Stamp of approval
For sale, ‘Royal’ former post office that sits in the Queen’s backyard
POST offices usually see the same faces popping in on a regular basis, but this one was slightly unusual because one of those ‘faces’ also happened to be on the very stamps being sold over the counter. The Old Post Office at Crathie, near Ballater in Aberdeenshire, sits next to the Balmoral Estate on Deeside, established by Queen Victoria as her Highland retreat in the 19th Century.
Apparently, Her Majesty was prone to wandering in when she wanted to send a missive to London. The post office also used to serve as the telephone exchange for Balmoral Castle, should the monarch wish to communicate with the outside world.
In the 20th Century, it became better known for royal visits to the adjacent Crathie Kirk, used by the Queen and the Royal Family for Sunday services.
The house now being sold looks into the church car park, usually busy with media and well-wishers during the Queen’s summer residency.
Controversially, Her Majesty visited Crathie Kirk 20 years ago this weekend as the royals digested the early morning news from Paris that Princess Diana had died in a car crash.
The reason it was controversial was down to the instruction to the clergy that the tragedy must not be mentioned, for fear of further upsetting Princes William and Harry.
The sombre episode tends to reflect the fluctuating fortunes of the royals in the 200 years the building has been on the site, 175 of them as a Post Office.
It was built as a bothy by the Thomson family and this is the first time in two centuries it will leave their ownership. It has two floors, enjoying commanding views over the Dee Valley to Balmoral and Lochnagar in the distance.
There is still a postbox set into one of the walls and a red phone box in the grounds.
But gone are the days when Queen Victoria would drop in and locals would arrive with string-wrapped parcels for posting.
The cottage has been extended twice, once to add the Post Office as the family became uncomfortable with the practice of selling stamps through the parlour window.
In the 1960s, a kitchen and shower room were added. The dining room is panelled in pine and, unusually, includes an alcove which was formerly a box bed (now you know where to accommodate the late-night guest who is reluctant to leave).
The downstairs accommodation is a bit unconventional, because of the building’s age, origins and subsequent additions.
There is a good-sized sitting room and a bedroom on this level, as well as a utility room, kitchen and shower room.
The first floor has three further bedrooms, a boxroom and a WC.
The extensive gardens have served as an adventure playground for generations of Thomson children. There are 3.6 acres of grounds and the family have rented a further 1.8 acres from the adjacent estate for a while now – 200 years to be precise.
One of the Thomson family boys once said: ‘We used to love it as kids. It was almost magical to us and we spent hours playing outside.’
Also in the grounds stands a timber framed and tin-clad garage.
Come Sunday, scrub up well for church. You never know who you’ll meet.