Castletown

The village of Castletown offers visitors a unique look of much of the history of the area.  It lies on the south side of Dunnet Bay which is backed by a two mile long beach.  Castletown is a well planned out settlement which means almost everything is within walking distance to each other.  One of the main attractions is Castlehill House, which was owned by James Traill who planned out the town.  Although it was burned down in the 1900’s the site lies between the village and harbour and allows for a wonderful tour.
As an old harbour village, much of the town is in ruins but offers so much in the way of tourism.  Starting at the Flagstone Trail you can head to the west of the Castletown Harbour which is where much of the action used to take place.  Here you will find the old windmill which used to drain water before heading over to Castletown Mill which was built by Traill to process corn.  Open to visitors it is an impressive ruin that leads to the car park at the end of the beach footpath.  Once there you can enjoy the beach access and dunes that allow you to swim, kite board and sunbathe.
Until recently, Castletown was home to a WWII military airfield which is a couple of miles from the village.  Although desolate now it is perfect for visitors to explore and sightsee.  Back in the village you can enjoy much of what made this town so popular when it was first settled.  On the main street is where you can find the restaurants, charming shops and flagstone streets that are so attractive.