Picnic spot enjoyed by Queen Victoria at Balmoral saved from ruin

A picnic spot enjoyed by Queen Victoria on her visits to Balmoral has been saved from ruin by the National Trust for Scotland.

The picnic cottage in woodlands near Linn of Quoich on Mar Lodge Estate, Scotland’s largest national nature reserve, close to Braemar, has been restored to its former glory with contractors completing the building work this autumn.

The cottage, built by Princess Louise, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria, around 1850, was saved from disrepair after it was placed on the Buildings at Risk register.

The property was in a poor state when the Trust acquired Mar Lodge Estate in 1975, and subsequent works had taken place to stabilise its condition including fixing walls and installing a new roof and shingles in the past.

Contractors initially focused on clearing rubble from inside the dwelling, before repointing mortar and harling on the cottage walls, dismantling dormer windows and installing doors, windows and floors to make it watertight and accessible.

In addition to repairing the fabric of the building, a covered wooden porch was added to the exterior of the property to help reinstate the cottage’s original features that were discovered during research for the project.

‘Our archival research and subsequent archaeological survey showed that there used to be a porch on the property, with our archaeologists discovering post holes for the structure during research on site,’ David Frew, Head of Mar Lodge Estate, said.

‘We have tried to reinstate this sympathetically with the help of our architects Moxon and archival architectural drawings, so that it’s in keeping with the rest of the property and the 19^th century period when it was originally constructed.

‘The building is a fascinating look back at how the royals used to spend their free time and we’re incredibly proud to see it restored to how it was in its heyday when Queen Victoria and the royal family would holiday in Balmoral.

Visitors will be able to to experience the new cottage when it officially reopens in 2025.

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