Armed police wanted for nuclear site set among 'rugged beauty'

The Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) is promoting the "rugged beauty" of Scotland's north mainland coast in a drive to recruit new armed officers for Dounreay.

The CNC has had fliers delivered to homes and launched an online campaign in its effort to fill posts in the policing unit at the UK's most northerly nuclear power complex.

The force said the area near Thurso also offered affordable homes, good schools and ease of access to the North Coast 500 tourist route.

Dounreay was built as an experimental nuclear reactor site in the 1950s and is now in a years-long process of being decommissioned.

The CNC protects civilian nuclear sites and other infrastructure in England and Scotland.

The force said jobs at Dounreay offered applicants "a unique life in the Scottish Highlands".

Opportunities for outdoor pursuits such as walking and wildlife watching are mentioned prominently in the recruitment campaign.

The flier features a surfer, a reference to the north coast's conditions which have over the years drawn national and international surfing competitions to the area.

On its website, the CNC said: "Tucked away on Scotland's iconic northern coast, Dounreay isn't just a place to work – it's a place to live well.

"Here, the rugged beauty of the Highlands meets a close-knit community, offering a lifestyle that's as enriching as it is peaceful.

"Whether you're drawn by the sea, the hills, or the sense of belonging, Dounreay invites you to experience life at a different pace."

The jobs come with a starting salary of £31,164 increasing over seven years to up to £50,256, and a relocation package of up to £5,000.

The CNC said it was looking to create a "healthy pipeline" of recruits to ensure the policing unit at Dounreay remained "suitably resourced for its future".

A spokesperson for the CNC told BBC Scotland News: "We are looking to recruit people who are committed to a career in public service and are interested in protecting the public, whether they have previous policing or military experience or are entirely new to this sector."

They added: "The opportunities to enjoy Caithness' stunning natural beauty and the outdoor lifestyle that lends itself to, along with other positive 'quality of life' benefits, such as house prices, are things we hope will be attractive to potential applicants."

Dounreay is an important employer in north Caithness and in 2024-25 a total number of 1,367 people were employed at the site.

Even once most of the site has been demolished, tonnes of low-level radioactive waste will be stored there for decades to come.

It is expected to take about 300 years before "unrestricted access" to the location is possible.

Matthew Reiss, an Independent councillor for Thurso and Northwest Caithness and a former Northern Constabulary area commander for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, said he was not surprised by the CNC's approach.

He said his experience in the police was that officers local to the Highlands had no wish to leave the area, while the majority of those who transferred from other places "absolutely loved it".

"Perhaps the single biggest factor was simply that this is a safe place to bring up a family, and that Caithness people are really, really friendly and welcoming," said Reiss.

"And some of that is due to Dounreay because for many decades people from all over the world have been coming to Caithness.

"So it's a really vibrant, outward looking community. There's a strong can-do attitude."

Other organisations have in the past drawn on the Highland landscape to help them recruit staff, including NHS Highland and the Scottish Wildlife Trust.