School Catchments and House Prices in Wick
The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by the firm we introduce you to. There is no obligation.
How the Wick school map prices each street
Concentrated demand is what a price premium actually is.
The local benchmark is £130,000 and a detached home averages £140,000.
The commercial page for this town sets out the introduction itself: Mortgage advice in Wick.
Catchment is not a promise
A house advertised as in catchment may not be next year. The local council publishes last year's furthest distance offered for each school. Ask for that figure in writing before you offer.
Ratings age too. Read the current report rather than the agent's summary of it.
The detail behind the Wick numbers
The schools families ask about here are Wick High School, Pulteneytown Academy Primary School, Newton Park Primary School, South Primary School and Hillhead Primary School. Reports age between inspections, so read the latest HM Inspectorate of Education report before you rely on one.
On getting about: Wick to Inverness takes about 2.5 hr drive / ~4 to 4.5 hr train.
By price, Wick ranks 31 of the 32 Highland locations we cover, at £130,000 against a county average of £215,469. Band D council tax here is £1,634, against an average of £1,634 across the county locations we cover.
How Wick scores for different buyers
Wick is the far north-east Caithness harbour town, the historic herring capital, remote and affordable.
The full local guide covers schools, transport and the market in detail: Wick property and area guide.
| Who it suits | Out of five | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Families | ★★★☆☆ | Wick High School, primaries, a swimming pool and dramatic coast, but a limited job market and the ~100-mile distance to Raigmore for serious cases are real considerations; check catchments. |
| First-time buyers | ★★★★★ | Among the most affordable towns in mainland Britain, flats and terraces from very modest prices, and many purchases below the LBTT threshold; a genuine way onto the ladder. |
| Remote & hybrid workers | ★★★★☆ | Modest prices buy a lot of home and space, and superfast broadband reaches most of the town, ideal if your work is not tied to the local job market; check the exact address. |
| Retirees & downsizers | ★★★☆☆ | Affordable, walkable and community-minded with its own hospital, but weigh the remoteness from full acute services in Inverness (~100 miles) and the northern winters honestly. |
| Second-home & holiday-let buyers | ★★☆☆☆ | The John o' Groats and NC500 draw is real, but Highland applies a steep second-home and holiday-let council-tax premium (up to double), factor it in carefully. |
Buyers priced out elsewhere
People who want a great deal of home and space for their money, among the most affordable prices in mainland Britain, and do not need a city on the doorstep.
Remote & hybrid workers
People whose work is not tied to the local job market, who can take advantage of low prices, space and superfast broadband in a characterful coastal town.
Caithness locals & energy-sector workers
People with roots or ties in the far north, and those working in the energy and Dounreay-legacy sector, who want an affordable, community-minded home town.
Wick is known locally for The herring capital & Pulteneytown, and The Wick Heritage Museum. Wick's extraordinary 19th-century role as one of the busiest herring ports in the world, and Thomas Telford's planned fishing town of Pulteneytown, laid out for the British Fisheries Society, a remarkable piece of industrial and engineering heritage.
Practical detail for Wick: the KW1 postcode district, Wick, the northern terminus of the Far North Line; direct (but long, ~4 to 4.5 hr) to Inverness and nearest A and E is Caithness General Hospital, Wick (local A&E), but serious/complex cases transfer ~100 miles to Raigmore, Inverness.
Wick at a glance
| School | What to check before you offer |
|---|---|
| Wick High School | Confirm last year's furthest offer distance, then read the current report. |
| Pulteneytown Academy Primary School | Confirm last year's furthest offer distance, then read the current report. |
| Newton Park Primary School | Confirm last year's furthest offer distance, then read the current report. |
| South Primary School | Confirm last year's furthest offer distance, then read the current report. |
| Hillhead Primary School | Confirm last year's furthest offer distance, then read the current report. |
Figures are local averages used for illustration. Confirm your own numbers before acting on them.
Ask about Wick
Three details is all we need. You are told before anything is passed to a partner firm.
Your checklist
- Last year's furthest offer distance, in writing from Highland
- The latest HM Inspectorate of Education report, not a remembered rating
- Whether a sibling policy is applied before distance
- £13,000 of deposit at 10% on the local average, before fees
The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by the firm we introduce you to. There is no obligation.
Check broadband before you make an offer in Wick
Broadband speeds can vary street by street in Wick, so check the exact address before you commit. Ofcom's free checker shows which broadband speeds and mobile coverage are available at any UK property.
We can introduce you to a specialist who can combine your mobile, broadband and utilities into one bill. There's no fee for the introduction.
We don't provide these services ourselves. Switching household bills is not a regulated financial service, so FCA protections and the Financial Ombudsman do not apply. We'll only pass your details to the specialist if you ask us to. See our privacy notice.
Questions people ask
Can I appeal if we miss a place?
How do I check broadband speed at a property in Wick?
Read next
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.