Castletown, Caithness
Encyclopedia
Castletown is a village on the north coast of the Highland
council area of Scotland
, situated near Dunnet Bay. It is within the civil parish
of Olrig
, where it is the main settlement, and within the historic county
of Caithness
. The A836
links the village with Thurso
and Tongue
in the west and with John o' Groats
in the east. The B876-A99
links the village with Wick in the southeast.
Much of the village is built on the old townland (or fermland) of Stanergill. The Stanergill Burn was the eastern boundary of the townland. It flows now through the eastern end of the village and so into Dunnet Bay and the Atlantic Ocean
.
The name Stanergill can be read as meaning Stone Valley and much of Castletown was built during the 19th century boom years of Caithness as a source of flagstone
. Much of the stone was processed in the harbour area of the village, known as Castlehill, and many of the streets of London
, Sydney, Edinburgh & the financial district of New York City are paved with it.
The harbour was built by James Bremner
.
Castletown's main building is the 'Drill Hall'. This is mainly used for parties, discos and small clubs such as the indoor bowls.
The building that was used for these functions was the 'Traill Hall', a gift to the Village by the Traill family, owners of the flagstone quarry at Castlehill. Traill House, a large & imposing country home was the home of the Traill family, it was located in the woods at Castlehill, in later years it was owned by the Crumb-Ewing family, it became delelict after WW2 & burned down in the late 50's.
The remains of the gatehouse can be seen on the side of the A836 at Castlehill plantation.
More modern industry
in the village includes manufacture of domestic food storage freezer
s, the firm used to be known as Norfrost Ltd but is now called IceTech Ltd, employing local people & many Polish workers.
s by the single transferable vote
system of election, which produces a form of proportional representation
. It is one of seven wards within the council's Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross corporate management area and one of 22 wards within the council area.
Most businesses are located on the main street, the A836.
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
council area of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, situated near Dunnet Bay. It is within the civil parish
Civil parishes in Scotland
In Scotland, parishes, as units of local government, were abolished by the Local Government Act 1929. The geographical area is sometimes still referred to, however, for statistical purposes....
of Olrig
Olrig
Olrig is a parish in Caithness, Scotland and the main settlement in the parish is Castletown.Prior to 19th century agricultural improvements the parish was sub-divided into ten townlands or 'fermlands'...
, where it is the main settlement, and within the historic county
Counties of Scotland
The counties of Scotland were the principal local government divisions of Scotland until 1975. Scotland's current lieutenancy areas and registration counties are largely based on them. They are often referred to as historic counties....
of Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
. The A836
A836 road
The A836 road is entirely within the Highland area of Scotland, and 129 miles long.It branches from the A9 near Tain and runs generally north through Bonar Bridge and Lairg, until Tongue. Between Lairg and Tongue the road is single track for 38 miles...
links the village with Thurso
Thurso
-Facilities:Offices of the Highland Council are located in the town, as is the main campus of North Highland College, formerly Thurso College. This is one of several partner colleges which constitute the UHI Millennium Institute, and offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from...
and Tongue
Tongue, Highland
Tongue is a coastal village in northwest Highland, Scotland, in the western part of the former county of Sutherland. It lies on the east shore above the base of the Kyle of Tongue and north of the mountains Ben Hope and Ben Loyal...
in the west and with John o' Groats
John o' Groats
John o' Groats is a village in the Highland council area of Scotland. Part of the county of Caithness, John o' Groats is popular with tourists because it is usually regarded as the most northerly settlement of mainland Great Britain, although this is not a claim made by the inhabitants...
in the east. The B876-A99
A99 road
The A99 road is entirely within the former county of Caithness in the Highland of Scotland. It runs generally north/northeast from the A9 at Latheron to Wick and to the A836 at John o' Groats. It was part of the A9 until the A9 classification was transferred to what had been the A895-A882 link...
links the village with Wick in the southeast.
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
The name Stanergill can be read as meaning Stone Valley and much of Castletown was built during the 19th century boom years of Caithness as a source of flagstone
Flagstone
Flagstone, is a generic flat stone, usually used for paving slabs or walkways, patios, fences and roofing. It may be used for memorials, headstones, facades and other constructions. The name derives from Middle English flagge meaning turf, perhaps from Old Norse flaga meaning slab.Flagstone is a...
. Much of the stone was processed in the harbour area of the village, known as Castlehill, and many of the streets of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Sydney, Edinburgh & the financial district of New York City are paved with it.
The harbour was built by James Bremner
James Bremner
James Bremner a notable Scottish naval architect, harbour builder and ship-raiser.-Life and work:James, the youngest of the nine children of Janet and James Bremner, was born in Stain, near Keiss, in the parish of Wick, Caithness, in Scotland.At the age of 16, he was apprenticed for six years to...
.
Castletown's main building is the 'Drill Hall'. This is mainly used for parties, discos and small clubs such as the indoor bowls.
The building that was used for these functions was the 'Traill Hall', a gift to the Village by the Traill family, owners of the flagstone quarry at Castlehill. Traill House, a large & imposing country home was the home of the Traill family, it was located in the woods at Castlehill, in later years it was owned by the Crumb-Ewing family, it became delelict after WW2 & burned down in the late 50's.
The remains of the gatehouse can be seen on the side of the A836 at Castlehill plantation.
More modern industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
in the village includes manufacture of domestic food storage freezer
Refrigerator
A refrigerator is a common household appliance that consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room...
s, the firm used to be known as Norfrost Ltd but is now called IceTech Ltd, employing local people & many Polish workers.
Local government
Castletown is in the Landward Caithness ward of the Highland Council. The ward elects four councillorCouncillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s by the single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
system of election, which produces a form of proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
. It is one of seven wards within the council's Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross corporate management area and one of 22 wards within the council area.
Sport
Castletown has a football team, Castletown FC who wear a strip almost identical to the strip worn by Celtic FC. The pitch is regarded as the best in Caithness and Sutherland, and many Highland finals are held at the venue.Facilities
Castletown has a small hotel (The Castletown Hotel, was The St Clair Hotel), a large guest house (Greenland House), a well-stocked licensed grocery, a butchers (Castletown Meat Co.) that also sells groceries & fruit & veg, a fish & chip shop, a garden centre, a garage with petrol & diesel pumps, 2 hairdressers, a beauty thearapist, a primary school with nursery & an after-school club and a branch of the RBS, which is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10.30am to 2pm. There is also a Free Church on the Main Street, with services at 12pm and 6.30pm on a Sunday.Most businesses are located on the main street, the A836.