Balmoral Castle
 Castles |  Royal Britain |
The site of Balmoral Castle is first mentioned in 1484 when a small tower-house stood there. In the 17 th century the estate was the possession of the Farquharsons and by the end of the18th century it belonged to the Earl of Fife. Early in the 19 th century John Smith, an Aberdeen architect, had built a moderate mansion on the site, and twenty years later, in 1848, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, having purchased the property unseen, arrived to find ‘a pretty little castle in the old Scotch style'. The pleasant, wooded countryside was ideal for a holiday retreat. Albert instantly took to it ‘the air is glorious and clear', while Victoria, who had been recommended to the pure, dry air of Deeside by her physician, also liked the situation ‘all seemed to breathe freedom and peace, and to make one forget the world'.
In 1852, Victoria was left a large fortune by John Camden Nield, a barrister who had salted away his money in order to bequeath it to the monarch. With this, the royal couple completed the protracted transaction and realising that the present structure was too small for their growing family, let alone visiting guests and ministers, had the mansion demolished and replaced by a castle in the Scottish Baronial style.
The architect of Balmoral Castle, believed to be the largest castle in Scotland, was William Smith, the son of John Smith of Aberdeen. In point of fact, Smith only looked after the details, for the castle was, as the queen said ‘my dearest Albert's own creation, own work, own building, own laying out'. The result was a picturesque castle with towers, turrets and crenellations, inspired by the neo-Gothic school. The proportions of Albert's square Great Tower, which dominates all else, are not altogether pleasing and appear top-heavy with turrets. However, the pale granite stonework is both striking and appropriate, while the lengthy façade is most imposing. Within the castle is a ballroom sixty-eight feet in length, together with a dining- and drawing-room correspondingly ample; the accommodation facilities too are quite enormous and can sleep 130 people.
Albert also took an interest in developing the estate beyond the castle complex. New stables, kennels and outbuildings were constructed, fresh paths layed out, farm cottages repaired, a modern, new dairy established and the surrounding parkland landscaped. Almost every year the royal couple would spend August and September at Balmoral, inspecting the various building projects that had been completed since their last visit. In December 1861 Victoria and Balmoral were dealt a severe blow when her beloved Albert contracted typhoid and died suddenly at Windsor Castle. Many of the proposed building and modernisation projects at Balmoral were now shelved, and few changes were undertaken after his death, save for the addition of monuments commemorating the couple's happy marriage and the various marriages of their children.
Balmoral Castle has remained virtually unaltered for the hundred years since Victoria's death, but successive monarchs have continued the tradition of having a late summer break at this peaceful highland retreat. The castle house is not open to the general public, but the grounds remain a huge attraction when the Royals are not in residence.