The Castle of Mey is the most northerly castle in mainland Scotland. It looks out over the Pentland Firth to the Orkney Islands.
In 1952, it was bought in a semi derelict state by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and has been restored and renovated along with its surrounding gardens. It is the only property she personally owned. It still feels very much ‘her home’ and walking round the rooms, you can still feel her presence.
The original castle was built between 1566 and 1572 after George, Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness acquired the Barony of Mey from the Bishop of Caithness. It was a typical Z-plan tower house with three storeys and a projecting side wing.
The castle, called Barrogill, and estate was granted to George’s second son William who became the first Lord of Mey. He was murdered by his elder brother and the castle and title passed to the younger brother George.
In 1819, the 12th Earl commissioned the architect William Burn to add a porch and grand entrance hall with an internal staircase replacing the original external one, along with the dining room.
The 15th Earl died without an heir in 1889 and bequeathed the castle to his friend PG Heathcote, on condition that he changed his name to Sinclair. Heathcote’s widow then sold the castle and estate to Captain Imbert-Terry.
During the Second World War, the castle had been used as a billet for Coastal Defence Troops . After the war, the farms had been sold and the interior of the castle was in a very poor state. Windows were missing and the roof had lost slates. The owners were no longer able to maintain it, and it was put up for sale.
In 1952, HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother saw Barrogill Castle while staying with Commander and Lady Doris Vyner at their house near Dunnet Head. Despite its poor condition with no electricity or bathrooms, she fell in love with the property and bought it.
The Queen Mother began the restoration of the Castle, using a local architect and workmen. The castle and local area lacked electricity and the Queem Mother insisted that the local area was connected to the national grid before work began at the castle. Although she consulted a London firm about decoration and furnishings, most were bought locally.
Her carved sandstone cipher is above the dining room window.
She also oversaw the restoration of the gardens, turning the walled garden into a flower and vegetable garden. The C18th cannons from a nearby coastal battery built to ward off a possible Napoleonic invasion, were moved to the front lawn of the castle.
The Castle became her much loved home and she spent every August there as well as October. Disliking the name Barrogill, she returned it to its ancient title of Castle of Mey. Having restored and updated the castle, the Queen Mother then did little more to it beyond routine maintenance. It has the feel of a time capsule from the 1950s.
When the nearby Longoe Farm came on the market in 1958, it was purchased by Her Majesty.
In 1996 the Queen Mother established the Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust to ensure the future of the castle, farm and estate. It is now managed by the Prince’s Foundation and King Charles visits regularly.
Inside the castle
No photography is allowed inside the castle. There are knowledgeable guides in each room who are a wealth of information and stories about when the Queen mother lived in the castle.
Entry is through the porch into the FRONT HALL with its lovely double staircase. Her blue raincoat is hanging up and her wellingtons are by the door. On the table by the door is a collection of sea shells. The Queen Mother was a great collector and often came back with sea shells in her pockets.
At the top of the stairs, is the LIBRARY, an informal friendly room with a portrait of the queen Mother above the fireplace. There is also her blue tartan suit and hat. The small round table was a games table. Afternoon tea was served here and guests would read the papers or listen to music.
Doors open into the EQUERRY’S ROOM, which was used as an office when the Queen Mother was at the castle. There is a painting of the Queen Mother with a corgi and Castle of Mey in the background.
Beyond is the DRAWING ROOM, a large informal sitting room with a big tapestry hanging on a wall. On top is a a small Loch Ness monster, put their by two of her equerries to annoy the Lady in Waiting. The Queen Mother was delighted and insisted it stay there as an ‘ice breaker’ with guests. She loved small items of ‘tourist tat’ given to her by guests, and they can be seen scattered around the rooms.
Queen Mother would entertained her guests in front of a peat fire, boiling the water for the tea and making the toast herself.In the corner is the drinks trolley with gin and Dubonnet, the Queen Mother’s facvourite drink served with lemon and ice. Items of personal correspondence include the text of a telegram sent to the Queen asking her to buy lemons in Thurso when the Royal Yacht Britannia berthed in Scrabster, as the castle had run out of them.
The DINING ROOM is the most formal of the castle rooms. The bronze fireback has the ER cipher. At the opposite end of the room is a magnificent tapestry carrying the Queen Mother's coat of arms and made in Edinburgh in 1950.
There were at least seven guest for dinner most nights. Talking across the table was discouraged and conversation flowed either clockwise or anticlockwise round the table. The Queen Mother was always served Champagne. She would take a few sips and the bottle would be taken to the kitchen for the staff to finish. On display is the lovely white lace ballgown and tartan sash worn by the Queen Mother to the Jubilee Ball in Wick in 1977.
A door leads through into the BUTLER’S PANTRY. Although there was a food lift from the kitchen’s below, this was very noisy and everything was carried up the stairs. The room still contains all its 1950s electrical equipment including a fridge and heating oven. All the glasswear, china and cutlery were stored in cupboards.
Stairs lead down to the KITCHENS with cream wall units, fridge, massive double oven with gas hobs ands a separate grill. In the centre is a large table. There is also a large picnic hamper. The queen Mother loved her picnics!
