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Balmoral Castle, the grand Scottish estate where the late Queen Elizabeth II spent her final days, is swinging open its grand doors ahead of King Charles III's coronation this spring.
The castle in Aberdeenshire is currently the private property of the monarch and is not part of the Crown Estate but the Balmoral Castle social accounts confirmed the residence will be open to visitors from April. This year, Balmoral will also host its first exhibition, '‘Monarchs at Balmoral’. The site describes the photograph display of royals at the estate as a ‘journey from the era of Queen Victoria to present day.’
“Balmoral will re-open to the public on 1st April 2023. We can’t wait to welcome you all back to experience the peace and tranquillity of the castle grounds, coronation celebrations, a special photographic exhibition of ‘Monarchs at Balmoral’ and much more to be announced soon!”
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At about 50,000 acres, Balmoral is so large, it’s almost its own ecosystem: mountains, forests, valleys, arable pastures, lochs, grouse moors, and gardens make up the varied topography. There are also 150 buildings on the estate, including King Charles' house at Birkhall, Craigowan Lodge, and several other cottages (one reportedly is a secret hideaway of the Prince and Princess of Wales).
“Walks, picnics, dogs — a lot of dogs, there’s always dogs — and people coming in and out all the time,” Princess Eugenie said of Balmoral in an interview. “It’s a lovely base…You just have room to breathe and run.”
Those visiting have various ticket options. Regular adult tickets cost £16.50 and £8.50 for children. The highlight of the regular visit is the ballroom, which is the only room open to visitors in the castle.
There's also an option to buy an ‘expedition tour’ ticket which costs £330 and can be for a maximum of six people. The expedition tour includes admission to the grounds, gardens and exhibitions.
Or for those wishing to hang around a little longer, there are also various holiday cottages for overnight guests, spread out across Balmoral's grounds and nearby. Colt Cottages, Connachat Cottage, Karim Cottage, Knocks Cottage and Rhebreck Lodge are available throughout the year.
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