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Balmoral is a large estate in the Aberdeenshire region of Scotland. Here is Balmoral Castle, a private residence and a summer vacation spot for English monarchs. The estate is privately owned and now belongs to Queen Elizabeth II personally, and not to the English crown. On the territory of the estate live partridges, herds of deer, Highland cattle, ponies are raised here, and agricultural work is carried out.
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| Balmoral Castle |
Balmoral Castle became the official royal residence in 1852 when Queen Victoria bought it, but the Scottish King Robert II (1316-1390) had a hunting lodge in the area. The estate has repeatedly passed from one owner to another.
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| Balmoral Castle |
Victoria and Albert loved to vacation in Scotland, and Sir James Clark, the Queen's doctor, advised them of the Deeside area as a place with a good healthy climate. The house that existed on the estate at the time of the purchase by the royal couple turned out to be too small, and a Scottish Balmoral Castle was built in its place.
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| Balmoral Castle |
The architect was Aberdeen architect William Smith, but the overall design was Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria. The castle was built from local granite. In the southwestern wing of the palace there are the main living and ceremonial rooms, in the northeastern - mostly auxiliary rooms.
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| Balmoral Castle |
After the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, British monarchs continued to come here and spend part of the summer or fall here. This tradition has survived to this day, so only the Ballroom is open to the public in the Balmoral Castle, and the gardens are open only from April to the end of July, until the arrival of Queen Elizabeth II.