Video from The Press and Journal.

Back in September 2018, we wrote an update on the £2.6m Phase 2 works of the Castle of Mey Granary restoration and redevelopment project (read here). We are now delighted that the works are complete, and the Castle of Mey Granary Lodge was officially opened at the beginning of May 2019 by The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay.

The Duke had a guided tour of the newly refurbished Granary Lodge, purposed as B&B accommodation, and met with staff and invited guests, many who helped to fulfil the project.

Taylor and Fraser have worked on a number of prestigious redevelopment projects, but this one was particularly special with its rich historic royal links. The Castle of Mey, located in Caithness on the North Coast of Scotland, dates back to 1572. It was property of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, from 1952 to 1996, when Her Majesty generously gifted it with an endowment to The Trust.

Our work on this project comprised a new build corporate building clad in timber and locally sourced Caithness stone providing corporate, conferencing, and banqueting facilities along with the conservation and conversion of the existing three storey granary building to create high quality en-suite bedrooms with associated hard and soft landscaping, car parking, and access road upgrading.

In the past, the Duke’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, often stayed at the castle. Now, visitors can enjoy the stunning grounds with the 10-bedroom granary development overlooking Pentland Firth. The new Granary Lodge is open all year round with the nearby castle and gardens open during the Summer months from May to September.

Angus MacInnes, Construction Director, said;

“We are pleased to have played a role in this important redevelopment project. Not only will it allow more people to enjoy the beautiful Caste of Mey grounds and scenery, but it has boosted the local economy in the creation of jobs both during the project and in the running of the B&B”

As a company with over 112 years’ experience, we have extensive knowledge of working in remote locations such as Caithness. We have a strong understanding of the challenges these locations can pose, and our know-how allows us to successfully operate our work regardless of location. This was the case with the Castle of Mey project, which demonstrates our strong construction capability working in conjunction with our in-house building services team and our local Caithness supply chain and strategic partners to deliver the works in a timely and efficient manner.

Find out more and book a stay for yourself at the Granary here.

You can find out more about our redevelopment work here.