What do I have in common with the likes of US former President Eisenhower, almost every British Prime Minister, all our Scottish First Ministers and their families? Oh yes, and, by the end of this season, just 3,399 members of the public?
We’ve all walked into the hallowed, grand entrance hall and then through the corridors of some of the private rooms of Balmoral Castle, the Royal Family’s holiday home set in more than 50,000 prime acres in the Cairngorms National Park.
I like nothing more than a wander round a stately home and make great use of my National Trust membership to scour the nation’s grand residences, discovering the fascinating stories behind their original construction and ownership – and, sometimes sadly, often their demise.
But when it came to accessing the King and Queen’s privately owned Highland retreat, I have Lady Luck to thank for finding me my ticket to what was grandly called ‘a closed door tour’ of Balmoral Castle. And yes, when we entered, they did lock the door behind us!
A few months back when these first-ever tours were announced the Balmoral Estate declared that the 3400 tickets had sold out in minutes, crashing the castle’s website and, in turn, leaving me ticketless.
However, a week before I turned up for my ‘unique tour’ I’d been casually exploring the website thinking that perhaps in the 2025 season I’d be luckier in securing a place when suddenly a solo ticket which I dubbed my ‘golden ticket’ emerged, up for grabs.
It seemed only 3,399 were indeed ahead of me in that earlier race…and I could sweep in at the last minute to secure my £150 for the tour and afternoon tea in the castle’s newly opened restaurant.
A mini break to Ballater and the surrounding areas was quickly organised and off I drove from Glasgow up the picturesque A93 passing through Glenshee and on to the Royal playground. En route two super-charged Range Rovers with blacked out passenger windows sped by me – my imagination sparked thinking some VIPs were sharing the same destination. Or perhaps just the King’s team doing some big city shopping in anticipation of the Royal Court moving to Balmoral in mid-August. Who knows?
What I did know was that my ticket allowed me to pass through the famous monogrammed gates to the estate and up the spectacular driveway to the castle and my specially allocated parking space. Making that grand entrance felt special…even without a chauffeur.
Balmoral Castle as it stands today was completed in 1856, a true labour of love for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who needed a holiday home of a fair size given they had nine children as well as a large extended family – and accompanying staff. There had been some sort of building on the land since the late 14th century.
Over the years and with successive monarchs the castle has been adapted, the estate extended, and the gardens significantly enhanced. But the provenance of Victoria and Albert remains intact with so many paintings, statues and ornaments of the couple and of Albert alone that I lost count during the tour conducted by no less than three knowledgeable and engaging guides. I particularly appreciated that our tour size was limited to just ten which was manageable, given that some of the spaces we were in were small.
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It’s clear King Charles has spearheaded a lot of change at Balmoral since he assumed ownership. A new restaurant has opened and was bustling when I visited. He’s creating a maze in the grounds outside the ballroom. A new garden layout in the shape of a thistle is evolving. He’s planting lots of new trees and shrubs – and we were told during the tour that he has used his own royal green fingers to bed in some of these plants. Monty Don would be impressed.
His Majesty’s focus – cleverly and prudently – is to drive new revenue to the estate but also to give more access for visitors from all over the world. On the day I visited I met people from America, Canada, Australia and France.
The King and his advisors are certainly shrewd when it comes to the commercial potential. He’s selling signed limited edition prints of his own watercolour paintings for £5000 a pop in the Mews Gift Shop. I spotted red, white and blue wrapped chocolate bars at a fiver each. And he even sells his own homegrown produce – rhubarb at £1.50 a stalk.
There was also a limited edition of 253 bottles of 45-year-old whisky – the King’s Birthday edition from nearby Royal Lochnagar Distillery - for £3,200 each. A Balmoral branded tote bag is available to carry home your royal souvenirs for £12.50. All the stock comes – and I quote from the price tags - “carefully curated and sourced, always with the sustainability in mind”. Given Charles’ climate change credentials that came as no real surprise.
When the late Queen Elizabeth died at her Balmoral home the world focused on the estate where her family gathered to pay their respects and from where she left on her final journey through the UK back to London for her state funeral in 2022.
Seeing her final departure from a place in Scotland which meant so much to her and remembering that famous final photograph in the drawing room as she posed in front of the roaring fire just hours before her death piqued my interest in Balmoral. It was always on my to-do list but that added attraction of more access to the private quarters promoted it to the top!
As I walked into the drawing room where that now poignant photo was taken, I had a moment to reflect on just how special the late Queen must have viewed Balmoral. It was her happy place, for sure. A vast rambling estate where she knew she could safely walk in, a million miles from any flag-waving crowds or paparazzi.
Not surprisingly that drawing room has had a bit of monarchical makeover too. Charles has dumped the green carpet, replacing it with a tartan floorcovering, more akin to how Victoria meant it to be. The sofas and chairs have also been reupholstered, all in busy, bright florals of the Victorian-era. It looked warm and welcoming, housing the only remaining working open fire in the Castle.
Aside from the castle’s interior my highlight of the visit was wandering around the vast gardens, both the formal ones, seeing the greenhouse, the kitchen garden and the network of walkways in the shadow of the 167-roomed castle. The lush forestation, the multi-coloured shrubbery and the chunks of wildflower beds all contributed to that Highland haven’s natural appeal.
Even in just a day’s brief but memorable visit I could appreciate just why Balmoral and the estate beyond is so special.
FACT BOX
Peter stayed at the cosy Victorian Cambus O’May Hotel, set in woodland gardens, a 15-minute drive from Balmoral Castle. Room with breakfast was £91 per person. www.cambusomay.co.uk
The estate features 150 other buildings and homes including Birkhall which King Charles and Queen Camilla regularly use. Some of the cottages are available for the public to rent.
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