He is the author of "Private Prayers and Public Parades - Exploring the Religious Life of Taipei".
Caltonhill, who studied first botany and later Chinese, both at the University of Edinburgh, is a writer and performer, currently based in Taiwan, R.O.C.
Caltonhill is a frequent contributor to Taiwan's English-language newspapers (Taipei Times, Taiwan News, China Post), for the last he has been both a columnist, writing under the byline Jonathan Wardle a weekly column "View from the Hill" covering various cultural topics, and an unnamed leader writer, covering politics and current affairs.
Subsequent publications cover museums and tourism, and a collection of poems and short fiction (see bibliography).
Caltonhill earlier worked as a comedian/juggler in Europe and Taiwan, appearing in Leofoo and other theme parks and on television.