Wednesday 11 June (Dunnet bay)
Wednesday
After the Sango Sands faux pas, us Izatts regroup and look for the opportunity out of adversity. Our additional night at Dunnet Bay allowed us to explore the coast a bit more and, unusually, we set off in the Beast just to drive around a bit with two destinations in mind. We have realised that whilst the Beast is big, it’s also quite manoeuvrable and has a great turning circle for a 7.5 metre long van, so we are beginning to become a little more adventurous.
We made the most of it by heading back up the coast towards John O’ Groats, visiting the Queen Mum’s only property she purchased for herself, the Castle of Mey, and on to Duncansby Head.
We had planned to also visit Dunnet Bay Head, the northern tip of mainland Great Britain, but simply ran out of time!
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Castle of Mey
Perched on Scotland’s dramatic northern coast, the Castle of Mey stands out as the most northerly inhabited castle on the British mainland—an intimate time capsule steeped in history and regal charm.
Built between 1566 and 1572 by George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness, by the mid‑20th century, the castle had fallen into disrepair. Enter Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: in 1952, she rescued the ruin (then known as Barrogill Castle), restored its original name, and lovingly refurbished both the castle and its northernmost walled garden.
Her affection for the place was profound—she spent her summers and autumns here until her death in 2002, often remarking on its peaceful remoteness.
Seemingly, King Charles still spends the first 2 weeks of August every year at the castle as a mark of respect to his grandmother, whose birthday falls at that time.
Our visit
The first stop was to ‘the Castle and Gardens of Mey’ which of course had to start in their coffee shop (that’s where you buy the tickets) with tea/coffee, an amazing Strawberry Genoese cake for Steve, and a lemon drizzle for Nikki.
Quite a big gift shop, although sadly lacking Highland Coos. As Nikki was reading up on the history of the Castle of Mey, she realised it featured in ‘The Crown’ so she knew a little bit about it, surprisingly accurate for a Netflix series.
Our tour started in the magnificent walled garden and/or kitchen garden. We both love these types of garden, inspired by the one at Audley End near where we live. A lot of effort clearly goes into maintaining this haven of peace, and it is not difficult to imagine the Queen Mum (or even the King these days) sitting in one of the many arbours dotted around, enjoying the peace away from State responsibilities.
We then moved on to the house itself, with very knowledgeable attendants able to bring the house to life. To be honest, there are only a small number of rooms open to the public, and as a result, and especially given the high cost of entry, it was a bit of a disappointment. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful attraction and gives a real sense of how the Royals spend their down time.
Duncansby Head
Next up was Duncansby Head lighthouse and the ‘stacks’. This was our first experience of a ‘proper’ single track, with a very narrow winding road, steep on occasions. We didn’t meet anything too horrible on the way up or down, and Duncansby Stacks were phenomenal (see photo). Steve reckons that Jean Paul Gaultier used them as inspiration for Madonna’s i ‘conical’ bra !!
On return to the campsite, we spied some ‘sun readers’, thus affirming Steve’s view of ‘caravan’ life, and walked up the road to the North Sands Hotel for some grub. A Venison Burger for Nikki, and Lamb Rump for Steve.
It was really windy that night with the wind howling around the van. Steve slept like a log !
