{{Short description|Cairns on the Balmoral estate in Scotland}} [[File:Cairn for Prince Albert Balmoral.JPG|thumb|220px|Cairn commissioned by Queen Victoria for Prince Albert]]{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}There are sixteen stone cairns on the Balmoral estate in Deeside, Scotland, including a single cairn on the adjoining Birkhall estate. The cairns commemorate members of the British royal family and events in their lives.<ref name="Titchmarsh2014">{{cite book|author=Alan Titchmarsh|title=The Queen's Houses|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MXXZoAEACAAJ|date=9 October 2014|publisher=Ebury Publishing|isbn=978-1-84990-217-5|page=147}}</ref> The majority of the cairns were erected by Queen Victoria.
==Cairns dedicated to Victoria's children== The cairns commemorate the marriages of Victoria's children, of the Princess Royal (to Frederick, Crown Prince of Prussia in 1858) located on Canup, Prince Albert Edward located on the Coyles of Muick, Princess Alice,<ref name="ScotPlaceAl">{{cite web|title=Balmoral Estate, Princess Alice's Cairn|url=http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/record/rcahms/120839/balmoral-estate-princess-alices-cairn/rcahms|work=Scotland's Places register|publisher=Scotland's Places|access-date=7 October 2014}}</ref> Princess Helena, Princess Louise,<ref name="ScotPlaceLou">{{cite web|title=Balmoral Estate, Princess Louise's Cairn|url=http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/record/rcahms/120843/balmoral-estate-princess-louises-cairn/rcahms|work=Scotland's Places register|publisher=Scotland's Places|access-date=7 October 2014}}</ref> Prince Arthur, Prince Leopold all located on Craig Gowan and Princess Beatrice located at the bottom of Creag an Lurachain.<ref name="ScotPlaceBea">{{cite web|title=Balmoral Estate, Princess Beatrice's Cairn|url=http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/record/rcahms/120847/balmoral-estate-princess-beatrices-cairn/rcahms|work=Scotland's Places register|publisher=Scotland's Places|access-date=7 October 2014}}</ref> Victoria's son Prince Alfred's cairn is located on Ripe Hill.<ref name="Titchmarsh2014" />
==Cairn dedicated to Victoria's mother== The Duchess of Kent's Cairn, Queen Victoria's mother, is located near Sgor an h-lolaire.
==Cairns dedicated to Victoria's husband and to John Brown== The largest cairn was erected by Victoria in memory of her husband Prince Albert after his death in 1861.<ref name="Titchmarsh2014"/> The Ballochbuie Cairn marks the purchase by Victoria of the Ballochbuie forest in 1878.<ref name="Titchmarsh2014"/> A cairn to commemorate John Brown was erected by Victoria after Brown's death, it was later removed at the behest of Edward VII who disliked Brown and later replaced with his statue.<ref name="Titchmarsh2014"/> thumb|Cairn erected in 1882 to commemorate the marriage of Prince Leopold with Balmoral Castle in the background
==Cairns dedicated to Elizabeth II== Two cairns were constructed to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2012. 60 stones, one for each year of Elizabeth's reign, were laid in the village of Ballater, with the main stone from a local quarry in Inver.<ref name="Titchmarsh2014"/> A second cairn was erected on the Balmoral estate within the grounds and unveiled by the Queen on 8 August 2012, having been under construction since May.<ref name=DRAug12>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/crieff-dykers-build-jubilee-cairn-2728408|title=Crieff dykers build Jubilee cairn for the Queen|newspaper=The Daily Record|date=24 August 2012|access-date=7 October 2014}}</ref>
The cairn was constructed by two dry stone master 'dykers', Norman Haddow and William Crooks Cassidy, and was a gift to the Queen from her Scottish Warrant Holders and current and former employees of Balmoral.<ref name=DRAug12/> The cairn is marked with an etched slate plaque with the Queen's initials and the date, made by carver Gillian Forbes.<ref name=DRAug12/> The cairn was surmounted with a top stone found in a river, and 10-year-old malt whisky was poured over the final stone upon the cairn's completion.<ref name=DRAug12/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://60years60stones.weebly.com/ Pictorial blog on the creation of the Ballater Diamond Jubilee Cairn] *[https://360castles.com/prince-alberts-cairn Prince Albert's Cairn Virtual Tour] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928155541/https://360castles.com/prince-alberts-cairn/ |date=28 September 2021 }}
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{{coord|57.024|-3.252|type:landmark_region:GB_dim:2000|display=title}} Category:19th-century establishments in Scotland Category:Buildings and structures completed in the 19th century Category:Cairns (stone mounds) Category:Buildings and structures in Aberdeenshire Category:House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (United Kingdom) Category:House of Windsor Category:Monuments and memorials in Scotland Category:Queen Victoria Category:Stone monuments and memorials Category:Tourist attractions in Aberdeenshire Category:Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany Category:Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Category:Edward VII