Enjoy hiking, photography, art courses and other vacations at Queen Elizabeth's Scottish country home, Balmoral Castle, with meals and accommodation in the Castle

There aren't too many chances to have your holiday in the home of a monarch, but this autumn and in spring 2008 there are several activity and creative holiday options at Balmoral Castle, the Scottish country home of Queen Elizabeth. Guests can enjoy walking and wildlife watching, painting, and digital photography, among the activities on offer.

Guests stay in the Queens' Buildings accommodation, which are simple but comfortable. All rooms have TV/DVD, tea and coffee facilities, washbasin and wardrobe, with shared use of toilet and bathroom facilities.

Food is home-cooked and based around local seasonal ingredients. A typical main course could be Supreme of Chicken Stuffed with Haggis Wrapped in Bacon served with a Light Heather Honey Gravy with Seasonal Vegetables and Fondue Potatoes, or Fillet of Deeside Salmon with a Roasted Herb Crust.

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Wildlife Watch Holiday at Balmoral Castle

17-21 November 2007

Cost £495 including all meals and accommodation

These wildlife walks are led by Alan Melrose of WalkDeeside Ltd. They include a walk through the Ballochbuie Forest, and among the wildlife you might spot during the 5 days are red and black grouse, red deer, snow buntings, ptarmigan and mountain hare.

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Painting Holidays at Balmoral Castle

Cost £690 including all tuition, meals and accommodation

There are several week-long painting holidays arranged, in the autumn of 2007 and the spring of 2008. Tutors for the Balmoral Castle painting vacations are Sue Ford, Susie Hunt and Michael Kitchen, all experienced artists.

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Digital Photography Course at Balmoral Castle

11-17 November 2007

Cost £690 including all tuition, meals and accommodation

Tutor Jim Henderson has been a professional freelance photographer since 1986, with a special love of historical and landscape photography. The course will include landscape photography field trips, portraiture, still life and image manipulation. Students, limited to a maximum of 10, will need to bring their own computer, or rent one for the week.

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Balmoral Castle History

Balmoral Castle is the Scottish country home of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and has been a royal family home since Prince Albert bought it for Queen Victoria in 1852. Queen Victoria only paid her first visit to Scotland in 1842, but she and Prince Albert loved the Highlands and vowed to return.

The Queen and Prince Albert made further visits to Perthshire and to Ardverikie, and then heard that Balmoral Castle was available to lease. They bought the lease in 1848, taking possession of a castle they had never seen. But they didn't regret it, and started negotiations to buy the castle and the land around it. In 1852 they completed the purchase.

The original castle was considered too small for the royal family's needs, so Prince Albert designed a new castle, to be built of local granite. This was completed in1856, and the old building torn down.

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Balmoral Castle Location

Balmoral is about 100 miles due north of Edinburgh, and about 130 miles northeast of Glasgow. Balmoral Castle is in a secluded location on the banks of the River Dee, halfway between Ballater and Braemar. The nearest railway station and airport for Balmoral Castle are both in Aberdeen, about 50 miles east of Balmoral.

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Further Details

For further details of these and other activities, and booking information on holiday courses at Balmoral Castle, visit the Balmoral Castle website by clicking here.

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