Repairs for Queen Victoria pyramid cairn as ground 'eroding'

The pyramid dates back to 1862

Repairs will be carried out around a large pyramid cairn erected by Queen Victoria on the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire.

Prince Albert's Pyramid was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her "beloved" husband, and was completed in 1862.

The Balmoral Estate has said the ground around the cairn has become badly eroded due to an increase in visitor numbers.

It said an ongoing repair project would stabilise the structure.

Queen Victoria fell in love with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha when he visited Britain in 1839.

The couple were married the following year.

When Prince Albert died in 1861, it left Queen Victoria devastated.

A portrait of the couple and some of their children from 1846

The granite pyramid is the largest of a number of cairns on the Balmoral Estate on Royal Deeside.

It has the inscription: "To the beloved memory of Albert, the great and good Prince Consort, erected by his broken-hearted widow Victoria, 21st August 1862."

In recent years, the cairn has become increasingly popular with visitors.

The Balmoral Estate said the ground around the cairn had become "severely" eroded and the cairn undermined.

The cairn is in the Royal Deeside countryside

It said: "To remedy this, we are undertaking a major repair and restoration project on the ground immediately surrounding the cairn.

"This work will restore the landscape around the cairn and stabilise the structure of the pyramid for future generations to enjoy."

The Balmoral Estate urged people to take care in the area around the pyramid, and to follow all advice and any instructions from staff working on site.

"We apologise for any inconvenience that this essential repair work creates," the statement added.