The Castle & Gardens of Mey

Beautiful castle and walled garden. The castle felt very homely and had so many personal effects of the late Queen Mother. The walled garden is a beautiful delight. There’s also a cafe on site and shop. Well worth a visit

The castle and gardens are well worth the admission fee. Staff are friendly and very informative. Only the public rooms are open, however, there is a beautifully produced book for a little under £10 which is well illustrated about the private rooms such as the bedrooms. The walled gardens are amazing given the extreme climate and the animal area (geese, ducks, hens, sheep, pigs) are well cared for and very clean. Facilities include well managed car park, cafe, shop, clean toilets.

A very interesting castle, still in royal use by the King. Very friendly staff, with insights into the life of the Queen Mother, and who take time to explain the history of the rooms. It is a shame that only 2 floors of the castle are visitable but as it is still used, there are still areas that are private, and no photography is allowed inside. The walled garden is very pretty - it would be nice for some of the thicker and taller plants to have a more visible name tag though, and the kids loved the animal centre, getting up close to rabbits, sheep, chickens and pigs. There is a nice tea room, very reasonably priced with tables inside and out. To note: cash is not accepted, all payments for visits and food are card only.

A castle on the outside but very homely inside. The late Queen Mother lived very simply if the small dining room and servery are anything to go by. The upstairs and other areas are still private of course and King Charles does spend a few days here every year. I liked to hear about Britannia mooring offshore and the royal party being ferried to the jetty and walking up the path to the front door. I bet they had a car waiting if it rained. The animal shed was slightly off. Although it was interesting to learn the history of the breeds I don't need to see them cooped up. The gardens were stunning. It never ceases to amaze me what will grow in the far north of the UK when given shelter behind walls.

Absolutely stunning! The highlight of our trip! Everyone who works at this castle and its grounds are the nicest people in Scotland! They love what they do! And they make you excited about the castle! Cannot recommend it enough!

My already perfect day was just getting better and better. Castle Mey is a sight for sore eyes. This castle is used by the King in September and August and I cam see why. The coastal walks around it was fantastic too and I have two pencils to cement my being there...lol

Absolutely gorgeous place the gardens and walk ways to the animals are stunning. There’s also the tea room, beautiful food and very fresh. Well worth a visit

Fantastic gardens and very friendly staff, who make the castle come alive with their personal stories. Would recommend to anyone in that area

Absolutely stunning this little castle, small cosy rooms inside beautifully kept, this is well worth a visit. And there are lovely gardens to see and walk around, also a farm with pigs, chickens and lots of animals the kids will enjoy seeing. And when you've done all that there is a great cafe serving fresh and home made food. Enjoy your day.

After a long visit to Duncansby Head we were passing the Castle of Mey - a very picturesque Castle with a big history. We didn't plan on visiting the castle, mostly because we were running late (closes at 4pm). But since we just arrived shortly after 4pm the Tearoom was still open (until 5pm), a good opportunity to take a quick break and have some tea and snacks. The staff here was extremely friendly and it was nice chatting with them (mostly about or English Bulldog who was travelling with us). There is a good number of seats inside, but since we wanted to enjoy the views of the castle and countryside we took a seat outside, where dogs are welcome as well. We ordered some tea and scones (and some Lemonade for my thirst). Tea was good, but especially the Scones with the clotted cream were a treat! And nice strawberry jam to go with. We very much enjoyed our visit here. So, if you are visiting the castle, be sure to plan some extra time for a quick break at the tearoom!

great day out! first off I want to say how fantastic the staff were today. they took such delight in telling us stories about the queen mother in her home. there was so much to see and it was fascinating to see her belongings and see how she made this place home for 60 days of the year. I'm not sure why you can't take pics inside.

