Searching for Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria's love of Scotland is well documented. Ian R Mitchell, author of 'On the trail of Queen Victoria in the Highlands', chooses 10 of his favourite Victoria locations on Deeside.

Balmoral Castle

Victoria rented Balmoral without having visited it, persuaded by paintings she viewed of the Deeside location, done by Aberdeen artist James Giles.

It was also recommended as a good and dry location by the Royal Physician, Sir James Clark, for helping with both Victoria and Albert's rheumatism.

She visited first in 1848 and bought the 17,000 acre estate in 1852, demolishing the 1830s castle, and starting anew.

The architect was William Smith, though Victoria's husband Albert had a big input into the design leading to its look of a cross between a Scottish castle and a German schloss.

It was completed in 1855, delayed by labour disputes amongst the masons building it.

The interior of the castle is a fine example of 19th century Highland ‘Balmorality' culture, with antlers and tartans galore.

The grounds are full of memorials to members of the royal family – and to John Brown, Victoria's servant and subject of the film, Mrs Brown.

Parts of the building are open to the public when the Royal family are not in residence.
Tel: +44 (0)1339 742 334 for details.
(Parking at Crathie car park. O.S. Map 44)

Braemar Castle

But the real castle on Deeside is not Balmoral, but the one at Braemar. In Victoria's time this was (and still is) owned by the Farquharson family, from whom she bought Balmoral itself.

It was built about 1625 by the Earl of Mar and has a fine curtain wall, a dungeon and a muckle yett (iron gate). It eventually passed to the Farquarsons...

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• By : Ian Mitchell
• In : Destinations
• Issue : 13
• Page : 32
• Words : 1,478