The
Castle of Mey was the property of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother from
1952 until 1996, when Her Majesty generously gifted it with an endowment
to the Trust.
The Castle is situated on the north coast of Caithness, in the parish of
Canisbay, about 9 miles east of the Hotel and 6 miles west
of John O'Groats. It stands on rising ground about 400 yards from the
seashore, overlooking the Pentland Firth and the Orkney Islands. It is thought
that a fortified granary occupied the site originally.
The Castle is constructed on a Z-plan and
it was built between 1566 and 1572. Seen from a distance, its turreted
aspect is very striking. The jutting towers and corbelled turrets are
typical of that period of the sixteenth century, particularly the chequered
character of the corbelling of the smaller turrets. The parapet of the
large turret is supported on winged cherub heads as corbels, similar to
those on Carberry Tower, Midlothian. There are numerous gun slits throughout
the ground floor, several in the angles of the tower and more at first-floor
level. The round arched entrance to the courtyard, on the north aspect
is unaltered.
The walled garden and policies to the west and the east border and policies
to the east are protected by the 12 ft high Great Wall of Mey. |
