The Balmoral Pyramid

Hidden among the trees in the woods surrounding the Balmoral Castle in Royal Deeside, Scotland, are eleven stone cairns erected by Queen Victoria in honour of her family, the largest being an impressive pyramid built to commemorate the death of her beloved husband.

The Balmoral Estate was bought by Prince Albert in 1852 as a gift for his wife, Queen Victoria. Because the residence that originally stood on the property was not befitting the Royal Family, Prince Albert built a bigger castle about a 100 yards to the old building, while continuing to live in the old residence during the period the new Castle was being built. After the Castle was completed in 1856, the old building was demolished. In memory of the demolished structure, a stone was placed on the exact spot where the front door stood.

Balmoral Castle.

Balmoral Castle. Photo: Marc/Flickr

Commemorating important events in her life with stone was something Queen Victoria picked up soon after. She erected a “Purchase Cairn” to mark the acquisition of the estate by her husband, and a cairn for each of her nine children, with the exception of Prince Alfred, which is a mystery. These stone cairns were erected to celebrate their marriages.

After Prince Albert’s death, Queen Victoria built several monuments to her husband on the estate, the largest of which was a pyramid-shaped cairn on top of a small hill. The huge four-sided structure was built using granite and measures 41 feet by 41 feet at the base. The inscription on the pyramid reads:

To the beloved memory of Albert the great and good Prince Consort. Erected by his broken hearted widow Victoria R. 21st August 1862.

The cairn dedicated to Prince Albert

The cairn dedicated to Prince Albert. Photo: Rab Lawrence/Flickr

After Albert's death, the mourning Victoria began to spend increasing periods at Balmoral, staying for as long as four months a year during early summer and autumn. During this period she erected various monuments and cairns around the estate. When her dependable servant John Brown died, she also erected a cairn to his name, but had to tear it down at the behest of her eldest son Edward VII who disliked Brown.

The Balmoral estate continues to serve as one of the residences of the British royal family, owned by the Queen and is not part of the Crown Estate. Although the estate itself is private property, the castle garden is open to public visit during spring.

The cairn dedicated to Prince Albert