The usual early morning arrival in to Scrabster Harbour, we were told it was a Tender Location but actually we moored right inside the Harbour instead. We planned to have a quiet morning and so we took refuge in the Square for a while but Jennifer was booked to go on a trip to visit the ex Queen Mothers Castle, The Castle of Mey which she used from 1952 until 1996 when Her Majesty donated it to a trust. The castle is situated on the North Coast of Caithness about 15 Miles from Thurso and six miles from John o Groats ( the most Norther part of the United Kingdom.
So we had a early light lunch and then Jennifer left on the tour at about 13.00 Noels afternoon was to spend some more time in the square and then at 14.00 I returned to the cabin to watch Manchester City play Everton and the result would always be forgone conclusion with MC beating Everton by three goals to zero. Everton actually played some good football on the break but were let down by the final ball in front of goal, sounds a lot like Chelsea and more…
The game finished around 16.00 So a little cabin tidy to get rid of all the excess paperwork which we had accumulated.
Jennifer returned from the castle tour , see following history of same
The Castle of Mey was built by George, the 4th Earl of Caithness, for his second son William Sinclair. When visiting the family seat Girnigoe Castle in 1573, William was murdered by his older brother John, who had been imprisoned there for about six years by his cruel father. John had been planning an escape but William found out about it and told their father. John was in turn murdered and the castle went to the third son, George Sinclair, who founded the family of the Sinclairs of Mey and whose descendant succeeded to the Earldom in 1789. He changed the name of the castle to Barrogill Castle.
The castle then became the seat of the Earls of Caithness for the next one hundred years.
In 1819 the twelfth Earl commissioned the architect, William Burn, to make various ambitious alterations to the castle. This was when the grand entrance and the dining room were added. His son, Alexander, was responsible for erecting the monument, now known as Lady Fanny's seat as a tribute to his friend, Charles John Canning, who later became the first Viceroy of India.
George, the fifteenth Earl died at the age of 30; he had never married and having no children he left the castle to his friend F G Heathcote, on condition that he changed his name to Sinclair. His widow eventually sold it to Captain F B Imbert-Terry, who subsequently sold it to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1952.Royal Ownership
In 1952, HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother saw what was then known as Barrogill Castle while staying with Commander and Lady Doris Vyner at the House of the Northern Gate on Dunnet Head, a short distance to the west. Despite its poor condition, Her Majesty purchased the castle that year and set about renovating and restoring both the castle and its gardens and parklands, which extended to about 30 acres. She also restored the castle's original name changing Barrogill Castle back to The Castle of Mey.
Her Majesty opened the gardens in aid of Scotland's Gardens Scheme on three days each year, a tradition which the trustees have been pleased to continue.
Apparently they were aloud inside part of the castle but were able to walk freely about the gardens which were beginning to to start looking nice but apparently most of the planting is designed to come in to bloom in a about a months time when the Queen Mother traditionally visited during this period.
We had a short rest and departed for the Colony which was serving Dover Sole which Noel enjoys and Jennifer had a Lamb shank which she really enjoyed. Following dinner we went to see the show and it was a British Comedian called Steve Stevens ( not to be confused with the American rock guitarist) . He was really good and he had the mostly American guests really laughing and applauding his trumpet and banjo playing his impressions of other well known singers. A really enjoyable evening .
.jpeg)
And so to bed
