Everything you need to know about Castle of Mey, the secret hideaway used by King Charles

The Castle of Mey is one of the many residences in Scotland where the Royal Family enjoy official visits and spend their summer holidays.

• The Castle of Mey is one of the lesser-known Scottish castles that is associated with the Royal Family.
• In fact, it is this property that King Charles is currently visiting right now for his summer holiday.
• In other royal news, Prince William's 'dashing' good looks and 'fabulous smile' give him confidence in his own skin to thrive as future King.

While there are a number of properties where the Royal Family stay in Scotland, the Castle of Mey is one of the less well-known properties frequented by the King and Queen. It has been revealed that King Charles and Queen Camilla are currently residing at this property right now after they began their Scottish summer retreat on Saturday, July 29, 2023. 

The property is located in the north of Scotland in Caithness and it is believed that the King and Queen will spend a short time here before they move to their other Scottish residence in Aberdeenshire.

According to the official Castle and Gardens of May website, the Queen Mother bought the property in 1952 from Captain F.B. Imbert-Terry. It was the Queen Mother who restored the Castle of Mey to its original name, having been renamed Barrogill Castle.

The Queen Mother spent three weeks in the castle every August and an additional 10 days in October until she was 101. Although it was owned by the Royal Family for decades, in 1996 the Queen gifted it to a Trust so it is now no longer privately owned by the royals. 

The King is the President of the Trust and rents the property from this Trust every summer. On the website for this property, the Trust spoke about the King's dedication to the continuation of the history of the castle. "Before his Accession as King Charles III, The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay showed great commitment to furthering the Trust objectives as President and has been a regular visitor from a young age. He has done a huge amount for the Trust and we thank him for his continued support," read the website.

There are several properties in Scotland that are owned by the Royal Family and are used by the extended family thought the year and summer holidays. The  Palace of Holyroodhouse is technically the monarch's officially Scottish residence, but it isn't necessarily the most popular property. Balmoral Castle was the late Queen Elizabeth II's favourite royal residence, and in fact the place where she spent the final days of her life in September 2022. 

Birkhill is another property on the Balmoral estate and is reportedly a favourite home of the King and Queen. It is understood that they spent much of the UK’s lockdowns here during the pandemic.  Tam-Na-Ghar is another property on the estate and is said to have been a gift from the late Queen Mother to Prince William. This home is a private residence and therefore away from the prying eyes of the public when the Prince and Princess of Wales want to take their family to Scotland on holiday.

Craigowan Lodge is another similar property on the Balmoral estate. The home is said to be a beautiful stone cottage that reportedly has seven bedrooms.