The Balmoral Estate recently opened its grounds for a two-day BHS Scotland 60th anniversary horse riding event, drawing enthusiasts to the forests surrounding Balmoral Castle.
While modern riders traverse the estate, podcasters are looking back at the site's historical gatekeeping. Tim Harford of Revisionist History recently recounted the dismal arrival of poet William McGonagall at the site. "Finally, mid-afternoon on the third day, McGonagall reached Her Majesty's residence at Balmoral Castle," Harford noted, describing how the poet was stopped by staff who "did not think to himself, 'Here comes a future poet laureate.'"
The contrast between the estate's current role as a scenic backdrop for equestrian events and its history as a place of rigid social exclusion remains the focal point for commentators. Expect more discussion as the estate continues to balance its public-facing anniversary programming with the private, guarded legacy that defined its 19th-century reputation.
