Traill Public Hall and Reading Room, Stangergill Bridge, Castletown

Single storey gabled reading room and cottage, 5-bay, grouped 3-2, lower bays of cottage to right. Squared, snecked and stugged stone with ashlar dressings, chamfered arrises. READING ROOM: 3 bays to left with pedimented and pilastered door to centre, with fanlight (blocked), with 'AMT' carved in flowing script above. flanked by broad gabled panel to left with 5-light bowed window, ashlar aproned with stone mullions and half-conical roof, quatrefoil in gablehead; flanked to left by narrower gabled panel with pedimented window, oval panel in gablehead carved with shield and motto. Graded grey slate roof. Stone finials to gableheads. Ashlar coping to steep gablehead skews and ashlar stacks.

The reading room was gifted to the town in the will of Miss Margaret Traill, and opened on New Year's day 1867. Caldwell described it as 'a boon and ornament to the locality'. (Historic Environment Scotland List Entry)

February 1992: External inspection reveals the building to be vacant and boarded up. It has latterly operated as a store for local freezer company Norfrost. 16 November 1993: The Aberdeen Press and Journal reports that the hall requires an estimated £100,000 for restoration, and although community councillors are keen to see the building restored they are being hindered by confusion surrounding the title deeds. 17 November 1993: The Caithness Courier reports that a committee has been established to secure funds and look into future options. 7 December 1994: The Caithness Courier reports that a decision on the future of the building should come in June 1995. 1997: An application for lottery funding is unsuccessful. February 2000: Local planners are unaware of any change. 3 May 2002: The John O'Groats Journal reports that the village's heritage society is no longer interested in leasing the building and establishing a museum to the flagstone industry. April 2003: External inspection reveals the building to remain vacant. 13 October 2004: The Caithness Courier reports that the hall is being marketed for sale, to the disappointment of the local community who had hoped it would form the centre for a new geopark facility based on the local flagstone industry in association with Castletown Heritage Society. 3 November 2004: The Caithness Courier reports that the trustees have been asked to reconsider the sale. The Casper Club is proposing to convert it into a community facility with cyber café and creche. 5 January 2005: Press reports note that the trustees have now agreed to postpone the sale, after plans for a childcare centre and community hall were endorsed by local residents. 27 July 2005: Caithness Courier reports that the Highland Building Preservation trust have been awarded £2000 from the Awards for All scheme to undertake an intial feasibility study for the Hall. The grant was secured by the Casper Club - which is behind the initiative to transform the Hall in to a facility for all.

February 2009: Estate agents report they are no longer marketing the property. Details removed accordingly.

28 July 2010: Caithness Courier reports the Traill Hall Community Trust is to recruit a project manager for a 3 mth period with a view to securing funding for a feasibility study on the building. Highland Buildings Preservation Trust will be involved in the initiative. The article goes on to note the hall is one of a number in Castletown that the Princes Regeneration Trust is interested in seeing restored.

20 June 2012: External inspection finds no significant change from the previous site visit.

12 September 2012: Highland Buildings Preservation Trust is working with the local community to explore options for re-use of the building.

26 September 2013: External inspection finds the building remains in much the same condition as seen previously.

1 July 2014: The Traill Hall Community Trust website notes the successful conclusion of phase 1 - the feasibility study for the restoration of Traill Hall - which indicated the building is capable of renovation and that there is a need for it in the community. The Trust started phase two of the project, a community involvement programme, in Jan 2014.

23 May 2018: External inspection finds the pavilion remains disused. Generally the building remains in fair overall condition but with some signs of deterioration starting. Some vegetation has established in gutters and a small section of gutter is missing to the eastern elevation. A sapling is now growing in close proximity to the eastern elevation. Risk level raised to Moderate.

20 July 2020: The property is being marketed for sale, through appointed agent Yvonne Fitzgerald Properties, at offers over £60,000.

25 April 2022: The John O'Groat Journal published an article on 25 February 2022 reporting that the building has been sold by the Traill Hall Community Trust and is now in private ownership.