Balmoral Castle

Balmoral Castle is the Scottish private residence of the British Royal Family, set in the Cairngorms National Park beside the River Dee in Aberdeenshire. Bought by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria in 1852, the original tower house was replaced by the present granite castle in the Scottish Baronial style, completed in 1856 to designs by Aberdeen architect William Smith with input from Prince Albert himself.

The estate covers some 50,000 acres of moorland, forest, farmland and the surrounding peaks, including Lochnagar. During the public opening season visitors can explore the formal gardens, the castle grounds and a series of exhibitions in the converted stables and ballroom, which display royal artefacts, paintings, carriages and items of estate life. In recent years selected interior rooms have also been opened on guided tours.

Marked walking trails lead out into the wider estate, taking in cairns built by Victoria and Albert's family, the kitchen gardens and views over Royal Deeside. The nearby village of Crathie, with its small parish church regularly attended by the Royal Family when in residence, lies just across the river, making Balmoral a natural focal point for a day exploring this corner of the Highlands.