There wasn’t a huge number of demands made to my ever tolerant husband about this years 2 week tour around Scotland but after seeing a TikTok about Prince Albert’s Cairn I made my demands clear and he ensured to get us a caravan site within a reasonable drive to visit. I’m not entirely sure what I expected but it definitely was not what was delivered!
Key Information
- Distance: Approx. 6 miles (up and back).
- Time: 2-3 hours
- Difficulty: Tough hike in parts as it did feel quite steep.
- Dog-Friendly: Yes, dogs are welcome on the trail.
- Cost: £5 for parking at the estate’s car park.
1: The Journey
The drive from Nethercraig Caravan Park was about an hour long, and the kids remained glued to their tech for the most part, despite the lack of signal. My hubbie, on the other hand, was happy to simply take in the scenery, commenting that a drive through the Scottish countryside is never a chore. We took the Deeside Tourist Route which goes through Perth, on to Blairgowrie, and continues up to Balmoral. It’s known for its stunning mountain landscapes and is often considered one of the most beautiful drives in Scotland. The road itself is the highest public road in Britain, and it passes through the Cairngorms National Park
2: Free (other than parking)
You do not need to pay to hike around the Royal Estate making it a great option for a family day out. We parked in the car park by Balmoral bridge and parking was £5 for the whole day and despite the car parks being tight and busy with a lot of people coming and going, we managed to get parked relatively easily. We then walked over the bridge to the entrance to Balmoral and turned left down, walking along side the road – a word of caution, there are no footpaths.
Once off the main road, the hike started Relatively gently over well maintained roads then we turned on to the main trail where the incline increased and and track was narrower and uneven. We were enclosed by trees and silence, it was absolutely magical. We came upon Princess Beatrice’s Cairn first, which was positioned part way up of the main hike. It was built to commemorate the marriage of Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice, to Prince Henry of Battenberg. I was tired from walking up carrying a backpack so I hate to think how they coped carrying all these stones but we continued on to Prince Alberts Cairn.
Walking further and further up, the path became steeper and more cumbersome, Definitely not suitable for pushchairs, wheelchairs or small children. It felt like we were in another world and Mr Tumnus might make an appearance. I’m not ashamed to admit I had to have a sit down and re-group before we tackled the last stretch. The boys at this point both had big sticks to help with the climb, I’m not sure how carrying a large, quite heavy stick helped but they were happy.
When the trees cleared and we reached the clearing it was absolutely breathtaking. Firstly, to see a pyramid on top of a cliff in the UK but also because of the absolutely stunning views. We were blessed by the gorgeous weather and astounded by the magical scenery. As we sat facing the view and stuffing our faces with our sarnies, the kids remarked how fantastic it was and that it was absolutely worth the walk and the drive. We decided to go back down the same route as we were unsure how long the other routes would take us and the boys were tired (me too).
The dogs gave it four paws and thoroughly enjoys the smells and the fresh air. We didn’t let them off the lead due to the number of people passing by (not loads but the paths are narrow) and it just didn’t feel particularly safe to do so with the steep drops of the path. I wish we had planned the day better and got to see more of the amazing cairns but Prince Alberts is definitely the golden prize.
I am really curious to know how they actually got all those big stones up there. Does anybody know?
