Castle of Mey

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Castle of Mey
Castle of Mey, seaside

The Castle of Mey (formerly called Barrogill Castle ) is located in the far northeast of Scotland near John o 'Groats in the county of Caithness .

The castle was built in the 16th century by George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness . It was used as a residence by the Earls of Caithness until the end of the 19th century, but then passed on to outside the family and the complex fell into disrepair. In good weather, the Orkney Islands can be seen from the castle .

In 1952, Queen Elizabeth , the widow of King George VI , who had recently died , bought it . , the estate. She came from Scotland and felt at home in the seclusion. It was the only property she ever owned. She had the Castle of Mey completely renovated. Among other things, she provided it with electricity and water connections for the first time. It was used by her from 1955 until her death (March 30, 2002 in Windsor) as a vacation home in August and October.

According to the testamentary requirements, the Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust was founded after her death in 2002 , which now manages the property. It is open to the public when not in use by members of the royal family. Prince Charles usually stays here for a week in early August.

The ghost of the green lady is said to haunt the castle. It is said to be the daughter of the 5th Earl of Caithness. She fell in love with a farm worker and was locked up on the castle floor by her father. From lovesickness she threw herself to death out of a window.

Web links

Commons : Castle of Mey  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 58 ° 38 ′ 50 ″  N , 3 ° 13 ′ 30 ″  W.