From the National Archives
Document of the Month - August
A handwritten record of the animals shot in six and a
half hours by Prince Albert during a visit to the Marquis
and Marchioness of Breadalbane by Queen Victoria and her
party in 1842.
The tour was one of many the Queen made to Scotland and
predates her purchase of Balmoral in 1848. All the
landowners that were honoured by a royal visit laid on
lavish celebrations, none more so than the Marquis of
Breadalbane. Scotland became a popular tourist destination
due to the Queen's interest in the Highlands.
In the year of this visit, 1842, the Marquis of
Breadalbane was John Campbell of Glenorchy. The
preparations and entertainment, including this day's
shooting for the Prince, were highly successful and the
royal party was delighted with all they saw. Queen Victoria
enthused about the Campbell home, Taymouth Castle, in her
journal.
When the Queen left she was taken up Loch Tay in a boat
lined with Campbell tartan. The flotilla, which accompanied
her, included a boatload of pipers. This was only the
second visit to Scotland by a reigning monarch in 200 years
and the opportunity to see the Queen proved very popular
with her subjects. One writer estimated the number of
visitors to the area to be about 10,000.
The Breadalbane papers, held at the National Archives of
Scotland, show in great detail the workings of a large
Highland estate. They demonstrate that, although it was
considered a great honour to accommodate the royal party,
it involved huge expense and elaborate preparation. The
Queen and Prince Consort stayed at Taymouth for four days
and the visit involved their host and hostess in
considerable expense.
Transcript:
8
th Sept'r.
His Ry. Highness Prince Albert went out shooting at 9
a.m. Accompanied by the Marquis of Breadalbane, and His Ry.
Highness shot with his own gun
19 Roe-buck
4½ brace of black game
3 brace of Grouse
1 single partridge
1 single Wood pigeon
1 brace of Capercailzie
12 hares.
The Prince returned to Taymouth at ½ past 3 p.m.
----------------------------------
At 5 pm Her Majesty drove out in an open carriage with
Prince Albert, the Marchioness of Breadalbane and the
Duchess of Norfolk.
A second carriage contained the Duchess of Buccleuch,
Marchioness Of Abercorn, Miss Paget and Lord Morton.
A third contained Duchess of Sutherland, Lady Gower,
Duchess of Roxburgh and Countess of Kinnoull
-------------------------------------
Gen'l Wemyss & Col. Bouverie were in attendance.
H. Majesty returned to the Castle at…
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