Balmoral Castle

The most famous castle in all of Scotland, although not the oldest, of course, is Balmoral Castle - the summer residence of the English royal family since the time of Queen Victoria.

The surrounding forests remained intact during construction, which preserved most of the wildlife, and the castle ensured the glory of the best hunting grounds in the country. In the Balmoral River Dee, all English kings and princes traditionally fish.

Currently, the royal family spends 8-10 weeks at Balmoral each year in late summer and autumn. The grounds, gardens and dance garden (the only part of the castle accessible to visitors) are open to the public from 1 April to 31 July. The dance hall hosts exhibitions of paintings, silverware, porcelain and national Scottish clothing. There is also a collection of royal robes.

Near the castle is the parish church of Krati, which the royal family visits every Sunday morning during their stay at the Balmoral Residence. Right in the shade of light gray high walls are restaurants and cafes where you can taste real English tea from porcelain painted cups in the Victorian style. The impression of attending the Queen’s tea ceremony is complete.

In one of Queen Victoria’s famous diaries, it was written that Balmoral is her dear paradise and that if you once visited the place, you will never forget it again, and you will be drawn here like a magnet. So it’s probably worth visiting Balmoral Castle to check out the legendary Queen of England.