Visit Balmoral Castle


A brief history

Balmoral was the summer residence of Queen Elizabeth II who died there on 8 September 2022. It is used by the Royal Family as a summer holiday estate.

In 1852 Prince Albert, the Prince Consort, bought the estate for Queen Victoria for £31.500. He demolished a smaller existing mansion and commissioned William Smith, an Aberdeen architect, to build him an imposing new castle in white Crathie granite.
 
Prince Albert knew exactly what he wanted, a neo-Gothic extravagance of turrets, towers and castellated battlements. In William Smith he found an architect more than willing to rise to the challenge and the task took four years to complete.

The Balmoral Estate was once the site of a medieval Manor House called Kindrochit, used as a hunting lodge by King Robert II. It then passed through the hands of various owners until in 1845, when the area was first visited by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, it belonged to Sir Robert Gordon. Three years later Prince Albert took out a lease on the estate and eventually bought it from the trustees of the Earl of Fife.

The main feature of Balmoral Castle is an 80 feet high tower, very square, and topped with a round turret and three smaller cone-shaped projections. Inside, the largest room is the ballroom, fully 68 feet long and 25 feet wide.


Castle Attractions

THE CASTLE BALLROOM

The Ballroom Exhibition is the only room in Balmoral Castle which is available for viewing. The castle was built in 1855 from designs created by Prince Albert and William Smith. The Ballroom was created to house royal balls and functions and is still used by the Royal Family today. It hosted too large dances known as the Ghillies Ball which took place every year during Her Majesty's stay at Balmoral.

GROUNDS AND GARDENS

The formal gardens of Balmoral cover around three acres of land and contain a mixture of Victorian glasshouses and a spectacular conservatory. A water garden can be found near the main garden along with a vegetable garden which is harvested each year for the Royal Family. A delightful Garden Cottage dates back to 1863, and is a place where Queen Victoria spent much of her time. It overlooks the concealed water garden and a rose garden can be found nearby. Although the inside of the cottage is inaccessible to the public, the rooms can be viewed through its windows.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

There are many outdoor activities to be enjoyed at Balmoral. The Ranger Service offer guided walks and Land Rover safari's allowing you to experience the Scottish outdoors at its finest. There is a golf course on site along with salmon fishing on the River Dee for keen anglers. Additionally, Balmoral hosts many car rallies for enthusiasts which provides an exciting day out for guests.

MEWS GIFT SHOP AND COFFEE SHOP

The Balmoral Mews Gift Shop offers many exciting souvenirs with many items produceg exclusively for Balmoral. You can also visit the Balmoral Online Gift Shop.

The Coffee Shop is located near the Castle and offers sandwiches, light lunches and pastries and scones, hot and cold drinks.

HOLIDAY COTTAGES

There are a number of self catering holiday cottages available at Balmoral located both on its grounds and nearby. They cater for a number of people and are perfect for a Scottish getaway with friends or family. See here for further details and availability.



Location

Balmoral Castle
Balmoral, Ballater AB35 5TB

Official website: Balmoral Castle