A HIGHLAND community – almost overnight – has gone from having the slowest internet connection in the UK to Scotland’s fastest broadband.
The small village of Halkirk, six miles south of Thurso in Caithness, has seen connection speeds be supercharged to become 3000 times faster on average after the installation of a fibre optic network by Highland Broadband.
Halkirk had the dubious honour of the slowest broadband internet speed in the UK, at 2.8Mbps on average, according to 2023 research by industry watchdog Broadband Genie, who used data across 12 months of 250,000 speed tests carried out by users.
The village, who's population sits at 950, will now experience speeds of up to 800Mbps.
Tanya Horne, who runs a highland dance school in the village with around 100 pupils across from Caithness, said reliable broadband will “open up the world” to her young students.
Horne said: “The dancers could benefit from online practice programmes provided by a world champion highland dancer 250 miles away and CrossFit with a trainer in the United States, to name just a couple.
"They'll now be able to do that as a group, which will be so much more valuable as a learning experience. Likewise, I have lectured and given demonstrations for fellow professionals in North America and with good broadband we can continue that sharing of expertise in highland dancing around the world.
“Last year, we had a local fiddler and accordionist providing live music at a special workshop and one of our younger girls, aged 6, came up to me afterwards and said how nice it was to dance to continuous music — without the buffering we used to get. This new connection will ensure we can have uninterrupted music at each lesson.”
The Ulbster Arms Hotel will use the ultra-fast connection as a major selling point to bring tourism and business to the area.
“A lot of people forget that there’s a world north of Inverness,” said general manager Jess Dreaves,
"By partnering with Highland Broadband and installing a faster connection, we are able to have the confidence to offer our guests the fastest broadband connection available in the country.
“We have 13 rooms within our hotel as well as five lodges, so having the best broadband connection that can deliver for dozens of users is essential. Now we have changed over to Highland Broadband, staff and guests are able to connect quickly and stay online.”
Colin Woodward, managing director of Highland Broadband, said: “We are proud to be able to bring the UK’s fastest fibre broadband network to the village of Halkirk. Our mission is to bring fast, reliable broadband to communities who’ve previously missed out on full fibre, closing the gap in access to all digital services.
"We are delighted with the number of residents who have signed up for our service and look forward to rolling out our network further throughout the Highlands. Access to good, reliable digital infrastructure is so important for everyone in a community and we’re pleased to be delivering this across Scotland.”
Maree Todd, MSP Caithness, Sutherland and Ross said: "I’m thrilled to see the progress in Halkirk, a village that was once home to some of the slowest internet speeds in the UK. Thanks to the efforts of Highland Broadband and financial support from the Scottish National Investment Bank, the village will now benefit from some of the fastest internet speeds in the UK.
"Investing in rural broadband infrastructure goes far beyond convenience — it’s about ensuring rural communities have a level playing field, keeping them connected, competitive, and resilient in an increasingly digital world.
"Upgrades like these are helping to bridge the digital divide, providing rural communities like Halkirk with access to the same economic and social opportunities as those in urban areas."
By the end of 2025, Highland Broadband projects it will have completed the first fibre network throughout 136 rural towns and villages in Scotland.
