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

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

Castlehill Heritage Centre.

Heritage Garden

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 Society 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 have been restored and developed by the Society to create the award winning Castlehill Heritage Centre.

This exciting new development is operated by Castletown Heritage Society as a visitor experience and educational resource. Themed exhibitions are held throughout the year featuring the history, heritage, biodiversity and social history of Castletown and the parish of Olrig. The Society also runs workshop and training days featuring local and vernacular skills such as rope making, wood chip carving, drystone dyking, croft crafts, metal smithing, pottery, limestone pointing and sea shore based crafts such as drift wood sculpture, plus traditional music and folklore events.

Castletown Heritage Society - Voted Best Community Tourism Initiative - HITA Awards 2009

  • Do you have an interest in the social, industrial, archaeological or geological heritage of Castletown and the parish of Olrig?

  • Do you or current/past members of your family have a connection to Castletown or Olrig, or perhaps have occupational or wartime experience of the area? We are especially eager to capture and record personal experience and knowledge for the benefit of future generations.

  • Do you have locally relevant artefacts that you might wish to see properly preserved and made available for display or research to the benefit of the community? We would be delighted to accept appropriate donations, undertake custodianship or discuss other mutually acceptable arrangements with you for their preservation and future management.

  • Would you be interested in attending training courses and workshops to acquire or renew vernacular skills such as dry stone dyking, limestone pointing or Caithness chair making? Conversely, do you have vernacular or traditional skills or knowledge you would be willing to share and support Castletown Heritage in delivering such activities?

  • Are you interested in supporting or undertaking educational research either on a generic heritage theme or perhaps in support of our renewable energy systems or archaeological research?

  • Are you interested in sponsoring or in other ways materially supporting the development and operation of Castletown Heritage Society or the Castlehill Heritage Centre?

If you are interested in supporting the activities of Castletown Heritage Society, or have any information or queries relating to the culture and history of Castletown and the Parish of Olrig, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Membership of Castletown Heritage Society costs just £5, and offers the opportunity to either become actively involved in the activities of Castletown Heritage, or simply be kept informed of progress and forthcoming events through our regular newsletter.