What do Balmoral Castle visitors get on the £150 tour?

United Kingdom, Scotland, Balmoral, Balmoral Castle, Queen Elizabeth II — Balmoral Castle is set to open to tours for the first time. (PA) (Sabrina Larcher, mauritius images GmbH)

Royal watchers can take a deeper glimpse inside Balmoral Castle for the first time this year, with tours set to kick off this summer.

Visitors to the historic building have previously only been able to see the grounds of the castle and its ballroom. But from July, other parts of the castle will be able to be visited for the first time since it was completed in 1855.

A statement on the website said: “You will learn about the origins of the castle and how it has been loved by generations of the Royal Family. Travel through time from the purchase of the Balmoral by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, through to present day, where you can see how rooms within the castle are used today by their Majesty’s The King and Queen and other members of the Royal Family.”

Guided tours will be available from 1 July to 4 August, before the King and Queen arrive for their summer break in Aberdeenshire. Details on what rooms will be able to be visited are scarce but Yahoo News UK has contacted Balmoral Castle for more information.

Windsor, England. UK. 31 March, 2024. King Charles lll and Queen Camilla attend the traditional Easter Service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle . Credit: Anwar Hussein/Alamy Live News — Guided tours of Balmoral Castle will be available before the King and Queen arrive for their summer break in Aberdeenshire. (Alamy) (Anwar Hussein)

How to book

Small group castle interior tours are being offered for £100 on the Balmoral Castle website. For £150 visitors will also get an afternoon tea on top of the tour. However the tour is an adult-only experience. Tickets are limited to just 40 tickets per day, with each group restricted to 10 people.

Tickets were initially selling fast for the interior tours after they were announced, with many of the earlier dates in the summer window sold out. On Wednesday afternoon, visitors trying to buy tickets had to wait, as they were put in an online queue due to high demand.

The Salmon School art installation, created by Joseph Rossano, on display in the Castle Ballroom at the opening of Life at Balmoral, the Platinum Jubilee exhibition at Balmoral Castle, in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire. Picture date: Wednesday March 30, 2022. — The ballroom at Balmoral Castle, pictured in 2022 for the Platinum Jubilee exhibition, is the largest room in the castle. (PA) (Andrew Milligan, PA Images)

Visitors trying to book the Balmoral Castle internal guide tour were initially put in an online queue on Wednesday due to demand.

The ballroom

The ballroom in Balmoral Castle has previously been part of limited tours and will again feature in the new tour. It is the largest room in the castle and is used by the Royal Family for large gatherings and dances. The ballroom was the last room to be completed. Underneath the carpet is the original yew wooden floor, which has seen many dances.

'Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire (2001)', a watercolour painted by King Charles III which forms part of a new exhibition 'His Majesty The King's Watercolours', a collection of over 40 watercolours by King Charles III which opens to the public on Saturday in the Ballroom at Sandringham House in Norfolk. Picture date: Thursday March 30, 2023. (Photo by Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images) — A watercolour of Balmoral Castle painted by King Charles, who is an avid artist. (PA) (Joe Giddens - PA Images via Getty Images)

Charles’s paintings

Charles, whose paintings will be on display at the castle, is an avid painter and has previously spoke fondly of his hobby, saying it “transports me into another dimension”.

His art has been displayed at exhibitions, “represent more than anything else, my particular form of ‘photograph album’ and, as such, means a great deal to me,”, the King added. He added: “It all requires the most intense concentration and, consequently, is one of the most relaxing and therapeutic exercises I know."

Afternoon tea

Visitors to Balmoral Castle can already enjoy an afternoon tea but those on the castle interior tour will need to pay an extra £50 for afternoon tea during their experience. The castle restaurant provides the afternoon tea, which consists of a selection of sandwiches, scones and cakes. Vegetarian and gluten free versions are also offered.

Prince Albert’s Pyramid on the summit of Craig an Lurachain on the Balmoral Estate, Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK — Prince Albert’s Pyramid can be seen while walking on the grounds of Balmoral Castle. (PA) (Angus McComiskey)

The grounds

The grounds of Balmoral Castle is full of trees and grassland that offers visitors some of Scotland’s most scenic walking routes. Among those is Albert’s Pyramid Walk, where visitors can see the Prince Albert Pyramid and other commemorative cairns. The castle’s water garden is also a place for animal lovers to spot some of the local wildlife that visit the castle.

The gardens

The gardens have been expanded and improved by the Royal Family throughout the years after they were started under the supervision of Prince Albert. The garden was devised between 1923 and 1925 by Queen Mary and have since been extended to some three acres.

The gardens of Balmoral Castle have been expanded and improved by the Royal Family throughout the years. (PA)

They house a range of Victorian glasshouses and the conservatory. Visitors will be able to see new planting designs that have begun under the King’s guidance. This year a new Thistle Maze, the Celtic Ballroom Maze and new topiary elements will be added, while new trees, shrub and 8,000 daffodils are being planted.

The exhibitions

On display at the castle will be a collection of Charles’s watercolour paintings depicting scenery at Balmoral, Highgrove and Sandringham. There will also be a display of outfits worn by the King and Queen and other members of the Royal Family.

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