Balmoral: The Right to Roam and the Royal Family

6/24/2015 4:15:26 PM

The Balmoral Estate is vast. On this map of Scottish estates it’s the area in the centre of the image bounded by purple lines, extended south from Easter Balmoral and Braemar, over Lochnagar and Loch Muick, almost to Glen Clova. For most this area, the usual right to roam laws apply, even when the Royal Family are in residence; only the area north of Lochnagar is problematic. If your plans involve walking in the mountains around Loch Muick, perhaps climbing Lochnagar, you won’t have any difficulty at all. That whole area, including the Spittal of Glenmuick carpark, is open throughout the summer, regardless of whether the Royal Family is there.

The Queen usually spends August and September in Balmoral, and when she is staying in the castle, and security is tight in the area immediately around the castle. If you want to avoid hassle, I’d simply avoid the whole of the forested area on the south bank of the Dee, between Easter Balmoral and Invercauld. Legally the situation is complex. Legislation exists that could be applied to Balmoral to introduce the offence of criminal trespass, but for various reasons Balmoral was excluded from the list of designated protection sites. As trespass doesn’t really exist in Scotland, this means there’s no legal grounds to keep you out unless there’s a specific security concern.

This means that some days you can walk on the estate tracks in Deeside, and on other days you may be asked to turn back. If you remain reasonable, the worst that will happen is that you have to extend or curtail your walk because the planned route is unavailable. You mention Ballochbuie Forest, but I’m afraid I’m less familiar with that end of the estate. Out of season, the Queen sometimes stays in one of the houses along the Loch Muich road, and Prince Charles owns another of them; if they happen to be there, the road and carpark remains open, albeit with extra security.

6/9/2015 11:20:25 PM

The walk is not advised for reasons of privacy of the Royal Family, because it is the Queen’s private house, not for any other reason.

The Queen and her family are guarded by police. However unless there are diplomats or other visitors, the Queen prefers not to have too many visible police about. One imagines that she goes up to her private house in Scotland to get away from all the police protection.

There are many people who work on Her Majesty’s estate, so seeing ordinary people is not really a surprise to her or the other royals.

If you happen to see the Queen out for a ride on her horse, you could simply say “Good day ma’am”.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2739083/Off-trotabout-The-Queen-goes-ride-near-Balmoral-estate.html

Credit:stackoverflow.com‘

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Hello,My name is Aparna Patel,I’m a Travel Blogger and Photographer who travel the world full-time with my hubby.I like to share my travel experience.

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