Birkhall

Birkhall (BerkHA; from the Scots Birk Hauch: "Birch River-meadow") is a 53,000 acre (210 km²) estate on Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located alongside the River Muick to the southwest of Ballater.

History

The property was built in 1715. The property was acquired from the Gordon family (owners of the Abergeldie estate) who had acquired it from the Farquharsone family. Birkhall was acquired by Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria, as part of the Balmoral estate in 1849 and given to his eldest son, Edward, Prince of Wales. Victoria bought Birkhall back to provide accommodation for her staff and extended family in 1884; Edward had only visited Birkhall once as he preferred the larger Abergeldie Castle. Birkhall was occupied by Dighton Probyn, Keeper of the Privy Purse to Edward VII and Comptroller to Queen Alexandra in the late 19th-century.

King George V lent Birkhall in the 1930s to the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) who holidayed here with their children, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. The house was redecorated by the Yorks who also replanted the gardens. The Yorks ascended to the throne in 1936, and the new King and Queen occupied Balmoral while Princess Elizabeth, her husband Prince Philip, and their children occupied Birkhall during in the late summer.