Castle of Mey

Over het museum

The Castle of Mey was built between 1566 and 1572 by George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness, as a Z-plan tower house for his second son William. Its turrets and corbelled parapets are typical of the Scottish architecture of the period. The castle stands on the north coast of Caithness, about 400 yards from the shore, and looks across the Pentland Firth towards Orkney. It later became the seat of the Earls of Caithness and was known for a long time as Barrogill Castle. In 1819 the architect William Burn made alterations for the 12th Earl, adding the grand entrance and the dining room.

By the twentieth century the building had passed through several owners and was in poor condition. In 1952 Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother saw it while staying nearby on Dunnet Head and decided to buy it. She restored the castle, its walled garden and its parkland between 1953 and 1955 and gave it back its original name. Every year she spent about three weeks here in August and around ten days in October, and in 1958 she also bought the nearby Longoe Farm.

In 1996 the Queen Mother gave the castle to a charitable trust, together with an endowment, so that it could be opened to the public. Today visitors see the rooms she used as a home, among them the library, drawing room, dining room and kitchen. The grounds include the walled garden, an animal centre with traditional breeds and a visitor centre with a tearoom and shop.

Hoogtepunten

• Sixteenth-century Z-plan tower house used as a royal holiday home
• Rooms kept as the Queen Mother used them, including the library and dining room
• Walled garden with cut flowers, grasses and a sea view
• Animal centre with rare sheep breeds and poultry
• Tearoom serving produce from the castle garden

Vaste collectie

• The castle rooms – The rooms of the castle as the Queen Mother used them, from the front hall and library to the drawing room, dining room and kitchen.
• Walled garden – A walled garden with cut flowers, hedging and arbours, replanted to look good through more of the year.
• Animal centre – Rare sheep, poultry and small animals in a paddock and barn, with a wooden cow that children can milk.

Opgericht

1566

Beheerder

The Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Prices are for castle, grounds and gardens in 2026. Tickets are sold on the day in the gift shop only and cannot be booked online or by phone (except for coaches). The visitor centre accepts contactless and card payments only.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

Wheelchair access is not currently possible inside the castle, so visitors who use a wheelchair or mobility aid are advised to phone ahead to find out what they can see and do. The tearoom, shop and toilets in the visitor centre are fully accessible. The castle is about 200 metres from the car park; visitors who find walking difficult can ask at the ticket office to park closer to the castle entrance. English-language translations of the castle tour are available for visitors with hearing impairments.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Doe- en voelstations

The animal centre in the East Woods is aimed at children and adults. It has rare sheep, poultry, rabbits and a wooden cow for trying out milking, and animal feed can be bought on site. A family ticket is available.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

From the east, follow the A99 from Wick to John O'Groats, then take the A836 for 6 miles. From the west, follow the A836 along the coast from Thurso for 14 miles. Visitors staying in Thurso can walk from the top of the drive to the castle in about 15 to 20 minutes on flat ground. Dogs on a lead are welcome in the grounds but not in the castle, animal centre, walled garden or visitor centre (assistance dogs excepted).

Service & horeca

• Café
• Museumwinkel

Tearoom in the visitor centre with home-baked cakes, snacks and local produce; gluten-free and vegetarian options on request, no table bookings. Gift shop with books, gifts and chutney made from garden produce. Toilets in the visitor centre.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Privéfeesten
• Zakelijke evenementen
• Bruiloften / trouwceremonies

Tot 60 personen.

Spaces in the castle and the visitor centre can be hired for private and corporate events. Wedding ceremonies for up to 60 guests take place in the visitor centre between October and April. Private dining for groups of up to 12 guests can be booked by email.

Je bezoek plannen