The House of the Northern Gate, Dunnet Estate
A beautifully restored 9 bedroom Baronial house in the far north of Scotland...
A spectacular setting on Dunnet Head, the most northerly point of mainland Britain...
A sweeping view of Dunnet Bay, one of the UK's most stunning beaches...
A majestic venue for exclusive rental for large groups and families or for weddings
The House of the Northern Gate has been renovated to a very high standard of luxury and environmental consciousness. With beautifully restored 9 bedroom there is accommodation for 18... The house has a fascinating history and was visited regularly by the Queen Mother in the 1950's (as dramatised in The Crown on Netflix).
This beautiful, exclusive-use Highland coastal estate has a spectacular setting on Dunnet Head, with views to the Atlantic, Orkney and the sandy expanses of Dunnet Bay. You will feel private, warm, welcomed and inspired by the stunning views. And will have 1800 acres of moorland for hiking on your doorstep. Exclusive use means guests have the entire property to themselves therefore we recommend groups of 4 or more are suitable.
- Travel: The house is on the North Coast 500 driving route and has several transport options
- From Inverness it is a 2h30min drive up the A9 (car hire is easily available in Inverness), 3h coach journey of beautiful 3h30 train ride and short taxi
- We can arrange transfers from Inverness (or Edinburgh/Glasgow) if needed
- To Inverness, you can drive or:
- Flights: BA and Easyjet fly from London multiple times per day
- Train: Direct day train from London or direct Caledonian Sleeper train from London (which is a great experience)
- History of the House of the Northern Gate
- The House of the Northern Gate was completed by Admiral Sir Edwyn Alexander-Sinclair, who lived at Dunbeath Castle and who is notable for firing the first shots of the Battle of Jutland. Building work began in 1894 and was completed in around 1906. In 1948 the House and Estate were purchased by Commander Clare and Lady Doris Vyner. Lady Vyner was a close friend of Elizabeth, HRH the Queen Mother, and invited her to stay at the house in 1953 after the death of her husband, King George VI.
- During her stay, the Queen Mother looked east out of one of the upper floor windows and spied the tower of the recently vacated Barrogill Castle, 3 miles away. Upon enquiring about the castle, a visit was arranged to view it. It was owned by Captain Imbert-Terry and a deal was struck to buy the rather dilapidated castle and Longoe Mains farm. The Queen Mother renamed it the Castle of Mey, its original name. This story can be seen in The Crown (Season 1, Episode 8)
- Commander Vyner held the House and Estate for 20 years and since then it has been a hotel, a private residence and nearly became a recording studio for Led Zeppelin. The house gradually fell into a state of disrepair until bought by the current owners in August 2018 who embarked on a three-year, multi-million pound restoration
- The current owners’ ancestors are from the village of Dunnet but left in the late 1700s to join the army to fight France. On demobilisation, that ancestor returned to Edinburgh, a city which has more or less and with a few sojourns abroad, been home to the owner’s family in generations since.
