Exclusive pictures have been shared with the Caithness Courier, sister paper to the Northern Times, showing HRH Prince Charles' visit to a celebrity vet's practice and an iconic Caithness landmark on Thursday last week.

After his visit to Scrabster to meet members of the Caithness Beach Cleans group, His Royal Highness (the Duke of Rothesay) made his way to DS McGregor and Partners, the Thurso veterinary practice made famous after it featured in a 5Select TV series called the Highland Vet, smashing viewing figures for the digital channel.

Founded by Donald McGregor in the 1960s, the practice is now in the hands of the next generation of vets continuing to provide up-to-date, progressive and compassionate veterinary care for companion animals and livestock in Caithness and north Sutherland. Due to the nature of the locality, the practice focuses on both large and small animals including household pets, equine and farm animals.

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Prince Charles and his entourage arrived at around 11.30am on Thursday and toured around indoor and outdoor facilities at the practice. Guy Gordon, a director of the business, said: "We felt honoured that the Duke of Rothesay was keen to visit our veterinary practice to meet the staff and learn about what we do.

"He stayed with us for about 45 minutes chatting about aspects of our work with genuine interest and insight. The light drizzle didn’t dampen this special occasion nor cause him to hurry, he took time to engage with everyone."

Mr Gordon added that it was "a most memorable morning".

The next port of call for the prince was the House of the Northern Gate which overlooks Dunnet Bay and is now owned by Roderick Dunnett who painstakingly restored the dilapidated edifice to its former glory. His Royal Highness was be greeted by the owner and his family, together with staff, tradesmen and craftsmen involved in the project. He went on to tour the site and braved the inclement weather to plant a native rowan tree in the gardens to commemorate the visit.

The House of the Northern Gate is particularly significant to the prince as his beloved grandmother, the Queen Mother, had stayed there 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, three 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. She renamed it the Castle of Mey, its original name, and it is now the home to Prince Charles on his visits to Caithness.

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Now that the House of the Northern Gate has been renovated, it will mainly be used as a family home for the Dunnetts, who have historic connections to the area. The new owners, however, are also excited to share the house with other families for special occasions such as gatherings of friends and family or for weddings.

On acquisition in 2018, the house was in a very poor state of repair with a lot of damp, problems with the roof, old plumbing and electrics and an overgrown garden. Since then, a vast amount of work has been completed on it by local tradespeople led by the main contractor and project manager, Adrian Ionescu, a British citizen of Romanian origin.

George Dunnett, son of the owner Roderick Dunnett, commented: "We were all delighted to meet His Royal Highness and to give him a tour of the house where his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, stayed in the 1950s.

"And for all the craftsmen, who have worked tirelessly to renovate the house, his thoughtful questions and comments were a great recognition of their skill and efforts. The visit will be a great memory for all of us."

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