Balmoral Castle, Ballater: Photos, Reviews & Location

Scottish Baronial-style mansion & summer home of the royal family, with a ballroom art collection.

At a glance

Rating breakdown

5 ★62%
4 ★22%
3 ★9%
2 ★3%
1 ★4%

What reviewers talk about

Share of 16 recent reviews that mention each topic.

Price & value38%
View25%
Service & staff25%
Waiting & crowds13%
Cleanliness13%

Balmoral Estates, Ballater AB35 5TB, United Kingdom

balmoralcastle.com

+44 1339 742534

Photos of Balmoral Castle (170)

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Quick facts

What is the rating of Balmoral Castle?: Balmoral Castle is rated 4.4 out of 5 based on 9,187 reviews.
Where is Balmoral Castle located?: Balmoral Estates, Ballater AB35 5TB, United Kingdom
What do visitors mention most about Balmoral Castle?: Most often: price & value, view, service & staff (from 16 recent reviews).
How can I contact Balmoral Castle?: Phone: +44 1339 742534 · Website: balmoralcastle.com

Reviews (16)

Emilia Czop 2024 Apr 26

Beautiful castle. Very well taken care of and staff are very polite. The toilets outside are clean and there’s maps around the place that help with where you’re going.

DOVETAILCARPENTRY1990 2024 Apr 24

Balmoral castle is a great place to visit with amazing gardens and grounds to explore.
The Ballroom is not open to the public at the moment along with some areas of the grounds but we had a brilliant afternoon exploring the gardens and viewing the alterations and landscaping taking place.
The vision of the King for the new planting within the grounds is exciting and will be worth a return visit in the future.

We also had a very pleasant walk along the river path and although there were other visitors and despite a group of very noisy sports cars our walk was very peaceful.

On our way from Braemar to Balmoral 3 McLaren sports cars overtook us doing about 80 miles an hour. These 3 cars were definitely racing and nearly took a cyclist out on the opposite side of the road. There is no way that people like this should be allowed to parade their toys in the grounds of the castle and should definitely take some time to reflect and grow up !

Sinan Akgul 2024 Apr 04

A good walk in the woods with the view of the castle and a riverside walk. It took us around 1.5h to finish the green route. There’s also a nice coffee shop and a merchandise shop.

C & T VDH 2024 Mar 31

If you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth the visit not just for the history but for the walking trails and outdoor activities.

There are multiple gardens and numerous (4 or more) walking trails throughout the grounds that are open to the public. Pedestrians can walk the grounds and all the way up to the balmoral castle. When we visited, the castle was closed (not sure if guests are even allowed inside; pretty sure they are not as the home is still an active residence for the royals).

Beautiful views and walking paths near the river.

The cafe had pretty good cakes and other bakes, and the coffee (lattes especially) were good too.

The walking paths are very easy terrain with barely any slope or elevation change. Most paths are gravel or paved. Dogs and kids welcome. Can be busy and touristy.

I rated a four because there are definitely better hikes in the area but definitely still a neat visit for royal family and UK history.

Marc Dobson 2024 Mar 31

Visited over Easter weekend. Castle not yet open but grounds open and free of charge. Despite not being able to to inside really enjoyed being able to enjoy exploring the grounds without crowds despite being a holiday weekend. The shop and cafe was open, and really enjoyed the Balmoral Estate Venison Pie. Parking is still chargeable over the bridge at £5 per day, the machines take card payments.

Stuart Holden 2024 Mar 18

Visited on the way back home from Durness.
Very emotional as you walk through the gates, still hasn't sunk in!
Beautiful, historic place, great walks, very dog friendly, disabled facilities, on site toilets, cafe and gift shop onsite.
Car park is pay and display (not working at the time so free parking).
Well worth a visit.
God save the king.

Ian Parkinson 2024 Mar 03

This is our second visit to Balmoral, have to say it never disappoints. OK so the castle isn't open to the public, but the grounds are and are so nice to walk around. Dogs are also welcome, and are allowed in the cafe.

John vanDieken 2024 Feb 17

One of the best days out in Scotland, come before the royals arrive in late summer so you have access to the entire grounds. The cafe is excellent and not expensive, the history is fabulous and extensive. Well worth the trip.

Julie Reece 2023 Oct 24

Beautiful. Helpful security staff who guided us to disabled parking. Once inside the grounds we enjoyed the beauty of Balmoral. Stunning. Even heard and caught sight of an eagle flying overhead. Visited the cafe and shop. All staff very happy and friendly.

Don Harberts 2023 Oct 23

Does not get better! Awesome to be able to walk the grounds and have cup of tea with scones at the cafe! was nice to be able to to enjoy the grounds and have a seat to enjoy the beauty. Nice walk along the river and enjoy the beauty of nature! Would highly recommend going here any time of the year

Gary Kilgour 2023 Oct 17

What an absolutely fabulous place. The short time we had walking around was amazing. We are back up for the new year and will be visiting again, hopefully have a quick brew with my mate Charles.

Joseph Burt 2023 Oct 15

Beautiful grounds and beautiful café in the Mews area. Walk along the river Dee. Walk around the grounds and visit the Highland cows near the cricket grounds. The lawn in front of the of the castle entrance is well manicured.

Yonek Adi 2023 Oct 14

The castle is very impressive, has a lot of historic significance, you get to stay where the royal family ate and laughed. The gardens are milimetricaly trimmed and everything is arranged.
The castle (outside) and the gardens were free to visit, but we had to pay £5 for the car park.

Spirit of Selkie 2023 Oct 08

What a beautiful palace. The King or family were in residence when we visited and we didn't manage to view the actual castle from the inside.

The gardens & grounds are beautiful...as one would expect given it was Queen Elizabeth's favourite place.

The vegetable & flower gardens are beautiful.even in October and the formal grounds are certainly impressive.

Reed B 2023 Sep 06

While I do think Balmoral Castle is worth a visit, it is important to realize that you are basically paying (a hefty fee!) to visit the beautiful castle grounds. There is very little of the actual castle that you can visit, and in that small ballroom section that you can, you can’t take photos or video. There is (of course) a well appointed cafe and gift shop and clean toilets. There’s a small paid parking lot a short walk from the ticket booth. It’s quite a bit of walking if you want to explore the majority of the grounds so keep that in mind.