Castletown: Coast, history and Castlehill Heritage Centre

Castletown lies on the coast, bordering Dunnet Bay. Its coastal setting provides the backdrop for a place with a range of specific visitor interests, from local history and crafts to coastal paths and the surrounding area. Castletown can therefore be explored through several different aspects when planning your trip: the Castlehill Heritage Centre focuses on the area’s heritage, while the harbour, historic workplaces and paths offer further insights into the town’s history.

History and crafts at the Castlehill Heritage Centre

On the northern edge of Castletown, the Castlehill Heritage Centre is housed in renovated 18th-century farm buildings. VisitScotland recognises the Centre as an award-winning four-star attraction. Its interpretive exhibitions explore the industrial, maritime, military, agricultural and social heritage of Castletown and the parish of Olrig. The exhibitions and displays change regularly.

A permanent exhibition focuses on RAF Castletown. Its exhibits include a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine recovered from a peat bog in Caithness in 1990. The exhibition connects a specific artefact with the area’s military history; the year refers to the engine’s recovery.

Traditional skills are also part of the Castlehill Heritage Society’s programme. It runs workshop and training days on local and traditional craft techniques. Topics range from rope-making and wood carving to dry-stone walling, croft crafts and lime pointing, as well as beach crafts such as making driftwood sculptures. This practical focus on crafts complements the exhibition content.

The Centre is open to visitors from 2 to 4 pm on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year, except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. It is step-free and fully accessible. If you are planning a visit, you can use this information to check the opening days and times.

A seasonal culinary highlight is the Centre’s cream teas: homemade scones, jam and cakes are served every Sunday afternoon in August. Both the month and the day of the week matter for this treat; it is not described as a daily service.

The harbour, Pavement Works and local history

Castlehill Harbour was built in the early 19th century to ship stone slabs from James Traill’s Pavement Works. The harbour and the works therefore have a specific historical connection: the harbour was used to transport the slabs made there. The buildings of Castlehill Pavement Works are part of a waymarked route; parking signs indicate where parking is available. Local residents also use the tidal harbour for recreation.

Another point of interest on the Castletown Heritage Trail is the listed Windpump Tower. The coastal route also has its own name on a wider map: the Highland Council’s Core Paths Plan map from November 2024 shows Castlehill Coast (Jessans Path) in the Castletown and Dunnet area. This designated geographical span includes both areas.

Paths and coast around Castletown

The walks described vary in length, terrain and stated walking time. The Battery Walk is a 2.25-mile rough coastal path with a walking time of one hour. The Birkle Hill Walk covers four miles along country roads and includes a section on a rough path; the stated walking time is two hours. The five-mile Olrig Hill Walk is also listed as taking two hours. This hill walk leads to a viewpoint and the remains of St Trothan’s Kirk.

The comparison highlights a useful distinction for planning your time: the same walking time is given for Birkle Hill and Olrig Hill, even though their distances differ. The shorter Battery Walk is described as a rough coastal path. You can use the stated distances, walking times and terrain descriptions to assess the routes based on the time available, without treating the walking times as a guarantee of how long your own walk will take.

Nearby, the sandy beach at Dunnet stretches for two miles. Dunnet Community Forest, also close by, offers nature-rich walking paths. Together with Castletown’s coastal setting and tidal harbour, this gives you a range of themes to consider when planning your trip: cultural history at the Heritage Centre, the industrial past at the harbour, and coastal and nature experiences in the surrounding area.

Discover more destinations: Beauly, Strontian, Drumnadrochit, Isle of Raasay, Culbokie, Fort William, Morar, Torridon.

For the wider travel overview: Highland.