Recommended place to stay:
Thurso, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
Official star rating:
Until Prince Charles opened this luxury B&B in the old grain store just across the fields from his late grandmother’s Scottish holiday home, the Castle of Mey, it was slim pickings up here in terms of upmarket holiday accommodation.
The 17th-century granary has been painstakingly restored and converted into a cosy, chintz-clad guesthouse with stellar green credentials, of course, by the Prince’s Foundation.
There are 10 individually designed rooms and suites in fabulous fabrics, a log fire-basted drawing room and a corridor lined with black and white photographs of the Queen Mother enjoying blustery picnics – one for Royalist road trippers.
There are sweeping views out across the Pentland Firth to Orkney, and it’s the perfect pitstop if you’re driving the North Coast 500.
The Caithness coast is wild, windswept, sheep-pricked and empty – a vast sweeping landscape with big, open skies. The cliffs are dramatic and seabird-swooped, the beaches dune-backed and endless.
There are few locals but there is an influx of tourists during the summer months driving the NC500 and ticking off sites such as John O’Groats, the Castle of Mey and Rock Rose gin distillery.
Please note - we hope to one day have live prices for you, but for now, here are some useful links for you to compare prices...
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Scottish Highlands, United Kingdom (UK)
Destination guide
Magnificent mountain scenery slashed by silvery lochs and peppered with brooding castles: all laden with rich Scottish heritage, history and tradition. Drive the NC500 road trip, or ride on the spectacular West Highland Line.
