Romance and Royalty at the Castle of Mey

Took a trip up to the very north of Scotland to check out the Castle of Mey, the private residence of the late Queen Mother.

This was a somewhat dilapidated castle that the Queen Mother chanced upon back in the early 1950s when visiting friends nearby. She immediately fell in love with the place and went about restoring it as a haven of peace and tranquillity, far from the hustle and bustle of London life.

Wild, remote, stunning with a wonderful walled garden in which a huge of array of both vegetables and flowers thrive, which at first seems pretty unlikely given the harshness of the environment. A 12 foot high wall certainly helps.

A fascinating insight into the private life of this very private lady and is still used regularly by the Prince of Wales, who is known as the Duke of Rothesay whenever he visits Scotland.

Quite a collection of animals to, including rescued donkeys and a variety of poultry. I didn't realise there were so many types of chicken. Her favourite was a Buff Orpinton, on account of their large size and soft, fluffy appearance together with their rich colour and gentle contours. Well I never.