To say Balmoral could/should be National Trus

[Happyhapoydog]

for
Scotland or similar. Is Charlie going to want it? Don’t they all have their own estates?
I said this to a colleague who got really ANGRY as it’s ‘disrespectful’ after claiming only the Royals would have the money to upkeep the place. I said - turn it over to NTS or similar and give it back to the public.
she’s now not talking to me!

I doubt it would have many visitors though if it takes six hours to drive from Edinburgh! It must be in the middle of nowhere! Maybe a nice spa hotel?

Having worked for the National Trust as a regional estate manager, they get offered masses of property all the time. The vast majority is declined. To accept they have to be offered a property plus a large cash lump sum basically to fund it. The only thing accepted when I was there was a small wildflower meadow that had particularly rare native species in.

Balmoral is also privately owned so it is largely irrelevant what any of us think should be done with it, I’d imagine it will always be kept a stalking/shooting estate for country pursuits.

I understand Balmoral is privately owned, but the fact somebody stopped talking to you about this is incredible. Sounds like they are the one with the problem if they can't have a conversation about it!

🙄 because nobody lives or visits anywhere north of Edinburgh?

I would expect King Charles and Camilla will continue to use it as a holiday home. It will hold a lot of special memories for the family

I’m sure I’ve read about Charles wanting to turn it into a museum, so it’s already been thought about.

It doesn’t take anything like 6 hours to drive there from Edinburgh - unless you’re driving at a v slow speed as per the funeral cortège.

No need - it’s open when they are not there. I took my kids on a ranger-led activity and you get to look round the exhibits in the stables and the ballroom. and you can go pretty much anywhere on the estate thanks to Scotland’s right to roam laws.

Apparently our new King is the biggest landowner in the world - I'm guessing that is crown estates plus privately owned property. DH read it somewhere today, not seen the source info myself. But in any case I think it's highly unlikely that our new monach is going to start signing over privately owned estates to the National Trust. Doesn't seem to be his style.

🤣🤣🤣 exactly totally privately owned, should we all give away our parents houses if we inherit them

If it is privately owned then will King Charles pay inheritance tax then ?

The national collection of buildings is managed by English Heritage

no, the national collection of buildings is not managed by English Heritage, which has no remit outside England.

KC has already stated that he's going to open it for a few years as a museum dedicated to his mother. The idea being once the now Wales children are older homes might need to be shuffled about.

Sovereign inheritance is excempt from inheritance tax. In addition the royal wills are sealed so there is no way of knowing what she passed on to who.

It was bought by Prince Albert originally I think.

@wonderstuff - how convenient.

Yes don't you know OP, it's privately owned by the Royals who bought it with all that hard earned cash they have made over the centuries! So hardworking! As a PP said . We the people , should repossess it . Will go some way to pay for their tax avoidance.

I see the OP had decided not to come back.

I don’t think they should, at all. But I am trying to explain the mechanisms which would pertain in the very unlikely even that negotiations were undertaken.

National trust or similar would struggle to afford it.

Best idea if Charles doesn’t want to use it is to let the public visit it for a fee, then the Crown estate or monarch will still pay for its upkeep, and it’s available should the royals still want it.

I live near by. It is in a very rural, not very easily accessible area. It would struggle to get enough visitors to support its upkeep. The funeral procession was not going that slow, it could easily take 4 hours to drive there from Edinburgh with a significant proportion of the driving on narrow winding country roads and a high chance of being trapped behind a tractor for ages.

It should given to the public seeing as he isn't paying any inheritance tax.

You’re right, which is why I mentioned Historic Environment Scotland subsequently.

20 years with an organisation means it comes to mind most readily, for which I apologise. But the point stands, that it would be the government sponsored body, not a charity which is independent of government.

There’s loads of national trust castles in Scotland. Personally I liked the thought of them being lived in as a proper home, rather Han just rooms for people to look at

Oh dear OP!! You really have got your facts wrong here, haven't you!?

Balmoral was one of the Queen's privately owned estates. Sandringham was another. They don't belong to the Crown. Both are open to the public at times during the year when the royal family aren't using them.

Why should either be given to the National Trust?

If you think they should then as others have suggested, lead by example and donate your own house.

Privately bought using public money. Privately maintained using public money!