HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh have travelled up to the Balmoral Estate from Windsor Castle to spend their summer

So, I thought I’d do a quick thread about Balmoral, and the sort of activities and country sports the Royals get up to while there

/ 𝑻𝑯𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫

Balmoral Castle, and the surrounding estate, has been the Scottish home of the RF since it was purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852 after four years of protracted negotiations

Wanting a larger space, the Prince decided to build a new castle on the estate

Designed by architect William Smith, construction began on the 28th September 1853, the same date that Queen Victoria laid a foundation stone for the Castle

The Castle was completed in 1856, and has largely stayed true to when it was inhabited by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

Every year, Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh spend their summer months at Balmoral Castle, where they are visited by their family members

Country people at heart, the Royal Family often engages in a number of different country sports throughout the summer, in addition to hosting regular barbecues, picnics, and spending time outdoors as a family

One of the country sports they enjoy is riding on the grounds of the estate. The Queen and Prince Philip’s children and grandchildren are skilled riders, and have been photographed riding during their stays at Balmoral

The Royals also enjoy going for walks in grounds surrounding their Scottish highland home — obviously with the dogs coming along with them too!

Of course, they also enjoy a spot of fly fishing

𝑭𝒖𝒏 𝑭𝒂𝒄𝒕 / Fly fishing is different to normal fishing as it uses a light weight lure to catch fish. The method of casting a line is different to other methods of fishing too

Throughout their stay, the Royals also visit surrounding farms in the area

Though controversial to some, the Royal Family also participate in grouse shooting on the estate to keep populations of the game bird in control

The shoot is dependent on numbers of grouse — in 2019, the annual grouse shoot was cancelled due to lower numbers of the bird

Every year, the Royal Family also hosts the annual Ghillies’ Ball, attended by The Queen and her family members

𝐹𝑢𝑛 𝐹𝑎𝑐𝑡: 𝐺ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠' 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑓𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 ℎ𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑠

It’s a well known fact that The Queen looks forward to the summer months she and her family spend at Balmoral Castle, and with such a variety of activities available, and such striking natural beauty, that doesn’t come as a surprise at all

𝑭𝒖𝒏 𝑭𝒂𝒄𝒕 / While at Balmoral Castle, the Royal Family are permitted to wear The Balmoral Tartan

It was designed in 1853 by Prince Albert, and it’s colours are meant to match the colour of granite in Aberdeenshire, where the estate is located