THE late Queen Mother’s

Caitness retreat, the Castle of Mey, has seen a huge rise in visitors.

Numbers were up 13 per cent this year, with almost 29,000 people passing through the doors of the castle near John O’Groats, whose trust has Prince Charles as its president. Falling visitor numbers had previously led to the castle, which was the only home th e Queen Mother ever owned, being rented out for £50,000 long weekends where the super-rich could live like royalty.