Queen Mothers house

 Good grief! What on earth???? A convoy of very large Belgium motorhomes began to arrive. We became  hemmed in by one reversing into a space next to us and another coming in to go bumper to bumper with it. More came and parked opposite, I had to have a nosey to see if our exit in the morning would be possible. Gosh, I was amazed at how many there were!

MB hemmed in

  Ian reckoned we could get out, just, but it would be tight, he would have no hesitation on banging on the motorhome and asking the owner to shift, no matter how early in the morning it was. So settling down once more to watch TV, suddenly as quickly as they had all arrived, they went!

Woke to rain, is it us? Everywhere we go, the wet weather follows. It did stop, though, gave us an opportunity to walk to the highest point of Dunnet Head. We could see Orkney in the distance, guess what? It was still raining over there!

A military base was established at this point, mainly because of the clear views. The ruined buildings were part of a Coastal Defence U-boat radar station that tracked shipping, aircraft and surfaced submarines.

Leaving Dunnet Head for Castle Mey and Gardens, the clouds parted, and the sun came out. I was looking forward to seeing this Castle because it was the only property Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, owned outright. She bought it in 1952 and kept it until 1996, when it was then gifted with an endowment to the Castle Mey Trust. I could see why she liked it, with the sea on one side and impressive gardens on the other. No photography allowed as we strolled through the rooms open to the public, they were impressive, most of the furniture and soft furnishing as she left them and the many paintings and photos of the Queen Mother were a delight to see. King Charles and Queen Camilla also come to visit every year. This year they are due toward the end of July. 

If it's good enough for our King to sit on, it's good enough for me😁

Probably not a part of the Queen Mother's garden plans, an animal centre was a short walk along a tree lined avenue. Plenty of chickens of every variety, one donkey, two pigs, two lambs and small animals such as lob eared rabbits, finches, bantams and African geese. Also, a wooden cow with udders to try your hand at milking. I couldn't persuade Ian to try it, so I had a go. Goodness, getting down to the milking stool was fun, trying to get up had another couple clutching their sides.

The donkey, although looking in excellent condition, the hooves were another matter. So very overgrown, I was really concerned. I had to say something, it would have been wrong of me not too. I was told this was an ongoing problem, the donkey hated its hooves being touched, and the farrier refused to visit. This next week, they would have to consult with a large animal vet and probably sedate the donkey to give them a trim. 

Stopping at the café for coffee and sandwich, a chap stopped by Ian, studied his Old Guys Rule T. Shirt with a VW camper van on the back and said, "That's one of my graphic designs". You could have knocked us down with a feather and to be truthful didn't believe him. His wife nodded but didn't say anything, and they both walked away. I took this photo because I wanted to see if I could find him, but no matter what I put into the web search, there was no mention of who designed the prints. So we are both under the impression he was a bit of a nutter. It gave us a laugh later, though.

The chap in Black and white stripe.

We drove back to Thurso, I wanted to shop, and we have never been before. Right by the pier was a park4night ideal for us to go into town tomorrow.