A ROYAL RETREAT IN SCOTLAND: THE CROWN/ARDVERIKIE ESTATE

Not being the most ardent royalist, I resisted all the hype surrounding the Netflix series The Crown until recently.  But with the latest series now upon us I decided to have a look at the earlier episodes to see what all the fuss is about, and to my surprise I am finding it rather good. 

Inevitably, a show such as The Crown will be full of sumptuous locations.  The interior of Buckingham Palace, for example, was shot in Wilton House near Salisbury, while Winchester Cathedral was used for the Churchill funeral scenes, and the Windsor Castle interiors were filmed at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire.  

One of the most scenic locations is that used to represent the Queen’s Scottish retreat Balmoral: Ardverikie Estate in Inverness-shire.  The estate, which in earlier times was the subject of a tug-of-war between the Macpherson and Mackintosh clans, forms the backdrop to the 19^th century baronial mansion Ardverikie House, formerly a hunting lodge and set on the shore of Loch Laggan, about 10 miles as the crow flies to the south of the more famous Loch Ness.  The present-day building is of typical Scottish baronial-style architecture, a riot of turrets and other grandiose grey-stone features.

Ardverikie House (2477752137). Photo by Bert Kaufmann, via Wikimedia Commons

Ardverikie Estate has form when it comes to featuring in royal scenes, as it was also used in the film Mrs Brown, starring Judi Dench as Queen Victoria.  It was during her reign that Balmoral was purchased by her husband Prince Albert.  As it happens, in real life the couple stayed at Ardverikie Estate in 1847 as the guests of James Hamilton, the Marquis of Abercorn and Groom of the Stole to Prince Albert.  The estate was also used for the fictional Glenbogle Estate in the BBC series Monarch of the Glen.

Fans of The Crown who want to immerse themselves in the Ardverikie/Balmoral experience can stay at Ardverikie Estate, which offers a range of self-catering accommodation. 

Map of the area.