Balmoral Castle, Scotland
Author: AngusMacLeod Total views: 4 Word Count: 584
The tourist industry is now so great in Scotland that it is a major part of the nation's economy. Part of the nation's appeal is it's wonderful countryside but it is Scotland's incredible history which helps create a vacation that is full of excitement, exploration and adventure. One of the main Scottish tourist attractions is Edinburgh Castle but there are a great many more castles in Scotland open to the public including Balmoral Castle in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire.
It seems as though, in 1603, when the crowns of Scotland and England were unified, that the Royal family, and it's court, abandoned Scotland which they rarely visited until 1822. It was in 1822 when King George IV took his famous "one and twenty daft days" vacation in Scotland at the invitation of the author Sir Walter Scott. Scott had ensured that the trip included many of his exaggerated romantic ideas of medieval Scotland resulting in a most flamboyant experience of rich pageantry.
Sir Walter Scott's novels included very romantic ideas about Scotland which proved extremely influential upon society of the day. Queen Victoria was keen to visit Scotland and in 1842 she and Prince Albert decided to stay on the Balmoral Estate where George IV had stayed twenty years previous. Built in 1390 it had belonged to number of earls through the decades, and, at one time, King Robert II of Scotland had had a hunting lodge there. Following favorable reports from their doctor, Sir James Clark, it was hired sight unseen.
Almost upon arrival, at Balmoral, Victoria and Albert fell in love with the place. They had time to enjoy country walks together and lived in a rather small house with rather small rooms. The estate quickly became one of their most favorite places and, in 1852, Prince Albert purchased it outright for around ?30,000.
Over the years the Royal Family grew and while Albert still managed to enjoy his shooting, and Victoria her country walks, it was apparent that the residence was becoming far too small to accommodate them. It was decided that a new residence was required which was to be designed by William Smith, and architect from Aberdeen, and named Balmoral Castle. The castle was built quickly and was completed in 1856.
Since then Balmoral Castle, and it's estate, has been the private property of the British Royal Family (meaning that it is not part of the royal estate). Today the castle and it's 50,000 acres and over 100 buildings is a fully working estate and the summer retreat of Queen Elizabeth II.
Balmoral Castle has witnessed some of the royal's happy times but also their sad. Victoria and Albert had their best times there but following Albert's death, in 1861, Queen Victoria isolated herself spending a great deal of time on the estate. Another sad moment was when, in 1997, Queen Elizabeth II was informed of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Elizabeth's grief was kept private and the distraught public criticized her greatly for remaining there rather than immediately returning to London.
The royal family of Great Britain can easily afford to take the finest vacations. Indeed they spend a great deal of time traveling the globe and maybe this is the reason why Scotland has always appeared to be a place of private refuge. The present royal family of Queen Elizabeth II often visit remote Scottish islands such as the Isle of Harris in the Western Isles but it is their association with the Balmoral estate which is most widely known.
Free Web Content Provider | My Articles Directory /
About the Author
If you are planning to visit Scotland then take a look at Harris Hotels and other Hebrides accommodation online at http://www.virtualhebrides.com/
Copy and Paste Article Code.
Remember: The article body, title, author bio and links may not be changed or removed. By publishing this article, you agree to all the terms in our Terms of Service.