Castlehill Heritage Centre 2025
The story of this unique village, from its establishment in the early 1800s to house workers involved in Traill's flagstone quarrying and finishing operations, through RAF Castletown's crucial role in the defence of the UK's naval fleet during WW2, to the rise and fall of Norfrost - at one time the largest manufacturer and exporter of chest freezers in Europe.
Contacts
Operator: Castletown Heritage Society
Address: Harbour Road Castletown Caithness KW14 8TG
- Telephone: 01847 821 120
- Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
- Website: View website
Open Days & Times
Wed, Sat-Sun 1400-1600. (Closed 25 Dec; 1 Jan 2026.) Visit website for more details.
Travel
- By Bus: various
- By Rail: Thurso / 7 miles
Facilities
- Souvenir Shop
- Full disabled access
The centre is located within renovated farm buildings immediately adjacent to the cutting yard and quarry of the now defunct flagstone workings. The workings were the first in the country to exploit the commercial possibilities of flagstone and in doing so put Castletown on the global map.
Visitors can walk round the Heritage Trail which outlines the stages of the production of the stone, while an adjoining Sculpture Trail within the community woodland, demonstrates some artistic uses of the material.
A must-see is the WW2 Rolls-Royce Merlin engine that was recovered from a Caithness bog in 1990 by two local men from Halkirk. The engine belonged to a Hurricane that was stationed at RAF Castletown in August 1941 and was involved in a mid-air collision during a training flight.
