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Today is Queen Elizabeth II’s 91st birthday. And while she’s no doubt focused on her subjects on this day, perhaps she’ll soon get time for a little R&R. And where exactly does the Queen of England like to go in order to unwind? Scotland, of course, and Balmoral Castle in particular.
The queen’s quarters are not somewhere you can rent—no matter how savvy of a traveler you may be. But you can (shockingly) rent a cottage or lodge on or around its surrounding grounds.
In total, there are seven homes of various sizes available to book. At all the dwellings, you can arrange for home-cooked meals. A local freelance chef is another option others often opt for. To find out about availability—and price—prospective travelers must fill out an electronic inquiry. In the online form, you can rank two cottages in accordance to your preference. Karim Cottage, Rhebreck Lodge, and the Colt Cottages are all located on Balmoral’s grounds. Karim can fit up to eight people, while Rhebreck only fits seven. The Colt Cottages (of which there are two), can each house five.
Farther afield—roughly three miles west of the castle—is Connachat Cottage, which can accommodate eight people. Finally, there are Alltnaguibhsaich Lodge and Garbh Allt Shiel—the two most difficult to pronounce of your options. Garbh, which is about five miles west of the castle, and located on the edge of the Ballochbuie Forest, fits eight people. Alltnaguibhsaich, out near Glen Muick, fits 12. So gather your friend group, or extended family members, and round up the corgis. It’s time to vacation right near Her Majesty.