The tourist industry is now so great in Scotland that it is a major part of the nation's economy. Part of the nation's appeal is it's wonderful countryside but it is Scotland's incredible history which helps create a vacation that is full of excitement, exploration and adventure. One of the main Scottish tourist attractions is Edinburgh Castle but there are a great many more castles in Scotland open to the public including Balmoral Castle in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire.

In 1603, when the thrones of Scotland and England were united, it seemed as though the Royal Family lost all interest in Scotland in preference to it's richer, southern, neighbor. It was not until 1822 that interest was generated by the famous author Sir Walter Scott when he arranged a visit for King George IV. The "one and twenty daft days", as it became known, was full of pageantry which included many embellishments of Scott's romantic ideas of medieval Scotland.

The romantic novels of Sir Walter Scott had created a powerful impression, of Scotland, upon the polite society of his day. King George IV had, during his visit of 1822, spent some time at the Balmoral Estate. Dating back to 1390, it was once home to a hunting lodge owned by King Robert II of Scotland and, over the following decades, the estate had been home to a number of earls. In 1842, following favorable reports from Sir James Clark, their doctor, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert decided to hire the estate, sight unseen, for a vacation.

Balmoral could not be more different than the places they had been used to but the couple fell in love with the place. Though the property in which they stayed was small, especially by comparison, Victoria and Albert enjoyed themselves immensely often taking long country walks together. It was not long before the estate became their favorite place and, in 1852, Prince Albert parted with roughly 30,000 to buy it outright.

Over the years the Royal Family grew and while Albert still managed to enjoy his shooting, and Victoria her country walks, it was apparent that the residence was becoming far too small to accommodate them. It was decided that a new residence was required which was to be designed by William Smith, and architect from Aberdeen, and named Balmoral Castle. The castle was built quickly and was completed in 1856.

Since Prince Albert purchased the estate it has remained the private property of the British Royal Family distinctly separate from the royal estate. As well as Balmoral Castle the, fully working, estate consists of over 100 buildings and 50,000 acres of land. It is also Queen Elizabeth II's summer retreat.

Balmoral Castle had witnessed some momentous personal moments in the history of the royal family. Of course Victoria and Albert had many happy memories and this was, most probably, the main reason why she spent so much time there following the death of Albert in 1861. In 1997 Queen Elizabeth II was heavily criticized in the British press for staying there rather than returning to London following the death of Diana the Princess of Wales. The 2006 movie "The Queen" highlighted this tragic period superbly and went some way in explaining her behaviour.

The royal family of Great Britain can easily afford to take the finest vacations. Indeed they spend a great deal of time traveling the globe and maybe this is the reason why Scotland has always appeared to be a place of private refuge. The present royal family of Queen Elizabeth II often visit remote Scottish islands such as the Isle of Harris in the Western Isles but it is their association with the Balmoral estate which is most widely known.