Royal Property in Scotland: 6 Examples of Scottish sites owned by British Royalty
Have you ever wondered how much property the British royals own in Scotland? After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, we learned about her ‘home away from home’ Balmoral Castle, the Scottish Highlands estate where she died. As the coronation of King Charles III looms closer, many are asking again how much of Scotland is owned by royalty?
Ancient buildings aside, we also have Crown Estate Scotland which is a “self-financing public corporation of the Scottish Government responsible for the management of land and property in Scotland owned by the monarch 'in right of the Crown' i.e, King Charles.
According to the Scottish Government this “includes leasing of the seabed out to 12 nautical miles, 37,000 hectares of rural land; rights to most naturally-occurring gold and silver; and approximately half of Scotland’s foreshore including 5,800 licensed moorings; 750 aquaculture sites; and salmon fishing rights.”
The UK Government also notes Bona Vacantia (Vacant Goods) which refers to “ownerless property” which “by law passes to the Crown.” Here’s a few examples of residences owned by the Royal Family and what the Crown owns.
1. Balmoral Castle
Located in the Scottish Highlands, the Balmoral estate has been privately owned by the British Royals since 1852. It spans over 20,000 hectares and is the place where Prince Philip and the Queen would go for a summer retreat. The architect behind the castle was William Smith of Aberdeen but his designs were augmented by Prince Albert. Photo: via Wallpaper Flare
2. Birkhall
According to Royal Palaces: “Birkhall, a 6,000 acre estate with an early eighteenth century house, is the neighbouring estate to Balmoral purchased by Prince Albert in 1849.” Birkhall is the location where the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall reportedly had their honeymoon in 2005. Photo: YouTube Screenshot via Wiki4All
3. Craigowan Lodge
Craigowan Lodge is another property situated in the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire. The stone house boasts seven bedrooms and is located roughly one mile away from Balmoral Castle. You can find many other buildings in the estate including well-known lodges like Delnadamph or Tam-Na-Ghar cottage. Photo: YouTube Screenshot via DSDS 2023
4. The Palace of Holyroodhouse
As written on the Royal Family website: The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the Monarchy in Scotland. Founded as a monastery in 1128 at the end of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, the Palace of Holyroodhouse has a close association with the History of Scotland.” It is officially the property of the Crown. Photo: graeme_pow on Flickr