16th October 2025
Kathleen Anderson
Kathleen Anderson gave a well researched talk on the subject of the Balmoral Cairns. These are sixteen stone cairns on the Balmoral and Birkhall Estates. The context was explained of Victoria and Albert buying the Estates and in doing so having a long lasting impact on Upper Deeside, and a continuing Royal connection to the area. It was pointed out that the first cairn commemorated Prince Albert, whose early death devasted the Queen. Thereafter Victoria commissioned cairns, largely to mark the weddings of her nine children. It was fascinating to learn how through the marriage of her children, ties were made and strenghened with Royal families in Prussia, Russia and Spain; and finally we learnt of more recent cairns to mark milestones in Queen Elizabeth II’s life.