The nuclear project at Dounreay ran from 1958 to 1994. Work at the site now concentrates on decommissioning and environmental restoration.
Thurso Technical College was established in 1959 to complement Dounreay’s in house training facilities. Today, it is part of the University of the Highlands and Island’s network of campuses, and is still involved in training Dounreay apprentices.
Looking to the future Linda Ross has demonstrated that:
‘With the Dounreay site undergoing decommissioning and expected to be cleared of its infrastructure within the next twenty years, the visible remains of the fast breeder reactor programme will not be scientific: what will endure are the physical markers of community.’
This seems very pertinent and timely, especially as this exhibition is being hosted by the archive team at Nucleus: The Nuclear and Caithness Archives. The fascinating exhibits are all sourced from our extensive collections, from both the County of Caithness and Nuclear records. Our facility was purpose built in 2017 to hold both the Nuclear and County of Caithness archive records. This fusion seems reflective of the long and significant history between Caithness and the nuclear industry, and so it seems appropriate that the records pertaining to both be stored at one site. The atomic houses are a strong and permanent reminder of the lasting social and built environment impacts the project at Dounreay has had.
Sources
Cashmore, Stephen, Dounreay: the Illustrated Story, (Wick, North of Scotland Newspapers, 1998).
Ross, Linda M., ‘ ‘Nuclear fission and social fusion’: the impact of the Dounreay Experimental Research Establishment on Caithness, 1953-1966’, PhD Thesis, University of the Highlands and Islands, 2019.
Fae Fields to Fuel: Caithness, before and after Dounreay, (Thurso, Thurso High Scool, 2009).
Before you go...
A huge thank you for taking the time to explore our online exhibition, we hope that you thoroughly enjoyed the history of the ‘atomic’ houses. We welcome all feedback and comments by email: north.highlandarchive@highlifehighland.com
