Balmoral Castle and Dunnottar Castle – Day 19 – Scotland 2017
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24 April 2017
To our delight, we awoke to a sunny morning and snowflakes! We packed our camp as tiny snowflakes fell around us. They weren’t sticking, but that didn’t stop our joy at seeing them. Once we packed in camp, we admired the baby ducks near our campsite for a little while longer, and then headed to our first destination of the day.
Balmoral Castle
We arrived at Balmoral Castle just as they were opening. Travel tip: get to places early. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had entire castles to ourselves because we got there when they opened. By the time people start to show up, we’re ready to move to the next place! Balmoral Castle wasn’t much different. There were very few people there when we arrived.
If you’re a Royal Family aficionado, Balmoral Castle should sound familiar to you. It is the summer home of the UK’s Royal Family and is sadly remembered by many people as the place where Princes William and Harry learned of their mother’s death. As the world reeled from Diana’s death, the boys were sheltered here at Balmoral Castle.
The castle came into the Royal Family’s hands when Prince Albert purchased it for Queen Victoria in 1852. Since then, members of the Royal Family have enjoyed summer after summer at the breathtaking castle and grounds.
A Visit To Remember
We arrived at the estate, received our audio guides, and began. The tour is mainly outdoors since the family still occupies the castle. We started in the outbuildings and then moved out into the grounds. It was a brisk morning, and about 15 minutes into our tour, the snow started to fall. Large, fat flakes floated down around us. We were freezing but delighted! After all, who would have thought we’d have snow at the end of April. We learned later that many refer to this as a lambing snow because the lambs are already born. We relished in it. It made our visit all the more magical, and later, it made the hot cup of tea in the restaurant all the more enjoyable. We’d never have guessed that at the tail end of April, we’d be having tea at a Royal castle while watching the snow fall outside. Incredible!
There is only one place in the actual castle that is open to the public; the ballroom. It houses a few exhibitions and is a grand sight to see. Unfortunately, photographs are not allowed, so we don’t have any to share with you. But trust us, it’s beautiful. The gift shop on the grounds is lovely, and I added two more books to my growing collection.
Dunnottar Castle
We left the snow behind at Balmoral Castle as we headed to our second stop of the day, Dunnottar Castle. Dunnottar Castle is the epitome of a castle ruin on a craggy cliffside, with angry seas crashing far below. The weather helped set the windswept scene as, by this time, we were under a black ice warning.
Dunnottar Castle has a long history that starts somewhere in the 3rd century. The government seized the castle in 1715 after the owner, Earl Marischal George Keith, was convicted of treason. Two years later, the castle was sold to the York Mining Company, which stripped it to the bones for anything of value. All that was left were the walls. Thankfully, the Pearson family bought the castle in 1925, and restorations began. The castle was opened to the public, and tourists have flocked to its haunting ruins ever since.
The Snow Adventure Continues
We made the bitter trek from the parking lot out towards the castle. At first glance, we were blown away. The ruin is stunning. The path leads down into the small valley and then back up to the clifftop where the castle sits. The entrance to Dunnottar is straight out of a fantasy book. A narrow walkway set into the ground leads up to the top of the cliff, where Dunnottar is revealed in all its glory. There is so much to see that it’s almost overwhelming. We picked a direction and went for it, exploring every inch of the place.
The snow caught up to us about 20 minutes later. Some visitors scurried back to the warmth of their cars, but we carried on as the castle turned into a winter landscape. Like kids in a candy store, a snowy castle nearly all to ourselves was a dream come true! We stayed until we were soaked through with wet snow and then begrudgingly walked back to the car. Some people may have wished for sunshine, but I wouldn’t trade our visit for the world.
A Warm Night
As the fates would have it, we’d booked a hotel for the night. You could bet that we’d have rented a room if we were supposed to be camping. Our Texas tent was not meant for snow! We checked into the Royal Hotel in Stonehaven and relished in the warmth it offered. We spent the evening snacking on sweets we’d bought at Dee Valley Confectioners in between castles. A warm room and delicious treats were the perfect way to end a snow and castle-filled day.
Cheers,
Lydia and Billy
