made major alterations to the original castle. King
Robert II of Scotland (1316–1390) had a
hunting lodge in the area. Historical records also indicate that a house at Balmoral was built by Sir William Drummond in 1390. The estate was later tenanted by Alexander Gordon, second son of the
1st Earl of Huntly. A
tower house was built on the estate by the Gordons. In 1662, the estate passed to Charles Farquharson of
Inverey, brother of
John Farquharson, the "Black Colonel". The Farquharsons were
Jacobite sympathisers, and James Farquharson of Balmoral was involved in both the 1715 and 1745
Jacobite risings. He was wounded at the
Battle of Falkirk (1746). The Farquharson estates were
forfeited and passed to the Farquharsons of
Auchendryne. In 1798,
James Duff, 2nd Earl Fife, acquired Balmoral and leased the castle.
Sir Robert Gordon, a younger brother of
George Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, acquired the lease in 1830. He made major alterations to the original castle at Balmoral, including baronial-style extensions that
John Smith of Aberdeen designed. Frequent rain during the last trip led
Sir James Clark, the queen's doctor, to recommend
Deeside instead, for its healthier climate. Sir Robert Gordon died in 1847, and his lease on Balmoral reverted to Lord Aberdeen. In February 1848, an arrangement was made for Prince Albert to acquire the remaining part of the lease on Balmoral, along with its furniture and staff, without having seen the property first. Victoria found the house "small but pretty", and recorded in her diary that: "All seemed to breathe freedom and peace, and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils". but by then negotiations were underway to purchase the estate from
James Duff, 4th Earl Fife. After seeing a
corrugated iron cottage at the
Great Exhibition of 1851, Prince Albert ordered a prefabricated iron building for Balmoral from E. T. Bellhouse & Co., to serve as a temporary ballroom and dining room. It was in use by 1 October 1851, and would serve as a ballroom until 1856. The sale was completed in June 1852, the price being £32,000 () and Prince Albert formally took possession that autumn. The neighbouring estate of
Birkhall was also purchased at the same time, and the lease on
Abergeldie Castle was secured accordingly. To mark the occasion, the
Purchase Cairn was erected in the hills overlooking the castle, the first of many cairns on the estate.
Construction of the new house similar to that of
Craigievar Castle is the central feature of the castle, while a large
turreted
country house is attached. Space was needed for the growing family of Victoria and Albert, for additional staff, and for accommodation for visiting friends and official visitors such as cabinet members. Thus, extension of the existing structure would not provide enough space, and a larger house needed to be built. In early 1852, this was commissioned from
William Smith. William Smith's designs were amended by Prince Albert, who took a close interest in details such as turrets and windows. Construction began in mid-1853, on a site some northwest of the original building that was considered to have a better vista. Another consideration was that during construction, the family would still be able to use the old house. By the autumn of 1855, the royal apartments were ready for occupancy, although the tower was still under construction and the servants had to be lodged in the old house. It consists of two main blocks, each arranged around a courtyard. The southwestern block contains the main rooms, while the northeastern contains the service wings. At the southeast is an clock tower topped with turrets, Being similar in style to the demolished castle of the 1830s, the architecture of the new house is considered to be somewhat dated for its time when contrasted with the richer forms of
Scots baronial being developed by William Burn and others during the 1850s. As an exercise in Scots baronial, it is sometimes described as too ordered, pedantic, and even
Germanic as a consequence of Prince Albert's influence on the design. Added to the work of
Sir Walter Scott, this became a major factor in promoting the adoption of Highland culture by
Lowland Scots. Historian
Michael Lynch comments that "the Scottishness of Balmoral helped to give the monarchy a truly British dimension for the first time".
Victoria and Albert at Balmoral Even before the completion of the new house, the pattern of the life of the royal couple in the Highlands was soon established. Victoria took long walks of up to four hours daily, and Albert spent many days hunting deer and game. In 1849, diarist
Charles Greville described their life at Balmoral as resembling that of the gentry rather than royalty. Victoria began a policy of commissioning artists to record Balmoral, its surroundings, and its staff. Over the years, numerous painters were employed at Balmoral, including
Edwin and
Charles Landseer, and
Carl Haag. During the 1850s, new plantations were established near the house and exotic
conifers were planted on the grounds. Prince Albert had an active role in these improvements, overseeing the design of
parterres, the diversion of the main road north of the river via a new bridge, and plans for farm buildings. Following Albert's death, Victoria spent increasingly longer periods at Balmoral, staying for as long as four months a year during the early summer and autumn. She placed numerous mementoes of Albert on display. Few further changes were made to the grounds, except for some alterations to mountain paths, the erection of various cairns and monuments, and the addition of some cottages (
Karim Cottage and
Baile na Coille) built for senior staff. In September 1896, Victoria welcomed Emperor
Nicholas II of Russia and Empress
Alexandra, a granddaughter of Victoria, to Balmoral. Four years later, Victoria made her last visit to the estate, three months before her death on 22 January 1901. BalmoralCastle1900.jpg|Balmoral () Cairn for Prince Albert Balmoral.JPG|Memorial cairn for Prince Albert, Balmoral Estate George Washington Wilson (1823 - 1893) - Balmoral Business Room - ABDMS017805 - Aberdeen City Council (Archives, Gallery and Museums Collection).jpg|Queen Victoria's Business Room at Balmoral
After Victoria After Victoria's death, the royal family continued to use Balmoral during annual autumn visits.
George V had substantial improvements made during the 1910s and 1920s, including formal gardens to the south of the castle. In a break with tradition, Balmoral Castle, rather than
Buckingham Palace, was the location of the appointment of
British Prime Minister Liz Truss on 6 September 2022, due to concerns regarding the Queen's mobility issues.
Elizabeth died at Balmoral two days later at the age of 96. She was the first monarch to die at Balmoral, and this was the first time a monarch had died in Scotland since
James V died in 1542 at
Falkland Palace. The Queen's coffin lay in repose in the ballroom of the castle for three days, to allow the Royal Family, estate staff and neighbours to pay their respects. On 11 September, the coffin was transported to the
Palace of Holyroodhouse in
Edinburgh for the start of the state funeral proceedings. ==Architecture==