King Charles's Balmoral Estate has reopened to the public for the autumn season, marking the first time visitors can access the Scottish residence since August 9, when it closed for the Royal Family's summer holiday.
The announcement was made on the Balmoral Castle Instagram page, where the social media team wrote: "We're delighted to welcome visitors back to Balmoral for our 2026 Autumn Opening. The grounds and gardens are now open to explore, along with the Ballroom Exhibition and Mews Gift Shop, while our Restaurant is ready to welcome you during your visit."
Autumn opening details
The message continued: "Our autumn opening runs through to Sunday, November 1, with tickets available to book online now."
"A selection of special experiences will also take place throughout the autumn and early winter, including Castle Interior Tours, Evenings at Balmoral and Balmoral Expedition Tours," the statement added. "Whether you're returning to Balmoral or visiting us for the first time, we look forward to welcoming you this autumn."
Prices range from £10 for general admission to £110 for an interior castle tour, while tickets for the exclusive expedition tour cost £380.00.
Context of royal period
The reopening comes after a difficult few weeks for the Royal Family, following the release of Earl Charles Spencer's book "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister" about Princess Diana. The book contained criticisms of the Royal Family, particularly King Charles, who had divorced Diana shortly before her 1997 death.
Earl Spencer claimed in the book that Charles, then a prince, sounded like a "lottery winner" when Diana died and said people would forget about her "soon enough". Buckingham Palace issued a statement responding to this, acknowledging how grief can "cloud memory".
