Paradise In The Highlands

We follow the Victorian Heritage Trail in Royal Deeside, Scotland, to discover the land that Queen Victoria fell hopelessly in love with

- Janice Hopper

When Queen Victoria wanted somewhere to escape to, it was to Royal Deeside in Aberdeenshire that she headed.

Victoria was so enamoured with the raw beauty of the Scottish countryside on her first visit in 1842 that by 1852 she’d secured land and her very own castle. Describing the landscape in her diary, she wrote: “All seemed to breathe freedom and peace”.

After a glorious rebuild, a new castle was completed for Victoria in 1856: Balmoral is still the Scottish holiday home of the Royal Family, where HM The Queen returns every summer. The area is rich in history and heritage, and it’s still possible to follow in the footsteps of Queen Victoria and experience what she referred to as “my dear paradise in the Highlands”.

One port of call worth making is the Royal Deeside Railway at Milton of Crathes, which offers return heritage journeys. Once leading all the way to Ballater, today’s passengers can get a sense of the steam rail journey Victoria would have taken along one mile of restored scenic track – the railways revolutionised travel across Britain, including that of the Royal Family. A Victorian station and railway carriage tearoom complete the picture.

One of the core attractions of Deeside for Victoria was the scenery, and the freedom it afforded her. Victoria and Albert went on pony treks into the wilds of Scotland, occasionally with just one servant in attendance. The couple also set off on ‘Great Expeditions’, as they called them, with their children, sometimes staying overnight in low-key inns where locals were unaware that they were in the company of royals. It was a true antidote to the family’s bustling London life.