Balmoral Castle Tour: The Queens Scottish Castle

While Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle may be the most well-known of the Queen's royal residences, the monarch has been going to Balmoral Castle every year for her summer getaway. Located in Royal Deeside in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Balmoral Castle has been in the royal family since 1852, after Prince Albert bought it. The Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, famously visited the residence every year during their marriage. However, 2021 marked the first time the Queen spent the summer here as a widow, having lost Prince Philip in April 2020. Welcome back to Royal Living! In today's video, we'll be going on a tour inside Queen Elizabeth's Balmoral Castle. Make sure you stick around until the end if you don't want to miss out on any exciting part of this tour. Let's get started! Balmoral Castle is set amongst acres of lush green countryside and the nearby River Dee. As you would expect from a royal country residence, it is isolated from any noisy neighbors. However, it has the village of Crathie at a convenience six miles away, and it is located just under two hours away from Inverness. The royal family residence was initially purchased by Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband. Deeside was reportedly recommended to the royal family for better weather. However, they believed the castle was too small to suit their needs, so they hired architect William Smith to remodel it. The new castle was finished in 1856, and the old castle was demolished shortly thereafter. The royal family continued to utilize the home after Albert and Victoria died, with King George V making his changes and improvements in the early 20th century. However, the royal family stopped using the residence temporarily during the Second World War. Balmoral Castle is not part of the Crown Estate, as it is a privately owned property. It was originally purchased by Prince Albert rather than Queen Victoria, who was monarch at the time. This means the property is going to pass down through this current royal family, and it will remain in their private property. It is impossible to discuss Balmoral Castle without discussing Queen Elizabeth and her relationship with the estate. The monarch's love of the castle is well documented, and it is not surprising that she chooses to spend so much time there during the year. The Queen hosts guests regularly at the castle. The drawing room, as well as the study, have been used to host dignitaries and special guests. The impressive bookshelf that is located in the study is a real talking point for guests. The importance of Balmoral's garden is worth noting. The garden, which is regularly used for events and garden parties, is alleged to be Prince Philip's favorite thing about the whole estate. From the pictures that were taken inside the royal residence, the Queen's home is traditionally decorated with wooden furniture, and in some traditional Scottish colors that include a standout green carpet and a sofa. Balmoral reportedly has a whopping 52 bedrooms alongside a lot of reception rooms. What sets Balmoral apart from Queen Elizabeth is the freedom that it grants the monarch compared to Buckingham Palace. Her Majesty can go for long, solitary walks where she does not need to worry about the media. She can enjoy a sort of quiet normality. Royal author Juliette Ryden explained that at Balmoral, the Queen sometimes does the washing up herself. This privilege is not limited to her, as it also extends to the rest of the royal family. In the past, Harry and Meghan have spent time at Balmoral, and it is reported that Archie will be introduced to the castle soon. The castle is set on the Balmoral estate, which covers 50,000 acres, and it is located within the Cairngorms National Park, so the royals are not short on outside space when they're there. The castle grounds are made up of a combination of formal gardens and green spaces. It also includes forestry land, farmland, and an array of animals that includes deer, highland cattle, as well as ponies. The castle grounds are also abode to an endangered species of red squirrels. Notably, Prince Charles is quite fond of the squirrels, and he sometimes lets them run around inside his home, Berk Hall. The Prince of Wales, who is also the patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, does not deny it. The formal gardens cover three acres, and it is where the royal family will most likely be found relaxing on a pleasant day. The Duke of Edinburgh himself extended the gardens so that it includes a large kitchen garden that is harvested when the family is staying there over the summer. Within the grounds is also an array of glass houses, a water garden, and the front lawn up to the castle itself. Also located on the grounds a mile away from the main house is Craigowan Lodge. Craigowan Lodge is a seven-bedroom home, and it was often used as the residence of Prince Charles and Princess Diana when they visited Balmoral. However, it is mostly used nowadays as a residence for important guests who are coming to visit the Queen. The monarch and Prince Philip sometimes stay there themselves during the first few days of their break if the tourist visiting season is not over yet. While the area of the estate where the Queen resides is kept private, there are parts of the estate open to the public throughout certain times of the year. The public can visit the home from April until the end of July, as the monarch comes to stay there shortly after. The estate also has cottages that are open to the public and can be rented for a hefty fee. It is worth mentioning that their availability depends on if the royals will be using them or not. When you visit the residence, you can stroll through the expensive grounds, shop in the gift shop, visit the Piper's Hall Cafe, and see the outside of the garden cottage, which is where Queen Victoria sometimes used to have breakfast, deal with state correspondents, and write her diaries. However, visitors are only permitted to enter one room of the castle itself. The public is welcome to visit the ballroom, which hosts various exhibitions throughout the year. An exhibition on Queen Victoria was held there most recently. Today, the ballroom is still used by the royal family, particularly for two big dances that the Queen holds during the summer. But the rest of the rooms in the house are not permitted for public viewing, as they are the monarch's private rooms. According to Business Insider, the royal residence is worth £115 million. It was purchased for £32,000 in 1852. 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