Built of local granite and bristling with towers and turrets, Balmoral epitomizes the romantic vision of Scotland prevalent in Victorian England. The Aberdeenshire Estate has been the private property of the Royal Family since 1852, when it was acquired by Prince Albert.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert first visited Scotland in 1842, two years after their marriage. Captivated by its beauty, which Albert felt was "very Germanic," it was the first of several visits. Their enthusiasm undamped by their experience of the rainy weather, they set about finding a highland retreat of their own.

The search began in Deeside at the suggestion of the royal physician, who recommended the area for its gentler climate. Advised by Lord Aberdeen—who had inherited the lease on the estate from his brother—the royal couple bought the lease on Balmoral blind. Both instantly loved the estate when they arrived there for the first
time in September 1848. "All seemed to breathe freedom and peace, and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils," wrote Victoria in her diary. Albert, on the other hand, found that the landscape reminded him of his Thuringian roots, and prominent
artists including Edwin and Charles Landseer were soon commissioned to paint Balmoral landscapes.

The house was deemed pretty, but it was far too small to meet the needs of their growing family and a stream of official visitors. The initial plan to extend the house was soon abandoned: ever more enamored of the property, they began negotiations to buy out the landowner in 1849, with a view to building a completely new house.

Albert and Victoria finally managed to buy the Balmoral Estate, and that of neighboring Birkhall, outright in 1852. On September 28, 1853, Victoria laid the foundation stone of their new house on a site just to the north of the existing building. It was designed by local Aberdeen architect William Smith with "amendments" by Prince Albert. The result was an extremely cleverly planned country house formed of two quadrangular blocks, broadly arranged on a diagonal, each with its own courtyard, and a passage linking them together. One block was devoted to the kitchen, household offices, and the ballroom (the only public room); the other provided the family and intimate guests with the privacy they craved.