This is the last room we visited and we exited through the original front door to the castle, into the courtyard.
In 1952, it was bought in a semi derelict state by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and has been restored and renovated along with its surrounding gardens. It is the only property she personally owned. It still feels very much ‘her home’ and walking round the rooms, you can still feel her presence.
The original castle was built between 1566 and 1572 after George, Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness acquired the Barony of Mey from the Bishop of Caithness. It was a typical Z-plan tower house with three storeys and a projecting side wing.
The castle, called Barrogill, and estate was granted to George’s second son William who became the first Lord of Mey. He was murdered by his elder brother and the castle and title passed to the younger brother George.
In 1819, the 12th Earl commissioned the architect William Burn to add a porch and grand entrance hall with an internal staircase replacing the original external one, along with the dining room.
The 15th Earl died without an heir in 1889 and bequeathed the castle to his friend PG Heathcote, on condition that he changed his name to Sinclair. Heathcote’s widow then sold the castle and estate to Captain Imbert-Terry.
During the Second World War, the castle had been used as a billet for Coastal Defence Troops . After the war, the farms had been sold and the interior of the castle was in a very poor state. Windows were missing and the roof had lost slates. The owners were no longer able to maintain it, and it was put up for sale.
In 1952, HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother saw Barrogill Castle while staying with Commander and Lady Doris Vyner at their house near Dunnet Head. Despite its poor condition with no electricity or bathrooms, she fell in love with the property and bought it.
The Queen Mother began the restoration of the Castle, using a local architect and workmen. The castle and local area lacked electricity and the Queem Mother insisted that the local area was connected to the national grid before work began at the castle. Although she consulted a London firm about decoration and furnishings, most were bought locally.
Her carved sandstone cipher is above the dining room window.
She also oversaw the restoration of the gardens, turning the walled garden into a flower and vegetable garden. The C18th cannons from a nearby coastal battery built to ward off a possible Napoleonic invasion, were moved to the front lawn of the castle.
The Castle became her much loved home and she spent every August there as well as October. Disliking the name Barrogill, she returned it to its ancient title of Castle of Mey. Having restored and updated the castle, the Queen Mother then did little more to it beyond routine maintenance. It has the feel of a time capsule from the 1950s.
When the nearby Longoe Farm came on the market in 1958, it was purchased by Her Majesty.
In 1996 the Queen Mother established the Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust to ensure the future of the castle, farm and estate. It is now managed by the Prince’s Foundation and King Charles visits regularly.
Inside the castle
No photography is allowed inside the castle. There are knowledgeable guides in each room who are a wealth of information and stories about when the Queen mother lived in the castle.
Entry is through the porch into the FRONT HALL with its lovely double staircase. Her blue raincoat is hanging up and her wellingtons are by the door. On the table by the door is a collection of sea shells. The Queen Mother was a great collector and often came back with sea shells in her pockets.
At the top of the stairs, is the LIBRARY, an informal friendly room with a portrait of the queen Mother above the fireplace. There is also her blue tartan suit and hat. The small round table was a games table. Afternoon tea was served here and guests would read the papers or listen to music.
Doors open into the EQUERRY’S ROOM, which was used as an office when the Queen Mother was at the castle. There is a painting of the Queen Mother with a corgi and Castle of Mey in the background.
Beyond is the DRAWING ROOM, a large informal sitting room with a big tapestry hanging on a wall. On top is a a small Loch Ness monster, put their by two of her equerries to annoy the Lady in Waiting. The Queen Mother was delighted and insisted it stay there as an ‘ice breaker’ with guests. She loved small items of ‘tourist tat’ given to her by guests, and they can be seen scattered around the rooms.
Queen Mother would entertained her guests in front of a peat fire, boiling the water for the tea and making the toast herself.In the corner is the drinks trolley with gin and Dubonnet, the Queen Mother’s facvourite drink served with lemon and ice. Items of personal correspondence include the text of a telegram sent to the Queen asking her to buy lemons in Thurso when the Royal Yacht Britannia berthed in Scrabster, as the castle had run out of them.
The DINING ROOM is the most formal of the castle rooms. The bronze fireback has the ER cipher. At the opposite end of the room is a magnificent tapestry carrying the Queen Mother's coat of arms and made in Edinburgh in 1950.
There were at least seven guest for dinner most nights. Talking across the table was discouraged and conversation flowed either clockwise or anticlockwise round the table. The Queen Mother was always served Champagne. She would take a few sips and the bottle would be taken to the kitchen for the staff to finish. On display is the lovely white lace ballgown and tartan sash worn by the Queen Mother to the Jubilee Ball in Wick in 1977.
A door leads through into the BUTLER’S PANTRY. Although there was a food lift from the kitchen’s below, this was very noisy and everything was carried up the stairs. The room still contains all its 1950s electrical equipment including a fridge and heating oven. All the glasswear, china and cutlery were stored in cupboards.
Stairs lead down to the KITCHENS with cream wall units, fridge, massive double oven with gas hobs ands a separate grill. In the centre is a large table. There is also a large picnic hamper. The queen Mother loved her picnics!
This is the last room we visited and we exited through the original front door to the castle, into the courtyard.
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