mainland’s most northerly Pride event! It includes music, stalls, workshops and other chances to join in, as well as a parade that anyone can join in. It’s a colourful, fun and family-friendly free day out, with lots to see and do.
The Canisbay Show is a small and friendly agricultural show in the north of the county, with livestock, horses and carriage driving, a dog show, fancy dress, and a strong emphasis on art and craft, not to mention fruit and veg.
The Latheron Show always has a big display of something special which is great for adults and kids. Last year it was life-size dinosaurs and performing pigs, and in previous years it’s been dancing diggers and Viking battles. You’ll find everything rural here, from highland cows to vintage tractors.
The Caithness County Show lasts two days and showcases some of the the best livestock and horsemanship in the county. It’s two big glorious days out, with loads for the whole family to see and do. It has everything from fair-ground rides to farm machinery, from trade stands to craft competitions. The Caithness Show alternates between Thurso and Wick, and the 2026 show will be held in Thurso.
If you want to go to a traditional Highland Games, with events like tossing the caber, then the Halkirk Highland Games are for you. A friendly, family day out, with over 100 events packed int o a single afternoon, including traditional feats of strength, athletics, stands and stalls, pipe bands and highland dancers, and much, much more.
Wick Gala starts with a parade of floats and fancy dress one Saturday, and finishes with fireworks the next. It’s a week at the end of July packed with events large and small, when the whole town gets involved. If you are watching the parade, be sure to bring loads of change, as every float is raising money for a good cause.
The Mey Games were founded in August 1970, to celebrate the 70th birthday of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. In more recent years, King Charles has attended as Chieftain of the Mey Games. As well as all the traditional Highland competitions (heavy events, track events, piping events and dancing events) the games are a great place to find stalls of local food and drink and the work of local artists and makers.
At Thrumster Game Fair, the focus is on country sports, with demonstrations by working gun dogs, and falconry displays, terrier racing and and horse-riding. It’s also a livestock show, originally inspired by a leaflet found in Thrumster House of a livestock show open to anyone on the estate, so entries are limited to within 2.5miles of Thrumster house! You can still see horses, sheep and cattle, or enter your dogs into the dog show on the day!
An entire weekend where places that aren’t usually open to the public open their doors and welcome you in for a behind the scenes look. A fabulous chance for a sneaky peak into working buildings and other places that are usually locked away. Check their map for places to see.
My name is Ben, and I run the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage at Noss Head. One of the things I love about living here in Caithness is going to the shows in the summer. I thought I had more photos of them, but it turns out I enjoy them too much to take any photos! They are the living heritage of the community, and a way to glimpse its deep roots in fishing and agriculture. And as you can see, they are a lot of fun!
