Balmoral is a castle that belongs to the monarch of the United Kingdom. It stands on the banks of the River Dee, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Aberdeen, Scotland. The Balmoral estate covers about 50,000 acres (20,200 hectares) in the Scottish Highlands. Balmoral is one of the two country residences of the royal family. Sandringham, in Norfolk, England, is the other.
Some historians believe that King Robert II of Scotland kept a hunting lodge in the Balmoral area in the late 1300’s. A tower house—that is, a kind of castle—was built there in the 1500’s and later was expanded. Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, purchased the Balmoral estate for the royal family in 1852. The current Balmoral Castle was constructed from 1853 to 1856. The castle, built primarily of granite, contains two main sections. Each section surrounds a courtyard. Workers demolished the original tower house soon after the completion of the current structure.
Prince Albert planted the first gardens at Balmoral. King George V and his wife, Queen Mary, improved and expanded the gardens. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II, added many new plantings and created a large kitchen garden. Elizabeth and Philip used Balmoral as their summer residence. Elizabeth died at Balmoral Castle on Sept. 8, 2022, at the age of 96.
The Balmoral estate also includes Birkhall, a residence used by Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; and later by Prince Charles, who became King Charles III. About 150 other structures also stand on the estate. The estate includes farmland, pastures, forested areas, and moors. The grounds of the castle are open to the public during the summer.
