Tours of Balmoral for £150 sell out in 24 hours

Balmoral Castle is in Royal Deeside

New tours of Balmoral Castle which allow people to see parts of the Royal Family's private home for the first time have sold out in a day.

The tours in July and August cost £100, or £150 with afternoon tea.

Balmoral Castle said it was the first time that private interior room tours were being offered.

The castle, in the heart of Royal Deeside, has been a Scottish holiday home for the Royal Family for decades.

The tours will take place before the King and Queen arrive at the castle for their summer break, with just 40 tickets a day made available.

They were first reported on Wednesday and had sold out by Thursday.

Balmoral has been one of the Royal Family's residences since 1852, when it was bought by Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband.

Visitors have previously only been able to visit the ballroom and the grounds of the castle, which was completed in 1855 and bought by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

The tours are restricted to 10 people, and visitors are promised "a historical journey through several of the beautiful rooms within Balmoral Castle", and the chance to "travel through time" from the Victorian era to the present day.

It was a beloved holiday home for Queen Elizabeth, who died at Balmoral, aged 96, in September 2022, after reigning for 70 years.