The Queen’s Cherished Scotland

It was well-known that the late Queen Elizabeth II—who was laid to rest today at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle after a week of public mourning and 70 years as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch—found her greatest joy a little farther north.

Every summer, the royal family would retreat to the Highlands of Scotland, the highest region in the United Kingdom, for weeks of tranquility at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire. This tradition dates back to Queen Victoria, who coveted this beautiful, windswept moorland since the 1850s, especially a smaller castle deemed too petite but perfectly located. Prince Albert purchased the estate and gifted it to his wife, who then had the castle demolished. The current Balmoral Castle was completed in 1856 and now encompasses 50,000 acres and 150 buildings, with the nearby town of Braemar, just a 10-minute drive from the estate, growing alongside it.

“I believe Granny is happiest there,” Princess Eugenie shared in the documentary The Queen at Ninety. “I think she truly loves the Highlands.”

Regarding a typical day at Balmoral, Eugenie remarked it mostly involved “walks, picnics, dogs—lots of dogs, there are always dogs—and visitors coming and going constantly. … [It was] a wonderful place for Granny and Grandpa, where we could visit them, with ample space to breathe and run.”

Indeed, there’s ample space to breathe and run: Even beyond the cozy walls of a royal estate, the U.K.’s largest national park, the sprawling 1,748-square-mile Cairngorms, awaits. (I mention “here” because I’m currently writing this from a desk at the Fife Arms in Braemar.) Adventurers flock to the Cairngorm Mountains to “bag some Munros”—which means to conquer Scotland’s tallest peaks, a list of 282 compiled by mountaineer Sir Hugo Munro. However, simply stepping outside for a stroll in these areas is uplifting for the spirit, whether through woodlands or across the moors, just as Queen Elizabeth often did with her family and her beloved corgis.

It’s quite ironic that the monarchy found solace in this region of Scotland: During the drive up from Edinburgh along an ancient military road, a commemorative stone marks the Jacobite rebellion of 1715 just outside Braemar. (For a brief history recap: The Jacobite rising of 1715 was the unsuccessful attempt by James Edward Stuart to reclaim the thrones of England, Ireland, and Scotland for the Catholic Stuart line.) Thankfully, the locals here have a fantastic sense of humor—a characteristic shared by some of the friendliest people in the world. (It’s true: They’ve been recognized for it.)

“I have previously expressed my deep and enduring love for this magnificent country,” the Queen stated in a speech to the Scottish Parliament last year. “It is the people who create a place, and few places exemplify this truth more than Scotland.”

As one local shared with me today, in Scotland, they neither look down on anyone nor look up. “We are equals,” he remarked. Perhaps that’s why Queen Elizabeth II could simply be Lilibet while in Aberdeenshire—sleeves rolled up, doing the dishes after Philip finished grilling dinner.

“You might think I’m joking, but I assure you I’m not,” former Prime Minister Tony Blair remarked in his autobiography, A Journey: My Political Life. “They don their gloves and plunge their hands into the sink. When the Queen inquires if you’re done, she gathers the plates and heads to the sink.”

The Queen’s impact throughout Scotland

St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh: Shortly after her coronation at the age of 25, Queen Elizabeth II spent a week in Scotland, which included a dedication at the Old Town cathedral on June 24, 1953. St. Giles also served as one of her final resting places as her coffin traveled from Balmoral to Edinburgh before proceeding to Westminster Abbey and ultimately to Windsor Castle.

Royal Yacht Britannia, Leith: The Britannia was launched from Clydebank, Scotland, in 1953, serving the Royal Family for over 44 years and covering a million nautical miles. It was decommissioned in 1997 and now stands as a prominent tourist attraction in Leith.

Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh: The Queen would conduct meetings (and host garden parties) at this palace nestled beneath Arthur’s Seat, an ancient volcano and the tallest hill in Edinburgh. The relatively new Scottish Parliament, established in 1999, is right next door.

Glamis Castle, Angus: Queen Elizabeth II’s mother was born Lady Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes Lyon, the youngest daughter of Lord and Lady Glamis, in Angus, north of Dundee. Glamis Castle served as a convalescent hospital during World War I, where Lady Elizabeth cared for wounded soldiers. Princess Margaret was born here, and both she and Elizabeth II enjoyed joyful days picnicking and horseback riding at Glamis Castle.