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The Queen Elizabeth Castle Of Mey Trust Launch Their
New Web Site
15 April
The
Earl of Caithness a trustee of The Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey
Trust today announced the launch of the new web site.
Upgrading work at the castle that has been ongoing for some time
will be completed in July. The web site will carry information
about the trust and later this year the details about opening times
for the castle. It is expected that everything will be ready
for an August opening.
10 April 2002
Two Minute Silence Outside Ulbster Arms , Halkirk
 Many
places in Caithness marked the funeral of the Queen mother by
observing a silence. Many shops were closed for part of the
day. Here at the Ulbster Arms staff and others stood
outside for their two minute silence.
9 April 2002
A few more of the many flags at half mast in Caithness today
8 April 2002
Castle Of Mey
Flag At Half Mast
Flowers On Castle Gate
6 April 2002
Farm Flies Huge Union Jack
3 April 2002
Books Of Condolence
The Highland Council has organised books of condolences, to mark
the passing of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, to be available in
all main Council offices and in all 36 Service Points.
The books will be available for anyone to sign until 5pm on Tuesday
9 April. Flags at council buildings will fly at half mast until
after Tuesday’s funeral.
Councillor John Rosie, Convener of The Highland Council’s Area
Committee said. "The books of condolences will allow the people of
the Highlands to pay respect to the Queen Mother. She was a
remarkable woman with the ability to make people feel completely at
ease in her company and will be missed by us all.
"She has been a part of Caithness life since she bought the Castle
of Mey shortly after being widowed in 1952. During her annual visits
she participated actively in community life, being present at many
galas, Highland games and exhibitions. Her involvement became
something of a tradition and a great boost to our county. She liked
the non-intrusive nature of the people of Caithness and we were
rewarded with a wonderful neighbour and ambassador for our area."
2 April 2002
Flags all Over Caithness At Half
Mast
    
30 March 2002
We Are Sad To Announce That The Queen Mother Has Died Peacefully In
Her Sleep.
She will be missed on her annual holiday in the county at the
Castle Of Mey this year and in future.
The Queen Mother was presented with the freedom of Wick on 11
August 1956 the only lady ever to receive it. Queen Elizabeth
the Queen mother said the honour "was a symbol of the kindness which
I have always found awaiting me in Caithness"
The Queen Mother was born the Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon on 4th August 1900 the youngest daughter of the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne.
She spent most of her childhood at Glamis Castle in
Angus. In 1923 at the age of 23 she married Prince Albert Duke
of York, second son of King George V. When King Edward V111
abdicated the Duke of York became King George V1 and Elizabeth,
Queen Consort.
On 12 June 1952 the Queen mother cam North and stayed with
Commander C. G. and Lady Doris Vyner at Dunnet. This may have
been her first visit to Caithness. In August 1952 the announcement
was made that the Queen Elizabeth the Queen mother had purchased Barrogill Castle and she later renamed it to the Castle of Mey.
The castle was one of the ancient seats of the Earls of Caithness.
James the 14th Earl was the last of the family to occupy it.
On her 90th Birthday in August 1990 she was presented with the
Freedom of Caithness in a ceremony at the Assembly Rooms, Wick.
A small rose garden at the Riverside Wick is dedicated to the Queen
Mother and she planted a tree in the garden just a few years ago.
Castle Of Mey
The Queen Mother returned each year to the castle of Mey that she
had transformed the inside after its being used as a military billet
in World War Two. She would have seen the Orkney Islands from
the castle windows and on a clear day St Magnus Cathedral in
Kirkwall. The island of Hoy rising up to 1000 feet twenty
miles away. Dunnet Head on one side jutting out into the
Pentland Firth with Dunnet Sands not far off. These were the
sights she chose for her holidays for nearly 50 years.
Perhaps the tales of ghosts and other stories about the castle of
Mey attracted her or just the chance to unwind far from the duties
of royalty down the years. All of her family know the county
well having visited each year to see her whilst she stayed.
The Royal Yacht Britannia was a regular visiting ship when the Queen
Mother was in residence.
Canisbay
Church Near Castle Of Mey
On 26 August 1952 the Scotsman newspaper published a short
feature -
"The Queen mother could not very easily have chosen on the mainland,
a summer home further away from London than Barrogill Castle in
Caithness. Those who do not know the most northern mainland
county and may wonder why the Queen Mother should have chosen a
summer residence in such a remote part of the world.
Bleak and desolate Caithness may be, but it is a county which tends
to get under ones skin the more one sees it. After it has
chugged up the valley of the Helmsdale River, the train runs for
miles over tawny moors with low rolling horizons broken only by
occasional cottages. What trees there are, are usually
gnarled, small and stunted.
Any sense of a sombre and forbidding landscape is soon banished by
the vast arc of sky, the rugged coastline and the great sweep of the
sea with its racing tides and foam-girt skerries. Light seems
to take on a new and refreshing quality as it plays on the Caithness
moors, and the air has a wine-like caress when the sun shines and
the wind blows."
Mey Games In 2001
She knew the county well over all these years - from
arrivals at Scrabster, fishing trips, picnics on the island of
Stroma visits to enterprises like the new Caithness Glass factory,
schools, flower shows, art exhibitions and countless others
down the years.
 When
in Caithness she attended the small church at Canisbay where she
took a keen interest and even last year was heard to comment on the
improved pathway up to the church door. She regularly attended
a small Highland Games and delighted in presenting prizes and
meeting contestants, pipers and dancers.
Her love of the countryside showed in her many visits to sheepdog
trials and other country pursuits. she maintained a prize
winning herd of cattle at the nearby farm and her walled garden has
for many years been opened to the public for a few days each year to
raise money for charity.
Canisbay Church 12
August 2001
Her wish was to leave her beloved castle to the people of
Caithness and a trust was set up some time ago. The queen
mother left an endowment of £3million to the charitable trust set up
to protect the castle. she set up the trust a few years ago to
take on the responsibility for the 16th century castle and the
surrounding estate. Her majesty wished to have the place
developed but more than that to give the area a much needed boost to
its tourism industry. Apparently no family member wished to
take over the castle and she wanted to ensure that it was secure for
the future having done so much to restore it.
Her wishes went further in that she to promote the education and
historical buildings in the county for the benefit of the whole
community. £1million of improvements were already
underway. It is hoped that the castle might be open to the
public by august 2002. John Thurso MP for the area is a
trustee of the trust she created.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother carried out many
public and private engagements in the county and will be sadly
missed.
See Also
BBC Web Site - The Queen Mother - A Remarkable Life
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