Mey: Castle of Mey, Gardens and Coastal Views

If you’re looking for a hotel in Mey, Castle of Mey can provide a theme for your stay: architectural history, guided tours of the interior, gardens and scenery all come together here. Depending on whether you’re interested in the historic house, its grounds or walks, you can focus your visit in different ways. Mey is therefore a destination for travellers who want to take these themes into account when choosing where to stay.

History of Castle of Mey

George, the 4th Earl of Caithness, had Castle of Mey built for his second son, William Sinclair. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother bought the Castle in 1952 and had the castle, gardens and parkland restored. The house’s outstanding historical significance stems from its four-century association with the Earls of Caithness and its continuing association with Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Its construction and subsequent restoration mark different chapters in the history of the Castle.

Guided tours, gardens and Animal Centre

On a guided tour, you can explore the 16th-century Castle’s interior and learn about Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s life in Caithness. This makes the tour particularly interesting for travellers who want to explore both the building and its biographical history.

You can explore the grounds on foot, including the two-acre Walled Garden. There are two walled gardens beside the Castle. Vegetables, herbs, soft fruit and flowers grow in the garden areas. A visit to the grounds is therefore different from the guided tour: the gardens and a walk around the grounds take centre stage.

The Animal Centre is also located in East Woods and is an outing for children and adults. It adds another place with its own focus to a visit to the castle and gardens.

Views and walks

From Castle of Mey, you can look west towards Dunnet Head, Scotland’s northernmost point, and across the Pentland Firth to the Orkney Islands. The Castle lies about 500 yards from the shore of the Pentland Firth. This lets you take in the landscape on two scales: the nearby shore and the more distant view across the Firth to the Orkney Islands.

Castle of Mey lies on the North Highland Way, whose route runs from John o’ Groats to Durness. Route development and access conditions can change, so check them before planning your visit. In addition, the adopted Highland Core Paths Plan lists a 0.54-kilometre extension of the existing Castle Of Mey Coast core path in Mey. This length describes the extension, not the total length of the existing core path. This distinguishes the long-distance North Highland Way from the local addition listed in the Core Paths Plan without conflating their route lengths.

There is a car park in front of the Castle and Gardens of Mey visitor centre, with accessible parking spaces near the entrance. Additional spaces are available for coaches, motorhomes and motorcycles.

Discover more destinations: Strathpeffer, Ardvasar, Insh, Dornie, Muir Of Ord, Fearn, Croy, Scrabster.

Return to the overview of the region: Highland.