2pm - 4pmEvery Wed, Sat and Sun afternoonConfirmed
Summer exhibition - Paving the World
The story of Castlehill and the Caithness Quarries. With examples of local history marked in stone.
What's On — Programme of Events
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:
PROGRAMME OF EVENTS FOR 2026
All events take place in Castlehill Heritage Centre unless otherwise stated
Event detail colour key - event dates with GREEN background are confirmed, those with a GREY background are yet to be confirmed
(Completed 2026 events (BLUE background) at bottom of listing)
Castlehill Heritage Centre - Opening Times
Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons 2pm - 4pm
All year round (excepting Christmas Day and New Year's Day)
Other times by prior arrangement
CURRENT REGULAR EVENTS
2 pm - 4 pmEvery Wed, Sat and Sun afternoonConfirmed
WWII RAF Castletown Exhibition
Our latest development at Castlehill is a permanent exhibition portraying the story of RAF Castletown and the significant impact this had on the life and times of the village and parish of Castletown. Includes one of our most popular exhibits - the WWII Rolls-Royce Merlin engine that was recovered from a Caithness bog in 1990. The engine belonged to a RAF Hurricane that was stationed at RAF Castletown in August 1941, and was involved in a mid-air collision during a training flight. The story of the recovery of the engine, the original incident and the subsequent exploits of the Norwegian pilot, Lt Jens Muller of 331 Squadron, is quite incredible. Also on display are mementoes kindly on loan from the family of Flight Lieutenant Don Mason DSO DFC L/H, (latterly of Thurso) who had a distinguished and heroic career as a bomber pilot and navigator.
These exhibits with their incredible back story are not to be missed!
2 pm - 4 pmEvery Wed, Sat and Sun afternoonConfirmed
Jack Saxon Fossil Collection
Castletown Heritage Society is extremely proud to curate, interpret and make accessible to the community the unique and substantial collection of fossils from Caithness and the far north of Scotland that was collected, researched and documented by Jack Saxon, a local but widely recognised and published amateur palaeontologist.
The collection, some of which is shown above, was gifted to the Society by the family of the late Jack Saxon. The focus of the collection is fossil fish of Caithness from the Devonian period - c. 380 million years ago - however the collection contains items from other periods e.g. plants from the Jurassic period - c.175 million years ago. Over the past couple of years specialists from Aberdeen University have assisted us in creating a permanent interpretive exhibition.
The exhibition is proving to be extremely popular with visitors and researchers alike, and feedback received has reinforced our belief that the collection is of more than local significance. There's something there for everyone, including a range of specimens that are available to handle and examine in close detail.
The interpretive exhibition is open to the public during Castlehill Heritage Centre normal opening hours.
Monday evenings7 pm - 9 pmPaused - restarts early September Confirmed
Castlehill Artists
Our very popular painting workshop with local artist Helen Moore has paused for the summer months. The workshops will start again in early September - watch this space for further details.
Sessions run from 7 pm - 9 pm on Monday evenings at a cost of £8 per evening plus materials. Juniors and OAPs £5. Beginners are especially welcome.
To find out more and register interest, click HERE
FORTHCOMING EVENTS & WORKSHOPS
See event dates below Confirmed
Year of Ancient Local Skills
During 2026, Castletown Heritage Society will offer a series of hands-on workshops featuring ancient skills from times gone by. All workshops will be held at Castlehill Heritage Centre. See individual diary entries for workshop details and prices (which are dictated by the tutor but paid up members of CHS get a discount).
Sunday23 and 30 August2pm - 4pmConfirmed
Cream Teas at Castlehill
Returning by popular demand, our annual Cream Teas will be available at Castlehill Heritage Centre on Sunday 23rd and Sunday 30th of August, from 2pm to 4pm both days. Delicious home made scones and cakes. Guaranteed to get the taste buds dancing! Pentland Brass Band will also be present on the 30th August to play some tunes in the garden, assuming the weather is ok!
A perfect way to complement a Sunday afternoon visit to the Centre, stroll round the Flagstone Trail or a meander in our amazing Heritage Garden.
SeptemberDate & timeTBA Date to be confirmed
Stone Carving
Under the instruction of local sculptor Tamara Hicks, a small group of participants will learn the skill of stone carving. The aim is to replicate the 'roughly incised image of a greyhound' dating from Pictish times which stood for some time at Craig of Hattel, Castletown, until disappearing. It's is probably still there but used as a drain cover for hundreds of years.
