Yesterday we visited Glamis Castle, which was the Queen Mother’s childhood home, and where Princess Margaret was born. The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghome still resides at the castle. My favorite part was the chapel, where paintings of the 12 apostles surrounded the small room. Afterwards, we traveled north to Dunnottar Castle ruins, set on a high cliff overlooking the sea, on the east coast of Scotland. By the time we reached Stonehaven, entry to the ruins was closed. However, we were able to enjoy the location and take lots of photos, including the sheep grazing nearby. (There are many, many sheep, everywhere we go!) Then it was on to our lodging for the evening in Banchory.
Today (Thursday, May 8) we went on an extraordinary Expedition Tour of Balmoral Estate. I wish I had recorded it all. Our guide was excellent, and entertaining as he shared about the lands surrounding the castle, and showed us homes where staff and the royals actually stay when they are at Balmoral . The castle is used for “official “ functions, so when the family desires more privacy, they retire to other homes. King Charles has a home on the estate, and spends about 5-6 months per year here. We learned about some history, a lot about the conservation efforts being practiced by the King, and some of the infamous tales, as well.
The Estate cooperates with many local entities, one of which is the zoological society. They are involved in growing specific plants and providing beneficial resourcesn to improve habitats for species that are scarce in number. Black grouse and capercaillie are two bird species that the estate is currently working to improve habitats for. We learned about specificity in harvesting of forests – see an example: .https://youtube.com/shorts/gGwDj36vspM?si=-BHtKFlhFwm5uD-N
We saw beautiful forests, open moors for hunting, heather covered hills, waterfalls and streams, all while riding in what was formerly Prince Edward’s Range Rover 🫨. We saw a herd of red deer – drove practically right up to them! We saw where former villages were located long before the establishment of the estate. The whole tour took 2 hours and we were all amazed by the stunning scenery, and all we learned.
Then it was on to our cottage overlooking the famous Loch Ness, where we are bunking this evening. Tomorrow we search for Nessie! If you don’t hear from me……….