Essential Information & Services
Medical & Social Care
Local GP Services are available in Scourie, Kinlochbervie and Durness. The addresses are: Scourie:
The Surgery, Scourie, IV27 4SX
Kinlochbervie: The Health Centre, Kinlochbervie, IV27 4RP
Durness: The Surgery, Durine, Durness, IV27 4PN
Patient transport is also accessible via the following: Patient Transport Booking Line: 0300 123 1236. Assistance with bookings is available through the Citizens Advice Bureau, Kinlochbervie: 01971 521730
Booking an Appointment
Consultations are by appointment only. Emergency cases or patients with urgent medical needs are prioritised. If your appointment is no longer required, please notify reception to allow others to use the slot.
Home Visits
Home visits may be able to be arranged for patients whose health conditions prevent them from attending the surgery. Please phone during the morning surgery hours to request a visit, and be prepared to give a brief description of the issue to reception staff for assessment.
Out-of-Hours Emergencies
A doctor is on call locally 24/7 and may be reached via 01971 521260. Follow the recorded instructions to contact the on-call doctor. If you are unsure whether your concern is urgent, please call — advice will be provided, and home or surgery visits arranged if needed. NHS 24 is also available for guidance.
If the on-call doctor is unavailable while attending another emergency, you may:
Try again later
Leave a voicemail
Dial 999 for life-threatening situations
Please note: On certain weekends or Thursday afternoons, emergency cover may be based out of Durness.
Prescriptions
Immediate dispensing: Generally prescribed during consultations; in rare cases, delays may occur due to supply issues.
Repeat prescriptions: Available without consultation for ongoing treatment. Requests may be made by phone, email, post, or in person.
Allow at least one week’s supply remaining before ordering.
Your prescription will be processed end-of-surgery after doctor review.
When ordering, state or spell out drug names from the label or prescription list for accuracy.
Additional Health & Social Care Contacts
Dentist (Lairg): 01549 402543
Physiotherapist: 07718 367197
Chiropody / Podiatry: 01463 723250
Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN): 01571 844754
Speech & Language Therapist: 01971 521114
Social Worker (Assynt Centre): 01571 844465
Education
Scourie is served by a local primary school within the village and the North West Training Centre, Kinlochbervie is an adult learning centre based in north-west Sutherland at Kinlochbervie and a registered Scottish charity (no. SCO19802). For more information on Scourie and Kinlochbervie primary schools, in addition to the North West Training Centre, visit the North West Sutherland Schools website using the button below.
The Training Centre is situated in Kinlochbervie High School and offers a range of training in computing (beginners to intermediate, help with reading & writing (ABE) and craft & country skills workshops (from fly casting to pottery and more). They can also deliver vocational training in Emergency First Aid and Elementary Food Hygiene.
For further education and training, there are regional resources and online options:
Head Teacher: John Naples-Campbell
📞 01971 502282 / 01971 521767
Churches & Worship
There are four Churches in Scourie.
The Church of Scotland (Church on the main road through the village, services between noon and 1:00 every Sunday)
The Free Church of Scotland (Church at the South end of the village, no longer holds regular services)
The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland (Church on the croft road, services between 6:00 and 7:00 pm every Sunday)
The Free Church of Scotland Continuing (meeting in the Village Hall between noon and 1:00 every Sunday)
There is a Catholic Church in Ullapool. For up-to-date details on times and special services, please refer to the community notice board or Scourie Facebook page.
Transport
Scourie is connected to surrounding towns via regional bus services and the nearest airport is Inverness. Daily flights are available through Easy Jet and Flybe from London, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham and car hire is available in Inverness. There are regular trains from Central Scotland to Inverness, where you can change to a bus service. There are local lines to Kyle of Lochalsh, with Garve being the nearest stop to Scourie (70 miles). Another line heads to the NE coast, with Lairg being the nearest station (45 miles).
There are bus services between Inverness and Durness operated by the Durness bus company, the trip takes around 2 hours, travelling via Lairg. They also operate a twice weekly service during the summer between Kinlochbervie and Lochinver. Please contact them direct about transportation of bikes on 07782 110007. Find more information on their Facebook page here and on their website.
Additional community-run transport options are also available:
Scourie Scuber (Community Taxi Service): 07770 707563
Mobile Library
The Mobile Library service is operated by High Life Highland. The library visits the area every three weeks, stopping at various locations in the area. This is a free service open to all ages. The library carries books on a wide range of subjects, and also a selection of DVDs which can be hired for a small fee. Find up to date timetables using the link above and the service can be contacted using the details below.
A timetable of locations and times (approximate) is listed below (subject to change - please check the timetable on the website above):
09:00 Unapool
09:30 Kylesku
09:45 Kylestrome, Estate Buildings.
10:15 Eddrachilles Hotel.
10:45 Upper Badcall.
11:05 Scourie Primary School
12:00 Handa Terrace.
13:00 Village Car Park.
14:20 Tarbet.
15:10 Lochmore.
Contact the service using the details below:
Tel. 01955 609709
Mobile: 07771 505 174
Email: farnorthmobile.library@highlifehighland.com
Waste & Recycling
Bin Collection & Schedules
Highland Council manages household waste and recycling collections. Sutherland homes, including Scourie, now receive:
Grey bin: non-recyclable waste, collected every 2 weeks
Green bin: mixed plastics, metals, cartons—every 4 weeks
Blue bin: paper, card, cardboard—every 4 weeks
You can check your collection days, download the latest schedule, and view any service changes here.
Local Recycling Points
Glass recycling is available at the Scourie Council Yard, located east of the telephone mast/exchange (postcode IV27 4SX). To access this facility and view what can be recycled, visit this link.
For larger items or a broader range of materials (e.g. textiles, electronics, hazardous waste), the nearest full Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC) include:
Durness
Lochinver
Ullapool
Access details and accepted items are available via Highland Council’s HWRC guidance here.
Changes & Updates
In September, Highland Council introduced twin-stream recycling in Sutherland - separating plastics/metals/cartons and paper/card into distinct bins to improve recycling quality and collection efficiency highland.gov.uk.
Keep an eye out for:
A letter from Highland Council detailing your bin type and collection schedule
A new waterproof calendar attached to your grey bin
Guidance to put bins out by 7 am on collection day and leave them out post-collection for labeling purposes highland.gov.uk
Missed Collections & Support
Should your bins not be collected, you can:
Check the service status on Highland Council’s website
Contact Customer Services (if your missed collection aligns with their notices)
Engage with the live Facebook notice board for real-time updates from Highland Council or community members
Emergency & Utilities
Below are some essential contacts for utilities and common local services:
Electricity Outages: SSEN Power Track: 📞 105
Water Issues: Scottish Water: 📞 0800 0778 778
Trades & Local Services:
For local mechanics and construction services, see the Local Businesses directory page.
Facebook Groups & Pages
For up-to-date community news, service announcements, and events:
🔗 Visit Scourie Community Council Facebook Page
🔗 Visit Scourie Facebook Page
🔗 Scourie Community Development Company (SCDD) Facebook Page