My husband and I visited The Castle of Mey during our September trip to John O' Groats. When we booked the trip, we had never heard of The Castle of Mey and went into it with zero expectations. We paid eleven pounds each for the castle tour, which is guided and given in small groups. We had eight visitors in our tour group. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and happy to answer questions. I learned a ton of information about the Queen Mum and my biggest take-away is that she seemed like a really fun-loving person. The Castle of Mey was her summer home and it's filled with momentos and personal touches. It's surprisingly down-to-earth and not at all what you might expect from a royal residence. Admittedly, it does feel a bit like a visit to grannies house! After the tour, we visited the Animal Centre. If you love animals, you will love the Animal Centre. These animals are well looked after and very friendly. Let's face it, they won the animal jackpot by getting a home here. Make sure to buy some bird feed. The Castle of Mey is a must-see if you're visiting the area.

Really nice. Like a visit to Grandma's. You know, if she were the queen. This castle differs a bit from the likes of Dunrobin and Cawdor in that it's only available to see by guided tour, and the decor was comprised entirely secondhand as a bit of comeuppance by the Queen Mum to those who would tell her how a proper castle should be decorated. There's not much on the tour to appease the kids, but there is a farm exhibition and petting zoo on the grounds. If one parent is willing to bite that bullet it'll make the tour all the more pleasant for everyone involved. (speaking from opposite experience here) The cafe in the visitor's centre also serves up a surprisingly rich and flavorful latte, and their desserts are on-par with the British taste for afternoon sweets. tldr; cool castle, tasty treats.

WELCOME TO THE CASTLE OF MEY The most northerly castle on the UK mainland, the Castle of Mey stands in a magnificent setting on the Caithness coast, with glorious views across the Pentland Firth towards Orkney. AN HISTORIC CASTLE The Castle of Mey was built in the tate 16th century by George Sinclair, the 4th Earl of Caithness and was occupied by his descendants for over three hundred years. This colourful period in the castle's history embraces the dark deeds of the earliest owners as well as the eccentric activities of later occupants such as the 14th Earl who brought the first steam car to this part of Scotland in 1860. The 15th Earl of Caithness was the last Sinclaire to live at Mey. When he died in 1889 the castle was bequeathed away from the Sinclair family and subsequently bought by The Queen Mother in 1952. A ROYAL HOME When The Queen Mother first saw the Castle of Mey, it was a poor state of repair. Recently widowed and looking for somewhere to escape from the public eye, she decided to save from ruin. This she did and in the proccss, created a much-loved holiday home to which she returned every summer for he rest of her life. Today the castle is kept as it was when The Queen Mother was in residence. With the help of the knowledgeable guides, the visitor gains a fascinating insight into her personality, her interests and her love of life. A LOST GARDEN The walled garden was dear to The Queen Mother's heart and represents a real triumph over the neglect of time and the onslaught of the elements. Within the shelter of the Great Wall of Mey, a traditional Scottish garden has been lovingly recreated. The Queen Mother's personal touch is apparent eyerywhere, from the greenhouse with its magnificent floral displays to the Shell Garden, a place she loved to sit, with its old-fashioned shrub roses and climbers. It is very much a working garden and, during The Queen Mother's summer residence, it provided the kitchen with fruit and vegetables and still does so when Prince Charles stays. Two rose garden, shaped in facing "E"s have also been added. THE QUEEN ELIZABETH CASTLE OF MEY TRUST The Queen Mother established The Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust in 1996 and transferred ownership of the castle to it later that year. It was her wish that the Trust should maintain the castle for the benefit of the local community. As President of the Trust, Prince Charles takes a keen interest in events at Mey. Since his grandmother's death in March 2002, he has stayed at the castle in early August every year.

It is a nice castle with a pleasant, if expensive, tearoom and souvenir shop. I think it trades too much on its connection with the royal family and not enough on its history, location, gardens and architecture. I think it probably does most of its trade with the tourist coaches. Worth a look if nothing else.

The castle and garden of mey is very posh for me. From what i have seen the royal family do enjoy a quick stay there. The garden is huge and has amazing view's and space. This place is just out side of mey, it doesn't seem to be there for public viewing's though i recommend a Quick view for yourself