Note, that you can't actually visit the castle from the inside, but only the gardens and the ballroom exhibition. Balmoral Castle is still an active holiday residence of the Royal Family who comes here for their summer holidays every August – hence the limitations of which parts you can visit.
Overview. Balmoral Castle is normally open daily from the beginning of April, through May, June and July, and the grounds will be open on specific days during March, but these dates have not yet been confirmed at the time of writing.
A short and gentle walk around the castle grounds, this route is accessible for all ages and makes a great family day out. Though you can't enter the castle itself, the Balmoral Exhibition provides some information about the history of the castle.
Is Balmoral open to the public when the Queen is in residence?
When the royal family is in residence, Balmoral is typically closed, but they do offer guided tours on several dates. In 2023, King Charles decided that Balmoral would remain open to the public until August 16. In the past, Queen Elizabeth began her vacations at the end of July.
The Royals' Private Sanctuary | Inside Balmoral | BBC Select
Does Prince Charles have a house in Balmoral?
It had been reported that King Charles III will not take up residence at Balmoral Castle while he is on the estate, but rather will continue to stay at Birkhall during the Balmoral holidays. In fact though, King Charles and Queen Camilla did reside at Balmoral in the summer of 2023.
Who owns it? Though official royal residences like Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace are owned by the Crown Estate, which is funded by British taxpayers, Balmoral is the personal property of King Charles III, as is Sandringham, located in Norfolk, England.
There is a Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh if you need somewhere to stay. Balmoral Castle is open to the public when the Royal Family are not there during July and August. There are a few cottages in the Castle estate which are available to rent per week during the time the Royal Family are not there.
Maximum of 5 guests. This requires two people to sleep on the sofa bed in the lounge – please note that the double bedroom is accessed from the lounge. Please note that Colt Cottages will only be available until the end of March 2024. Maximum of 8 guests.
The castle reputedly has 167 rooms, including 52 bedrooms. For their shorter visits, Charles and Camilla usually head for a smaller, cosier country house several miles east, at Birkhall, which Charles inherited from the queen mother.
The Balmoral estate was purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852, after the couple fell in love with the local countryside. Ever since, it has been passed on to successive generations of the royal family, playing host to its fair share of shenanigans, scandals and secrets.
On Thursday, Balmoral Castle announced that the grounds, gardens and exhibitions of the estate are now closed to the public until autumn. The announcement hints that King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family are gathering at the residence in the coming weeks, following decades of tradition.
Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by The King, the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open to visitors every summer. Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms.
Historically, the court moves to the Balmoral Estate in late July and often remains through early October. The late Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh would host various friends and family members at different times, as well as the current Prime Minister and other officials.
Later that evening, the Queen was buried with her husband, Prince Philip, alongside her parents and sister in Windsor Castle's King George VI Memorial Chapel in the Royal Vault. The burial and service was entirely private, attended by King Charles and other members of the royal family.
Please note the flying of drones, or any other aerial device, within one kilometre of the Castle at the Balmoral Estates is not permitted at any time of the year.
The Castle of Mey was the property of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother from 1952 until 1996, when Her Majesty generously gifted it with an endowment to the Trust. The castle is situated on the north coast of Caithness, in the parish of Canisbay, about 15 miles east of Thurso and six miles west of John O'Groats.
The royal family has been visiting the Scottish estate for more than a century. Every summer until she passed away, the Queen spent a weeks-long holiday at Balmoral Castle, a stunning Scottish estate which was said to be her favorite residence.
Elizabeth II inherited the Balmoral estate from her father, and then after her death, ownership passed to her eldest son King Charles III, but the estate is managed by trustees under Deeds of Nomination and Appointment.
