The Queen Mother's lasting legacy to the county
*Please note that this information was correct as of March 2020 and due to COVID-19, some activity providers may be operating under new guidelines - for full information, we recommend you contact the establishment directly.*
Why not make the short trip to Caithness and take a memorable tour of the unique Castle and Gardens of Mey?
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother first saw what was then Barrogill Castle in 1952, while mourning the death of her husband, King George VI.
Falling for its isolated charm and hearing it was to be abandoned, she decided to save it. Having acquired the most northerly inhabited castle on the British mainland, The Queen Mother renovated and restored it and created the beautiful gardens you are able to see today.
Visitors to the castle will see the rooms used by Her Majesty when she stayed here and take a walk around the grounds and gardens whilst taking in views of the magnificent scenery across the Pentland Firth to Hoy, the nearest of the Orkney Islands.
The castle is open every day from 10.20am until last admission at 4pm. The visitor centre, tearoom, shop, grounds and animal centre are open every day during the high season from 10am until 5pm.