The Queen Mother’s former Scottish home is being rented out to the wealthy for the ultimate royal experience, living like a king.
And it is hoped that the new venture will make a profit for the trust that runs Castle Of Mey in Caithness.
Complete with butler service, top chefs, fine wines and pursuits like stalking and salmon fishing it is believed to be the first time a royal castle has hired itself out like a hotel to paying guests.
But so exclusive is the venture by the Castle of Mey in Caithness only the super wealthy are targeted by personal invite.
The trust that runs the castle near John O’Groats, whose president is Prince Charles, and who stays for a week every August, plans no more than “two or three” exclusive use weekends a year, which have been branded Mey Occasions.
It has already run one trial in October and had its first paying guests last month – the family and friends of a foreign businessman – who immediately booked again for next year.
The next guests are Americans, due in October.
The castle limits the numbers to ideally 10 and no more than 12 – but they are pampered by a staff of 20, some of them flown up from London.
The exact cost of the exclusive long weekends has not been disclosed but are around £50,000.
Ashe Windham, who served as the Queen Mother’s equerry at the castle and is chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust, said there was no opposition from trustees to the venture.
“In fact they were rather enthusiastic,” he said, adding that the castle and its holdings loses between £50,000 and £150,000 each year, which comes out of reserves.
So exclusive are the long weekend breaks that they have been designed by royal party planner Lady Elizabeth Anson – an honorary patron of the trust – who numbers her cousin, the Queen, among her clients.
The interior of the castle has just been given a £250,000 makeover overseen by Baron Piers Von Westenholz, a former Olympic skier and a close friend of Prince Charles.
“We have been working towards putting the castle into a position where it can host high-powered long weekenders,” said Mr Windham.
“We launched a trial Mey Occasions weekend in October for ten people and this was a great success.
“We will only be running two or three of these long weekends each year in the shoulder months of April and October and they will be exclusive with a price tag to match.
“The contribution that Mey Occasions will make to our bottom line is considerable. In fact they may make the difference between the trust making a loss and at least breaking even.
“The price is by negotiation but they cost is well into five figures. We can throw in the odd day of stalking or fishing but things like a helicopter ride to Orkney have to be added to the bill.
“What we are offering is five star plus. The one stipulation is that the Queen Mother’s bedroom is not available.
“But the other rooms, including Princess Margaret’s – though she never slept in it – and the lady-in-waiting’s are all available.
“We would also like to recruit more friends and patrons to help the castle pay its way. Our aim is to make the castle in a state where it is self financing. We are getting there – the place is looking good.
The castle, which attracts around 22,000 visitors a year between May and the end of September, also opened for weddings in 2009 and has held at least 15 since.