JASPER AND TOMMY'S ADVENTURES IN SCOTLAND: The Balmoral Cairns, Balmoral Estate, Aberdeenshire

Friday 30 June 2023

The Balmoral Cairns, Balmoral Estate, Aberdeenshire

Jasper and Tommy at Purchase Cairn, Balmoral (click / tap to enlarge)

We recently took a trip up to Balmoral to visit the cairns dotted around the estate. It's a very unique and interesting 6.2 mile circular walk, that takes in 8 of the cairns, including the largest and most impressive, Prince Albert's Cairn. The cairns were mostly erected for Queen Victoria to commemorate the marriages of her children. Purchase Cairn however, commemorates Albert's purchase of the castle and estate in 1852, while Prince Albert's Cairn was erected by Victoria as a memorial after Albert's death in 1861. The walk also takes in some great views over the castle and surrounding hills.

The path can be extremely muddy in wet weather but it's not too bad when it's dry. Walking boots are still recommended though, as the path is quite rough and steep in places and there are still some minor muddy sections to navigate even in good weather. The walk is rather up and down, with roughly 380 metres of ascent in total.

Some sections of the walk can be pretty busy and you are also likely to find cyclists along the route. It's therefore best to have dogs on lead where it's busy, unless they have excellent recall / walk to heel training. Take care along the road sections near the start of the walk and as usual watch out for ticks at this time of year too.

The castle and grounds are advertised as being open until the 16th August 2023 and so the cairns walk out in the wider estate, should also be accessible until then too. Check the Balmoral Castle & Estate website for any changes / restrictions before visiting and especially if you're planning to undertake the walk after the 16th August.

Parking is at the main Crathie car park and costs £5 (can pay by cash or card). The cairns walk is outside the castle grounds and you therefore do not need to pay the castle / grounds entry fee on top of the parking, unless you are planning to also visit the castle / gardens. Links to the car park and a map of the route can be found at the end of the article.

The route includes a temporary diversion in place near the start of the walk. This is due to the repair work being undertaken on the pedestrian suspension bridge over the River Dee. The bridge is due to reopen Autumn 2023.

All images can be clicked / tapped to enlarge. Information is current as of our last visit in June 2023.

Hope you enjoy the photos!