Trip Planner: Europe / UK / Scotland / Aberdeenshire / Ballater / Balmoral Castle

Balmoral Castle, Ballater

3.5

#2 of 63 in Historic Sites in Aberdeenshire

Castle · Tourist Spot

Create an itinerary including Balmoral Castle

Visit the grounds, gardens, and ballroom of the royal family's holiday retreat at Balmoral Castle. Take the rare opportunity to see original pieces of fine art and treasures, which normally reside within the private rooms of the Castle. Take an audio tour through the gardens and exhibitions inside the stable block. Take one of the waymarked trails along the river or up to a hillside view, and walk in the footsteps of the royals. To visit Balmoral Castle and other attractions in Ballater, use our Ballater online tour itinerary planner.

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Tours to Balmoral Castle

BOOK WITH VIATOR Balmoral & Royal Deeside Tour

4.8

Duration: 7h 30min

Tours from $82 ›

BOOK WITH VIATOR Balmoral tour from Inverness

5.0

Duration: 8h

Tours from $367 ›

BOOK WITH VIATOR Northern Highlights Sightseeing Pass

Duration: 24h - 2160h

Tours from $25 ›

Balmoral Castle reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating

1,601 reviews

Google

4.3

By 691paulineg

Hugely disappointing. We brought two friends who are staying from USA to visit. £16.50 each for entry ( family group a bit cheaper) no concessions for those of us over 65 You had to pay to get to...

Hugely disappointing. We brought two friends who are staying from USA to visit. £16.50 each for entry ( family group a bit cheaper) no concessions for those of us over 65 You had to pay to get to... more »
By Larksky15

Terrible. £extra 5.00 to park. One cold and miserable indoor ballroom. Overpriced coffee and scones. Gardens scruffy and unloved. Save your money

Terrible. £extra 5.00 to park. One cold and miserable indoor ballroom. Overpriced coffee and scones. Gardens scruffy and unloved. Save your money more »
By milmicfau

One room with pictures and 4 clothing exhibits is not good,gardens were shabby,vegatable gardens overgrown with weeds.Wheelchair access difficult.What the place took care of very well was high,high...

One room with pictures and 4 clothing exhibits is not good,gardens were shabby,vegatable gardens overgrown with weeds.Wheelchair access difficult.What the place took care of very well was high,high... more »

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Google

By suganthan sivananthan

I enjoyed this place. The ticket costs £15pp which includes a detailed map and a very informative audio tour. Garden and wood places are nice for walking. Can't explore inside the Castle building except for the ballroom. It took 90 minutes to explore the area. I strongly recommend buying tickets in advance.

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By Dr Teebs

Wonderful place to visit in Scotland. The ticket costs £ 15 to enter and includes maps and a detailed audio tour. There's a cafe, gift shop and a hiking trail. The ballroom is also accessible but there's no photography allowed inside. The castle and the land is absolutely beautiful. If you hike towards the top, you can see the whole castle from there (picture included). Overall, a very enjoyable trip with family/friends or alone (if that's what you prefer).

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By Chris French

We where in the area staying at Ballater and decided last minute to pop to Balmoral Castle. It’s about £15pp to enter the grounds. Oh. Also £5 to park the car all day just a minutes walk from the entrance. Lots of beautiful walks through the estate and the castle is wonderful. You are only allowed into one room of the castle as it’s the queens personal residence. There was a lovely display in there made up of about 2000 floating glass salmon ( had been on display at the Glasgow climate change conference prior) and some information about the estate. I found it quite interesting. There’s also a coffee shop and gift shop both nicely stocked. All round well worth a visit. Shame the queen didn’t invite us up for afternoon tea 😉

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By Alev B.

Loved the place.Very well maintained and organized. There's a "corgi challenge" going on for kids all over the castle, which makes the tour even more exciting. Must visit if you're in the area. Spare about three hours, because you're going to want to stop by the Cafe and the Gift shop.

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By Chris Munro

What a awesome day!!!!!! The grounds were impeccable and the staff were amazing. We spent 5 hours here today and it was absolutely brilliant. Cafe on the grounds was reasonably priced and the red velvet cake was to die for. Thanks for an amazing day !!!!!

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