For further information and to reserve your place contact us HERE.
Saturday 10 October and Sunday 11 October Details TBAConfirmed
Willow Basket making workshop
The first in the series is a willow basket-making workshop using local materials, echoing a time when all containers were home made and used locally available materials. The tutor will be Karen Rollinson from Blushful Earth Handmade who are based a few miles away in Brough. During the one and a half day course participants will make a peat creel.
Bookings should be made directly with Blushful Earth Handmade via their website.
OctoberDate & timeTBA Date to be confirmed
Rope Making
An in-house workshop featuring the skill of rope or 'simmans' making, producing rope twisted by hand and by a variety of devices used in the past on farms and crofts.
For further information and to reserve your place contact us HERE.
COMPLETED 2026 EVENTS
Tuesday 24 February 2 pm - 3pmCompleted
The Captain's Wife
An afternoon talk by Muriel Murray giving an insight into the hard life and times of Christina Dunnet, a Castletown shipmaster's wife in the days of sail.
Thoroughly researched and amply illustrated by images from our vast archive of local photographs. Some recently discovered artefacts from the incidents described will also be on display.
Tuesday 10 March 7 pm - 8.30 pmCompleted
Behind the Scenes at Castlehill Heritage Centre
Enjoy a special evening opening of the Heritage Centre for hands on exploring of the collections and the building. For example:
- Hear stories about artefacts and how they have been saved from ancient fossils in flagstone to a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine pulled up from the peat.
- Hold fossils embedded in stones millions of years old.
- Share your own memories prompted by the items in the collections.
Castlehill is run entirely by volunteers who will be on hand to share their own stories with you and your family. Tea, coffee, juice and shortbread as well!
Tuesday 31 March 7 pmCompleted
Railway History told through Posters
A truly fascinating evening talk by Michael Willmot who will present an illustrated history of railways as revealed by railway posters across two centuries.
From the earliest days of rail travel, poster advertising was used to encourage people to take the train. Through the artwork of, and captions on, such posters we can catch a glimpse of not just the advances in engineering and in design, but also the contemporary social concerns addressed in the advertising slogans. But if you are not so interested in the history there is much to admire in the work of a glittering array of artists and poster designers stretching over a 200 year period.
Michael currently serves as secretary of the Far North Line Community Rail Partnership. He has rescued and restored the derelict, listed station building at Helmsdale – including, of course, reinstating poster cases that can display some historic railway posters.
Friday 24 April 7.30 pmCompleted
Manuscripts by the Monks of Murkle Monastery
An illustrated evening talk by Thomas Keyes from Cromarty revealing some of the amazing manuscript work done by monks working in the Murkle monastery in the early days of the Church.
Saturday 25 April Time 10 am - 4 pm Completed
Celtic Scribe - Manuscript Workshop
Following on from his evening talk, Thomas Keyes from Cromarty will deliver a one day hands-on workshop on the production of parchment manuscripts. The morning will cover making inks and cutting quills and practising on scraps of parchment. In the afternoon participants will work on a final piece such as, depending on individual experience, a simple capital letter plus some simple text or a more complex example.
Cost £85 Numbers are limited to 10 participants.
For further information contact us HERE.
Wednesday 29 April7.30pmCompleted
Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of Castletown Heritage Society will be held at Castlehill Heritage Centre on Wednesday 29th April 2026 at 7.30pm.
Guest speaker for the evening will be from 'The Flow Country' who will present a run down on the World Heritage Site and what comes next.
All welcome to attend.
Thursday 4 June1 pm - 2.30 pmCompleted
2pm - 4pmEvery Wed, Sat and Sun afternoonCompleted
From Smoke Signals to Smartphones
Our latest themed exhibition explores communication throughout the ages - from smoke signals, semaphore, postal services, telegraph, radio and mobile phones - it is all there, with many items on display having a local heritage. The images below give but a glimpse of what is on display to enjoy. Have a go at making a call over a pair of working field telephones!
Watch this page for confirmed dates and further details, alternatively:
CONTACT US by email or phone 01847 821120
To book a place on an event, email or phone as above
Please ensure you make it clear which event you wish to book!