7 British Royal Residences - Page 6 of 9

Balmoral Castle

Balmoral Castle has been the official Highlands home of the British royal family since the reign of Queen Victoria, who first bought the lease to Balmoral in 1848, despite having never visited the site itself. Finding the existing castle too small however, they commissioned Aberdeen architect William Smith to build a completely new structure some 100 yards from the original. Prince Albert himself had a role in the design process, taking a particular interest in its turrets and windows, and the Balmoral Castle we see today was built between 1853 and 1856.