The Queen Mother and her 'drafty' Scottish hideaway: How the royal paid £100 for the Castle of Mey and demanded a no-fly zone so she could enjoy her naps in peace... as King Charles opens it for champagne tour and dining experience
The Queen Mother's 'dear little castle by the sea' was her beloved Scottish retreat.
She bought the Castle of Mey in Caithness in 1952 for just £100 after the death of her husband, King George VI.
The widowed royal enjoyed spending several weeks of the year there, mostly in August and October.
But not everyone shared her fondness of the 16th-century property, with Princess Margaret describing it as a 'horrible place' and as 'mummy's drafty castle'.
It was gifted to the public as a historical building in 1996, though is still used by King Charles and Camilla as a summer holiday spot.
Now, guests can enjoy an exclusive royal dining experience inside its royal walls. His Majesty has agreed to open its doors to paying diners.
The Queen Mother outside of her beloved Castle of Mey that she bought in 1952 after her husband, King George VI, passed away
The Queen Mother sat in her favourite Orkney chair at the Castle of Mey on her 90th birthday
King Charles still visits the castle and is pictured here in 2019 when he opened The Granary Lodge - a luxury guesthouse
The Castle of Mey is offering the opportunity for private groups of up to 12 people to take a champagne tour of the residence.
Afterwards guests can indulge in a custom-made three-course menu tailored to the party's taste. It will be served at the dining table used by the King, according to Hello! magazine.
The experience will finish off with live music played by a piper and the choice of either gin or whiskey tasting in the drawing room.
Since 2019, guests have been able to stay at the Castle of Mey's luxury guesthouse, The Granary Lodge.
The Castle of Mey is offering the opportunity for private groups of up to 12 people to take a champagne tour of the residence
The Queen Mother standing at the gates of the Scottish castle during a stay in October 1955
The Walled Garden of the Castle of May, guests can visit from May to September
An aerial view of the castle and gardens, overlooking the Pentland Firth
The Queen Mother travelling to the Castle of Mey Scotland with her pet corgis in 1959
The castle and gardens are open to the public from May to September, Wednesday to Sunday, but closed for the last week of July and first week of August, when Charles and Camilla stay.
Located near John O'Groats, the Castle of Mey was the Queen Mother's place to escape from the hustle and bustle of London.
She once said of it: 'One feels so beautifully far away.'
She even went as far as demanding that a no-fly zone be imposed over the Highland retreat after being woken up from a nap by a passing aircraft.
Staff at the castle said the Queen Mother would take an afternoon nap at around midday after her first drink of the day - a mixture of one part gin and two parts fortified wine.
A letter dated August 12, 1993, from the defence secretary's office outlined the installation of a 'special protection' zone to not disturb the royal while she was in residence at the castle.
The castle was gifted to the public as a historical building in 1996, though is still used by King Charles and Camilla as a summer holiday spot
King Charles viewing a bedroom in the luxury new lodge when it opened in 2019
The late Queen accompanied by her family during a holiday at the Castle of Mey in 2010
The Queen Mother greeting crowds at Scrabster Harbour in Caithness after greeting her daughter Queen Elizabeth and son-in-law Prince Philip, who had arrived to visit her at the Castle of Mey, 1972
It read: 'Following your telephone call yesterday about low flying over the Castle of Mey while HM the Queen Mother is in residence I thought it might be helpful to confirm the arrangements that have been made.
'The castle will receive special protection from low flying (which will extend to two nautical miles laterally and two thousand feet vertically) until the Queen Mother leaves on August 27.
'While we can give no guarantee that aircraft are not seen in the vicinity, this should ensure that Her Majesty is not disturbed... Similar arrangements can be made for future periods when the Queen Mother is in residence.
'I understand that this is usually during the month of August.'
Princess Margaret expressed her dislike of the property by telling her mother: 'I can't think why you have such a horrible place as the Castle of Mey.'
To which Her Majesty replied: 'Well, darling you needn't come again.'
