Mey Castle and Gardens are located just 2 miles from Celtic Lodges in the same road. This road being the famous NC500 route around Scotland. 

Home to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother for many years and well known to be King Charles favourite Scottish residence. 

The King stays at Mey Castle every year for the Mey Highland Games which traditionally takes place the first Saturday in August before joining the rest of the Royal Family on the Balmoral estate for their summer holidays.

The King’s grandmother, the late Queen Mother, first saw the Castle of Mey in 1952 while walking in the area. At that time she had recently been widowed following the death of her husband King George VI. 

The 16th-century castle which overlooks Pentland Firth was derelict at the time. “How sad it looks” ”Just like me” the Queen Mother is said to have observed. The story of this was also covered in Netflix’s The Crown. 

King Charles’s affection for his late grandmother and the castle is still strong to this day. He always starts off his visit to the castle by picking a bunch of flowers from the Queen Mother’s beloved walled garden and laying them on a stone bench from which his grandmother used to gaze across the Firth to Orkney. 

Read our full post on the Castle of Mey or watch the Channel 5 documentary.

The castle and gardens are open to the public and tickets are available to purchase on the day of your visit from the castle gift shop. 

Visit the Castle of Mey Official Website for up to date opening times.