Editing Balmoral Castle (section)

===Construction of the new house===
[[File:Balmoral Castle - Project Gutenberg 13103.jpg|thumb|''Balmoral Castle'' – a principal [[keep]] similar to that of [[Craigievar Castle]] is the central feature of the castle, while a large [[Turret (architecture)|turret]]ed [[Scottish estate houses|country house]] is attached.]]

Space was needed for the growing family of Victoria and Albert, for additional staff, and for accommodation for visiting friends and official visitors such as cabinet members. Thus extension of the existing structure would not provide enough space, and a larger house needed to be built. In early 1852, this was commissioned from [[William Smith (architect)|William Smith]].<ref name=millar56/> The son of John Smith (who designed the 1830 alterations of the original castle), William Smith, was the city architect of [[Aberdeen]] from 1852. On learning of the commission, [[William Burn]] sought an interview with the prince, apparently to complain that Smith previously had plagiarised his work, however, Burn was unsuccessful in depriving Smith of the appointment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=201859 |title=William Smith II |work=Dictionary of Scottish Architects 1840–1980 |access-date=23 January 2012}}</ref> William Smith's designs were amended by Prince Albert, who took a close interest in details such as turrets and windows.<ref>Millar, p. 57</ref>

[[File:Queen Victoria, sketch of new Balmoral Castle, 1852 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|''Balmoral Castle'', painted by Queen Victoria in 1854 during its construction]]
Construction began in mid-1853, on a site some {{convert|100|yd|m|-1|abbr=off}} northwest of the original building that was considered to have a better vista.<ref>Millar, pp. 56–57</ref> Another consideration was that during construction the family would still be able to use the old house.<ref name=Balmoral/>{{rp|9}} Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone on 28 September 1853, during her annual autumn visit.<ref>Millar, p. 58</ref> By the autumn of 1855, the royal apartments were ready for occupancy, although the tower was still under construction and the servants had to be lodged in the old house.<ref name="Millar, p.59"/> By coincidence, shortly after their arrival at the estate that autumn, news circulated about the fall of [[Siege of Sevastopol (1854–55)|Sevastopol]], ending the [[Crimean War]], resulting in wild celebrations by royalty and locals alike. While visiting the estate soon afterwards, Prince [[Frederick III, German Emperor|Frederick of Prussia]] asked for the hand of [[Victoria, Princess Royal]].<ref name=Balmoral/>{{rp|11}}

[[File:James Cassie (1819 - 1879) - Balmoral Castle - ABDAG002302 - Aberdeen City Council (Archives, Gallery and Museums Collection).jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|right|''Balmoral Castle'', painted by [[James Cassie]]]]
The new house was completed in 1856, and the old castle was later demolished.<ref name=garden/> By autumn 1857, a new bridge across the Dee, designed by [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]] linking Crathie and Balmoral was finished.<ref name=Balmoral/>{{rp|11}}

Balmoral Castle is built from [[granite]] quarried at Invergelder on the estate.<ref>{{cite book |title=Scotland's Gardens |author=Little, G. A. |publisher=Spur Books |year=1981 |isbn=0-7157-2091-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/scotlandsgardens00litt }}</ref> It consists of two main blocks, each arranged around a courtyard. The southwestern block contains the main rooms, while the northeastern contains the service wings. At the southeast is an {{convert|80|ft|m|abbr=off|adj=mid|-tall}} clock tower topped with turrets,<ref name=glendinning/> one of which has a balustrade similar to a feature at [[Castle Fraser]].<ref name=fenwick>{{cite book |author=Fenwick, Hubert |title=Scotland's Historic Buildings |isbn=0-7091-4497-0 |publisher=Robert Hale |year=1974}}</ref> Being similar in style to the demolished castle of the 1830s, the architecture of the new house is considered to be somewhat dated for its time when contrasted with the richer forms of [[Scots baronial]] being developed by William Burn and others during the 1850s.<ref name=glendinning>{{cite book |author=Glendinning, Miles |author2=MacKechnie, Aonghus |author3=MacInnes, Ranald |title=A History of Scottish Architecture |page=270 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |isbn=0-7486-0849-4 |year=1996}}</ref> As an exercise in Scots baronial, it is sometimes described as too ordered, pedantic, and even [[Architecture of Germany|Germanic]] as a consequence of Prince Albert's influence on the design.<ref name=fenwick/>

However, the purchase of a Scottish estate by Victoria and Albert and their adoption of a Scottish architectural style were influential for the ongoing revival of [[Highland culture]]. They decorated Balmoral with tartans and attended [[highland games]] at Braemar. Queen Victoria expressed an affinity for Scotland, even professing herself to be a [[Jacobitism|Jacobite]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Devine, T. M. |title=The Scottish Nation 1700–2000 |publisher=Penguin |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-14-102769-2}}</ref> Added to the work of [[Sir Walter Scott]], this became a major factor in promoting the adoption of [[Highland culture]] by [[Lowland Scotland|Lowland Scots]]. Historian [[Michael Lynch (historian)|Michael Lynch]] comments that "the Scottishness of Balmoral helped to give the monarchy a truly British dimension for the first time".<ref>{{cite book |author=Lynch, Michael |title=Scotland: A New History |publisher=Pimlico |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-7126-9893-1 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/scotlandnewhisto0000lync }}</ref>