Mey: Castle of Mey, Gardens and Trails

Mey combines an impressive castle, walled gardens and expansive views across the Pentland Firth. Anyone planning a trip with culture, landscape and an excursion destination for children and adults will find a variety of experiences here in one place. When choosing your holiday accommodation in Mey, you can therefore consider whether you would like to focus primarily on the history of Castle of Mey, walks around the grounds or the landscape of northern Scotland.

Castle of Mey and its history

Castle of Mey was built by George, the 4th Earl of Caithness, for his second son, William Sinclair. A particularly formative phase began in 1952: Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother bought Castle of Mey and restored the castle, gardens and parkland. Through its four-century association with the Earls of Caithness and its present-day association with Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Castle of Mey possesses outstanding historical value.

Tours take visitors through the 16th-century Castle of Mey and provide insights into Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's life in Caithness. This makes the visit interesting even if you are not simply viewing a building but want to learn about historical contexts and personal life stories. For planning your day, please note that the last admission to the castle is at 3:00 p.m.

Walled gardens and views

Castle of Mey includes two walled gardens. Visitors can walk through the grounds, including the two-acre Walled Garden. Vegetables, herbs, soft fruit and flowers are grown in the walled garden areas. This allows you to complement your castle visit with a quieter walk featuring changing garden scenes.

Mey's location also shapes its character. Castle of Mey is about 500 yards from the shore of the Pentland Firth. From Castle of Mey, there are views west to Dunnet Head, the northernmost point of Scotland, as well as across the Pentland Firth to the Orkney Islands. This perspective helps with planning: Mey is suitable both for a cultural and historical excursion and for a day focused on landscape and wide-open spaces.

Trails and excursion destinations for different interests

Castle of Mey is located on the North Highland Way, which runs from John o Groats to Durness. The approved Highland Core Paths Plan also records a 0.54-kilometre extension of the existing Castle Of Mey Coast core path in Mey. Anyone who enjoys walking can incorporate this information into their own travel plans without limiting their castle visit to just one way of experiencing it.

The Animal Centre in the East Woods offers another excursion destination for children and adults. This allows you to add another discovery to a historical and scenic visit. The gardens, grounds and Animal Centre are open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. In front of the visitor centre there is a car park with accessible spaces near the entrance; spaces for coaches, motorhomes and motorcycles are also available.

More places for your travel planning

If you would like to include other places in your search alongside Mey, here is a concise selection: Shieldaig, Balintore, Dornoch, Staffin, Strome Ferry, Rogart, Lochinver and Invermoriston.

When planning your trip, focus especially on which of these experiences should form the main focus of your stay.

For the overarching travel overview: Highland.