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Sunday 5 February 2012

Balmoral Castle

Balmoral Castle is the residence of the British royal family in Scotland. It is located on the bank of the River Dee, 6 miles (9.7kms) northeast of Braemar, Aberdeenshire.

King Robert II of Scotland (1316–1390) held a hunting seat in the Balmoral grounds, and by 1390 a stone castle was built.

After leasing the property in 1848, Prince Albert bought the estate in 1852 from the owners, the Farquarson family of Inverey, who'd acquired it in 1662.

The Balmoral House was built from 1853 to 1856 in the Scottish baronial style (and therefore called a castle). It was planned by William Smith, the City Architect of Aberdeen, under the supervision of Prince Albert.

Balmoral Castle Pixiebay

The stone was taken from the quarries of Glen Gelder, which produced the light-colored granite.

Upon the death of Queen Victoria, the Balmoral estate passed to her descendants, and subsequent generations have made changes, the Duke of Edinburgh, for example, enlarged the flower garden and creating a water garden.

Balmoral Castle holds cherished memories for Queen Elizabeth II; it's where Prince Philip proposed in 1946.

Source Hutchinson Encyclopedia © RM 2012. Helicon Publishing is division of RM.

1 comment:

  1. Balmoral Castle is a fabulous landmark. It has unique architecture and atmosphere. In my opinion every person, who goes to Scotland, has to go and see the castle. It is just as remarkable as the one in Edinburgh.

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