Balmoral Castle

You can, from April to July each year, while the Royal Family is away. Visits take in the Castle Ballroom, which holds an exhibition of Royal Family memorabilia, along with the grounds, gardens and woodlands. The wider estate, including Crathie Kirk and the Cairngorms scenery around it, is there to enjoy year-round.

Prince Albert bought Balmoral for Queen Victoria in 1852, after the two had fallen for the Deeside landscape and clean Highland air on an earlier visit. Albert largely designed the present castle, finished in 1856 in Scottish Baronial style. Victoria called it 'my dear paradise in the Highlands', and it has stayed the Royal Family's personal property ever since.

Balmoral is about 43 miles west of Aberdeen, roughly an hour on the A93 through Royal Deeside. The road follows the Dee valley through Banchory and Aboyne, both part of the area's Royal associations. Braemar, famous for its Highland games, is a short drive further west.

Royal Deeside is the valley of the River Dee west of Aberdeen, named for its long tie to the Royal Family going back to Victoria and Albert. It's known for its Highland scenery, Victorian architecture, whisky distilleries, and outdoor pursuits from walking and cycling to field sports.