JUBILEE WALKS
WALK: Royal Deeside and Balmoral Estate, Aberdeenshire
Monarch of the glen
Celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee with a walk through Scotland’s splendid Balmoral Estate and other nearby locations cherished by the Royal Family, writes Fergal MacErlean
The magnificent Balmoral Estate has been the much-loved Scottish residence of the Royal Family since 1852.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought the estate after becoming captivated by the landscape of Deeside, noting that all “seemed to breathe freedom and peace”.
Set in Aberdeenshire around the River Dee and between the beautiful villages of Banchory and Braemar, much of Royal Deeside overlaps the mountainous and wildlife-rich Cairngorms National Park.
In June you can see Scotch argus butterflies, red squirrels and fleet-footed pine martens.
Jubilee events taking place at Balmoral include pipe bands, a birds of prey display and a special afternoon tea in the Piper’s Hall, where live coverage of the nation’s celebrations will be shown.
Also on view is a ‘Life at Balmoral’ exhibition and a selection of the dresses worn by Her Majesty the Queen at her country residence.
BALMORAL BY BOOT
The very best way to experience Royal Deeside is on foot, just as the Queen herself does. There are lots of magisterial walking routes to choose from. This one leads by the extensive grounds of the white granite-façaded Balmoral Castle and on through part of the surrounding 20,200-hectare estate. Made up of farmland, lochs, grouse moors and mountains, the purchase of Balmoral by Queen Victoria helped her shape an image of the royal couple as country gentry rather than remote royalty.
Queen Elizabeth II traditionally spends her summers here in this private residence. As a lover of country life, she can often be seen walking the estate grounds clad in a tweed skirt, a practical weather-proof jacket and her trademark headscarf.
The Queen finds Balmoral a haven away from her busy working life down south. It is a place where the Queen’s family and friends can be entertained in peace and privacy.
1 RIVER AND PINE
Start from the Crathie car park (charge in summer season) to cross the mighty River Dee and carry on uphill to take the first right, signed Royal Lochnagar Distillery. This leads to the village of Easter Balmoral. Turn right, then first left to head south-west on an arcing route through dense pine woods.
Look for roe deer bounding through the trees.
2 PURPLE HILLS
After a mile, take the track on the left, which, in a few hundred metres, leads out of the woods and into a remote-feeling heather-clad landscape with views towards the Munro of Lochnagar. Red deer may be seen on the hillsides and, from June, the purple hues of heather add a romantic touch to the dramatic scenery.
Built in the Scots baronial style from granite quarried on the estate, Balmoral Castle was completed in 1856; 
the River Dee burbles past the entrance to the grounds; Photos: Alamy 
red deer roam the estate; 
the Queen and Prince Philip walk the estate on their wedding anniversary in 1972
The well-engineered landrover track allows for steady progress up Glen Gelder by Creag nan Gall (which means ‘rock of the foreigners’) on your left, and soon you can enjoy a view over the woodland that, cloak-like, covers the knolled land by the River Dee.
“WE HAVE QUEEN VICTORIA TO THANK FOR SAFEGUARDING THIS ANCIENT PINE FOREST”
We have Queen Victoria to thank for safeguarding this forest, as it was she who, in 1878, bought Ballochbuie from Colonel Farquharson of Invercauld Estate to thwart the sale of the old Caledonian pine wood to an Aberdeen timber merchant. Successive generations of the Royal Family have looked after the forest since then – the Prince of Wales can often be spotted hereabouts. It is one of the largest remnants of the ancient Caledonian forest in the UK, with many trees more than 400 years old.
There are some 3,000 hectares of woodland on Balmoral Estate, of which more than 400 hectares of ancient Caledonian forest is protected from deer. Under the canopy there is a rich mix of heather, blaeberry and native saplings.
The Balmoral woodlands provide an important habitat for a population of capercaillie, the world’s largest species of grouse. The Scottish crossbill is also found here.
Queen Victoria called Glas-allt-Shiel her widow’s house 
At 1,155m, Lochnagar, or Beinn Chìochan in Gaelic, is one of the most popular Munros for climbers and walkers
3 BOTHY AND CASTLE
Further on, a track to the right leads to the Gelder Shiel Bothy, which is worth a look for its atmospheric situation by the bubbling Gelder Burn.
This is also a lovely spot to stop for a picnic.
Built in 1865, the bothy was originally a stable and later a stalking refuge. It sits behind the main building, an attractive granite cottage used by the Royal Family. The 3.5-mile return leads back the same way, towards the castle.
It’s recommended to pre-book your visit to the castle. The grounds, gardens, exhibitions, gift shops and coffee shop will be open to the public daily from 1 April to 2 August this year.
Balmoral Estate From 1 April to 2 August 2022, the opening hours are 10am to 5pm; £15 for an adult.
Book at balmoralcastle.com
Fergal MacErlean is an outdoors writer who loves exploring Scotland on foot and by bike. Photos: Alamy, Geograph / Nigel Corby
TWO MORE DAYS OUT IN ROYAL DEESIDE
LOCH MUICK CIRCUIT WALK
Follow a seven-mile route around Loch Muick, part of the Queen’s Balmoral Estate, and enjoy wild mountain views.
1 Arrive early to get a parking place (fee applies) at the end of the road up Glen Muick. Walk past the Spittal of Glen Muick Visitor Centre – look at the wildlife board for a record of recent sightings – keeping right at a fork, to soon take a path on the right that crosses the River Muick. Broad Cairn dominates at the far end of the loch.
2 Pass a boathouse to walk beside the loch shore. This leads to the remote Glas-allt-Shiel– a seldom-used lodge built by Queen Victoria for quiet retreats following the death of Prince Albert. Follow the water’s edge to round the loch; look out for golden eagle and red deer.
3 Further on, the path climbs to join a track at a bridge. Cross the bridge for the return route, where you may see adders near the path.
VICTORIAN HERITAGE TRAIL
The Victorian Heritage Trail is a 76-mile drive to emblematic castles and locations associated with Queen Victoria in Royal Deeside and surrounding areas. Best followed as a four-day trip, the route is posted with brown signs. This slimmed-down version of the route visits four key sites over 43 miles.
1 Start from the Royal Deeside Railway Station, at Milton of Crathes.
Experience a real royal journey as you travel by steam train for one mile along the original track.
2 Then it’s on to the lovely Victorian village of Ballater where many of the shops proudly display Royal Warrants. Visit the Royal Station, painstakingly restored after a devastating fire in 2015.
3 Enjoy the drive to Balmoral Estate, known as the ‘heart of Royal Deeside’. The castle sits proudly amid the Scots pines, a firm favourite with visitors and royalty alike.
4 Finish the Victorian Heritage Trail with a guided tour of Braemar Castle, which Queen Victoria visited in 1849 to attend Highland games at the Braemar Gathering.
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