Conservation training day

Castletown Heritage Society intends to develop and promote the Castlehill Heritage Centre as an educational resource for visitors, local students and school children and the local community. Information will be provided to assist in the understanding of the history, heritage, biodiversity and physical surroundings of Castletown and the parish of Olrig.

From its very beginnings the Society has run many successful workshop and training days, covering such topics as drystone dyking and artefact preservation, and have staged themed exhibitions, talks and village walks. During 2007 we ran a very successful series of workshops and training days supported by the Highland 2007 Community Programme.

We have created a sustainable venue within the Castlehill Heritage Centre for the development and delivery of events and training workshops featuring local and vernacular skills such as Caithness Chair making, wood chip carving, dry stone walling, peat cutting, lime stone pointing and sea shore based crafts such as drift wood sculpture, the objective being to preserve and maintain the unique heritage of the Castletown community within both local Caithness and broader Highland contexts.

Castletown Heritage will continue to showcase, stimulate and sustain interest and participation in a range of craft and vernacular skills through a programme of interpretive and collaborative events delivered in the Castlehill Heritage Centre.

Drystone dyking training day

Castletown Heritage Society operates the Castlehill Heritage Centre as an educational resource for visitors, local students and school children and the local community. Through a programme of interpretive exhibitions and interactive workshops, we seek to stimulate and sustain interest in and understanding of the history, heritage, vernacular skills, biodiversity and physical environment of Castletown and the parish of Olrig. Our aim is to preserve and maintain the unique heritage of our community within both local Caithness and broader Highland contexts.

To see events and activities from previous years, click here:

Summer Exhibition

Sat & Sun 2 - 4pm or by appointment

Introductory session

Monday 9 June

Classes

Monday 16 June Monday 23 June Monday 30 June Monday 7 July Monday 14 July

Wash and Brush Up - Painting for beginners with Helen Moore

Helen Moore was born in 1981 in Keighley West Yorkshire. She attended Bradford College of Art and Design and graduated with a 2.1 BA Hons degree in Fine Art in 2003. Whilst studying for her degree she spent a couple of summers studying at the Cyprus College of Art and has since spent time in Yorkshire working on commissions, participating in exhibitions and teaching art workshops in the area. After a year travelling, working and painting across Canada, America, Australia and New Zealand she moved to Castletown, Caithness in March 2007 to enjoy painting the surrounding landscape and dramatic light of the North. She mainly work with oils, also acrylics, oil pastels.

The classes are aimed at beginners and will be held on Monday evenings 7pm till 9pm at the Castletown Heritage Centre starting with a free session on Monday 9th June to meet up, have a chat and get some ideas flowing. Sessions will then be £8 a session plus materials.

Looking for Vikings! This ambitious project is now well underway and includes a series of weekend workshops and Saturday evening public lectures.

The Weekend workshops are free to attend, are open to all and there is no charge for any of the project. They run from 10am – 4pm and are held at the Castlehill Archaeological Research Facility within the Castlehill Heritage Centre, Harbour Road, Castletown. The Saturday Evening lectures start at 7.30pm.

For further information on project progress, the weekend programme and the Saturday evening lectures, CLICK HERE.

Sunday 3 August Sunday 31 August

10am to 4pm

Flotsam and Jetsam - Driftwood sculpture.

Find your creative wave at these two art workshops by John Macleod of Thurso - run in conjunction with Castletown Heritage Society.

Workshops will be held in the Castlehill Heritage Centre. Materials will be provided. Booking is essential - 01847 890983 and for more details.

Opens Sataturday 13 September

Saturdays and Sundays

2pm to 5pm

Formidable Females Exhibition - An exhibition in image and words featuring some of the influential women associated with the history of the local area.

Event held under auspices of Scottish Archaeology Month.

Croft crafts- learn or relearn the traditional skills of spinning wool and mohair, carding and cleaning a fleece, quilting, crochet and rag-rug making.

Cost £15 - includes tuition, materials and a light lunch.

This workshop was very popular last year. Early booking recommended to avoid disappointment - contact M Murray on 01847 821 204.

Sunday 5 October

2pm to 4pm

Looking for Vikings - Special exhibition outlining progress and results of this summer's local community archaeology project to investigate possible Viking and Norse heritage around Dunnet Bay on the north coast of Caithness.

Event held as part of Highland Archaeology Festival

Monday evenings

7pm to 9pm

Start 13 October

Wash and Brush Up II - Painting classes with Helen Moore

Helen Moore was born in 1981 in Keighley West Yorkshire. She attended Bradford College of Art and Design and graduated with a 2.1 BA Hons degree in Fine Art in 2003. Whilst studying for her degree she spent a couple of summers studying at the Cyprus College of Art and has since spent time in Yorkshire working on commissions, participating in exhibitions and teaching art workshops in the area. After a year travelling, working and painting across Canada, America, Australia and New Zealand she moved to Castletown, Caithness in March 2007 to enjoy painting the surrounding landscape and dramatic light of the North. She mainly work with oils, also acrylics, oil pastels.

The sessions will run on Monday evenings, starting on on Monday 13 October. Beginners are especially welcome and will receive a free introductory session. Sessions will run from 7-9pm and cost £8 per evening plus materials. Juniors and OAPs £5.

To book a place contact castletown.heritage@talk21.com or come along on Monday 13 Oct.

Sat 1 November

10am to 2pm

Castletown Heritage Society and Community Energy Scotland will be holding an open day demonstrating the new log boiler heating system installed in the Castlehill Heritage Centre. Our state of the art installation burns from the Dunnet Forestry Trust community woodland in a modern log boiler - the heat is stored in a special tank and then used by the underfloor heating and hot water systems in the building as necessary—but come and see for yourself!

Highlights include: Introduction to system • Demonstration of system • Outline of help, advice and grants available • Meet the installers and fuel suppliers.

Complimentary lunch will be provided so booking is essential via castletown.heritage@talk21.com

Sat 15 November

10am - 4pm

Never felt better? - Joanne Kaar teaches the art of making cosy felt scarves just in time for winter.

Learn how to prepare the materials, design and then create your very own scarf, which will be yours to take away.

The workshop will be held in the Castlehill Heritage Centre. All materials will be provided (at cost - £13).

** Numbers limited - waiting list now in operation - phone or email for availability. **

Sun 9 November

10 am until 4.00 pm

Following this summer 's successful archaeological training project, in conjunction with AOC archaeology, Castletown Heritage can now confirm details of the first post excavation workshop. This will be led by Dr Andy Heald. A light lunch will be provided.

A warm welcome back to all those who took part in the summer activities and also to any new budding archaeologists who may like to attend.

From

Sat 21 November

2 - 4pm every Sat, Sun and Wed

CHS launches its winter exhibition on crofting and farming on Saturday 21st November. Displays focus principally but not exclusively, on the history of agriculture in Olrig parish, from early settlement, pre and post mediaeval, the 18th and 19th century improvements to the 1950s. The age of the horse, steam and tractor, crops, stock, rents, clearances, living conditions and socialising are all featured. Associated trades and activities are not forgotten.

Thu 4 Dececember

7 - 8pm

Taster presentation on Ancestral research for heritage groups. Full course available to undertake as a winter study opportunity and is free of charge. CHS have got an hour 7-8pm at Thurso College on Thursday 4th December. Any one interested please get in touch in usual way.

Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec

POSTPONED

Looking for Vikings. Following this summer 's successful archaeological training project, in conjunction with AOC archaeology, Castletown Heritage can now confirm details of the second post excavation workshop.

This will again be led by Dr Andy Heald.

*POSTPONED UNTIL EARLY 2009*

Event postponed to 2009