THE Prince of Wales has chosen Alan Titchmarsh, the celebrity gardener, to help develop a memorial garden at the former home of the Queen Mother.

The heir to the throne set Titchmarsh the challenge of giving the grounds of the Castle of Mey in Caithness a make-over, while also transforming them into a tourist attraction.

Among the planned features are a series of engraved Caithness stone slabs, marking significant dates in the life of the Queen Mother, two stone viewing towers and a £40,000 visitor centre.

The 600-year-old castle was the only home that the Queen Mother ever owned and she wished to see it benefit the local community after her death. Prince Charles heads the charitable trust that she launched to secure the castle’s future and he also set up the Friends of the Castle of Mey to support and help run the building.

Titchmarsh, former presenter of the Ground Force television programme, is honorary patron of the group and said that his role at his favourite royal garden would be mainly advisory. “The prince is very hands-on and he’s an accomplished gardener, so my role will be complementary and as an adviser,” he said.

“He was very fond of the Queen Mother and is anxious to preserve her input and memories so the whole garden is a tribute to her. The trick of keeping the garden’s existing genius is to modify it gently rather than totally remodel it.”

Titchmarsh is keen to open up the castle to more tourists. “I am anxious for the public to be welcomed more at the castle without spoiling the wonder of the place,” he said. “It’s a little piece of Scottish heaven — a magical, fairy-tale castle that doesn’t feel at all regal.

“It thrives, thanks to the great love and attention it is given, despite the elements in its most northerly position on the British mainland. It personifies the great strength of character that we all associate with the Queen Mother, but still retains her famous feminine touch.”

Ashe Windham, chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust, said the group had launched an appeal to raise £40,000 to build two turreted stone viewing towers in the walled garden.

A memorial bench overlooking the Orkney islands where the Queen Mother used to watch the sunset has already been installed but eight engraved Caithness stone slabs are yet to be laid. There are also plans for a purpose-built visitor centre to replace the temporary prefabricated hut. Two trees, an ash and a chestnut, were planted recently by Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Rothesay.

Windham said the group hoped to boost visitor numbers by targeting cruise ships that dock at Scrabster Harbour. “We had three this summer and we hope to build this type of trade over time,” he said. “The castle receives about 23,000 visitors a year but with Titchmarsh on board, an improved memorial garden and better facilities, we could up the numbers.”

Viscount John Thurso, who is a trustee of the Castle of Mey, said he was excited to have Titchmarsh on board.

“We will take advantage of his patronage. While there are no plans for any radical change to the garden, we will take his invaluable advice every step of the way,” he said. “The Queen Mother always maintained the garden in classical lines and we don’t wish to depart from that. Alan will be a great asset to the development.”

The Queen Mother first saw the Castle of Mey, then called Barrogill Castle, in 1952 while mourning the death of her husband King George VI.

Falling for its ruined isolated charm and hearing that it was to be abandoned, she pledged to save it. She went on to renovate and her green fingers ensured that the gardens prospered.

She even managed to nurture her favourite old rose, Albertine, into abundance behind the 12ft “great wall of Mey”. The garden is full of marigolds, pansies, dahlias, primulas and nasturtiums, as well as shrub roses and climbers.

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