Balmoral Castle **

Region: Aberdeen(shire) & Moray

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Description:

Although the first home at Balmoral was reportedly built in 1390, the property didn't enter into the British royal family until 1852, when Prince Albert purchased the estate as a gift for his wife, Queen Victoria, who loved the Scottish countryside and the Cairngorms especially. When the residence was deemed too small, the royal couple built an additional castle—the one that still exists today—to fit their growing family. The new structure was completed in 1856, and the other building was torn down. Now, the 50,000-acre estate features 150 buildings in total.