Castletown Heritage Society - Preserving the character, history and traditions of the Village of Castletown and Parish of Olrig

	Castletown Heritage Society is a community group established in 1986 'To preserve the character, history and traditions of the Village of Castletown and Parish of Olrig.'
	We have long been convinced of the importance of our village and parish in terms of its setting, its ancient past and its reflection of social and industrial change. Its rich geographical diversity includes Olrig Hill to the south, the bays of Murkle and Dunnet, the harbour at Castlehill, the dune system, the grassland links, the farm lands, the plantations of trees, a drained loch, dams and water courses.

As a result the local wildlife is abundant and interesting. The more obvious signs of the area's past include the broch by the shore, the near-by hut circles in Dunnet Forest, the evidence of Viking settlement, the visible development of the Traill estate, and the flagstone works.

	An early achievement of the Society was the establishment of a heritage trail (right) at Castlehill interpreting the activities of the Castletown Pavement Works during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Through the auspices of the Highland Council the trail has recently been enhanced with new interpretive boards and upgraded all-abilities paths, and the trail continues to prove a popular spot for locals and visitors alike.
	Left: The Wind Pump Tower on the trail which was adopted as the logo for the Society

We achieved our second significant goal through the establishment of a modest operating base in a rented building at the east end of Main Street in Castletown, where we were able to present a series of successful themed exhibitions to visitors, many of whom who had travelled from all over the world as our visitor's book confirms. Most importantly, it enabled us to gain valuable experience in the operation of a heritage based visitor attraction.

Now available to purchase on CD ROM priced at £15 + p&p

To order your copy contact us at: castletown.heritage@talk21.com

In 2002, the Society published a comprehensive and highly popular 144-page illustrated book on the history of the village and parish (left - ISBN 0-9542738-0-X).

The Society has also published a series of informative leaflets on the local fauna and flora, and local walks of historical interest. We regularly organise themed events, slide shows, talks and guided walks in the parish. More recently we have delivered a series of highly successful training sessions in the art of traditional Caithness dry stone dyke construction and restoration (right - click for more detail) . Through our close links with Caithness Archaeological Trust, we take part in field-walking exercises and trial pit excavations.

An illustrated talk on the history of the village

The Sinclair Gunn photo exhibition

Over the years Castletown Heritage has amassed a significant collection of local artefacts reflecting the archaeological, social, commercial and industrial heritage of our parish, ranging from single pieces to lifetime collections by local people - from fossils to photographs, matchboxes to mangles. A key aim of the Society is the conservation of all such relevant material through careful cataloguing and appropriate storage.

In June 2003 the landlord placed our rented premises in Main Street on the market, forcing Castletown Heritage Society to re-examine its forward strategy. We chose to reject the opportunity to purchase the property as it did not provide suitable scope for future expansion, preventing achievement our long-term aims and ambitions.

After exploring several alternative locations and collaborative opportunities, Castletown Heritage was delighted to secure the support of The Highland Council, who have enabled the Society to realise a long-held ambition to secure premises at Castlehill - the true home of Castletown's flagstone heritage. The buildings and grounds of the old dairy and steading at Castlehill will not only enable the re-establishment of a larger scale heritage museum but will also pump-prime the subsequent development of a geological/fossil museum. Through the inclusion of a tea room and heritage themed garden area, we are confident that the Castlehill Visitor Centre will enhance the quality of life in the Castletown community and play its part in the village economy.