King to open ‘Highland paradise’ of Balmoral for £100 grand tours

‘You will learn about the origins of the castle and how it has been loved by the Royal family’

‘Balmoral seemed to breathe peace and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils’

THE King will allow private tours of Balmoral this summer for the first time in the Scottish castle’s history.

Small groups will be shown around by experienced guides, taking in several rooms used by the King and Queen.

A royal source confirmed it was in line with the King’s wishes to make royal residences more accessible to the public. However, the month-long summer tour programme is considered a trial period, during which time estate staff will be able to gauge how the building copes with increased footfall. Until now, the interior of the castle has largely remained out of bounds to members of the public, with tours limited to the ballroom, the grounds and the gardens.

The Balmoral estate announced yesterday: “For the first time since the castle was completed in 1855, we have been granted permission to take you on a private tour with our experienced guides.

“They will take you on a historical journey through several of the beautiful rooms within Balmoral Castle.

“You will learn about the origins of the castle and how it has been loved by generations of the Royal family. Travel through time from the purchase of Balmoral by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, through to present day, where you can see how rooms within the Castle are used today by their Majesty’s the King and Queen and other members of the Royal family. You will see why Balmoral is such a special place – the much loved and celebrated Highland home of the Royal family.”

Just 40 tickets a day will be sold for the “castle interior tour” and they come with a price tag of £100, or £150 if afternoon tea is included.

The tours will take place from July 1 until Aug 4, before the King and Queen arrive for their annual break. Nestled in Aberdeenshire’s wet and windy grouse moors, Balmoral was long considered Queen Elizabeth II’S “happy place”.

She once said of her summer breaks: “You just hibernate. It is rather nice to hibernate when one leads such a movable life.

“To be able to sleep in the same bed for six weeks, it is a nice change.”

The final photograph of the Queen greeting Liz Truss in the cosy drawing room just days before she died, on Sept 8 2022, is how many now remember her.

The King made clear, when he took the reins of the royal property portfolio that he wanted to make the buildings more accessible to tourists. In October 2022 St James’s Palace was opened to the public for the first time and the trial proved so successful that it was repeated last year.

Similarly, Buckingham Palace was also made more accessible last winter with a “greatly expanded programme” of festive-themed tours.

Balmoral was purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852.

Victoria later described it as her “dear paradise in the Highlands” and wrote in her diary: “All seemed to breathe freedom and peace and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils.”