101 places to go – Balmoral Castle

It’s hard to begrudge someone having two birthdays, especially when that person is Her Majesty, and one of those birthdays is marked by the spectacular ‘Trooping the Colour’. It’s for this reason that we’ve chosen Her Majesty’s residence, Balmoral Castle, as the latest entry to ‘101 places to go in the UK, Ireland and France’.

Spanning 50,000 acres of heather-flecked hills and deep woods, with the gentle flowing River Dee nearby, Balmoral’s surrounds would be idyllic even if there wasn’t a magnificent period house in the grounds. And it’s for this reason that a visit to Balmoral is nigh-on essential for visitors to Aberdeenshire. But there are a lot more reasons to visit; here are some of our favourites.

Have you been to Balmoral? Let us know what else the area has to offer by posting a comment below.

• The region surrounding Balmoral is home to some seriously spectacular (and seriously lucky!) wildlife. A Land Rover Safari not only allows you a great vantage point to enjoy of some of Scotland’s most beautiful and rare species but also provides one of the comfiest explorations of the Cairngorns National Park.

• We’d also recommend a guided walk if you want to make the most of your time at Balmoral. Taking place every Wednesday afternoon during April, May, June and July, the walk lasts about 2 hours and takes in some of the surrounding area’s most beautiful flora and fauna.

Find out more on the Balmoral Castle website.