Gifted to the Prince by his late great-grandmother, the Queen Mother, just before she died in 2002, Tam-Na-Ghar is outwardly small and simple. A three-bedroom cottage built in the traditional style of Scottish lodges, it is shrouded in secrecy, with very few photographs of its exterior – and none of its interior – released to the public.
Compared to the couple’s other residences, Tam-Na-Ghar is somewhat humble: it hasn’t the grandeur of Anmer Hall, their main home on the Sandringham estate, or of Adelaide Cottage, the pink-walled housethey have near Windsor Castle. It is, however, one of the Wales family’s most special homes, both for the memories it holds and the privacy it offers.
While it was not until 2009 that Kate went to Balmoral on an official visit, she has been a regular at Tam-Na-Ghar ever since she began dating William in 2001. While they were students at St Andrews University, the couple would reportedly escape to the cottage for some alone time, hiding away at the bolthole in order to avoid the paparazzi. According to close sources, the couple have told friends that Tam-Na-Ghar is the site of some of their happiest times together over the years.
Little is known about Tam-Na-Ghar’s location on the estate, other than that it is close to Birkhall, the King’s large home on the bank of the River Muick. Although Charles has the opportunity to move into Balmoral, he and Camilla are reportedly keen to maintain Birkhall as their primary Scottish residence. There are plenty of other cottages, too – approximately 150, in fact – where other royals can rest their heads during a jaunt north of the border.
BIRKHALL, KING CHARLES’ PREFERRED RESIDENCE ON THE BALMORAL ESTATE, WHICH WAS BUILT IN 1715 AND BOUGHT BY QUEEN VICTORIA IN 1849
Central Press/Getty ImagesThis summer will provide a chance for William and Kate to take stock after a difficult year, and it would seem that Tam-Na-Ghar is the perfect site for rest and reflection. William once said in an interview with Country Life that ‘a big part’ of him would always be in Scotland: ‘My family has deep connections there and it was such a fun part of my childhood and upbringing.’
Kate, too, has apparently developed a real affection for the Balmoral estate thanks to the privacy it afforded her during the early days of her romance with her husband – and their children are not far behind. ‘George, Charlotte and Louis already know how dear Scotland is to both of us and they’re starting to build their own happy memories here too,’ William has said.
There will be plenty of time for the young Wales clan to bond with their relatives (including Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, who are also currently in Scotland) as well as practice their reeling, fish on the River Dee, and cook al fresco on the late Prince Philip’s specially engineered mobile barbecue.
‘The Princess will want to make the summer months as fun and carefree for the children as she possibly can after everything she’s been through,’ ex-BBC royal correspondent, Jennie Bond, told The Mirror, adding that the whole royal family would be bound to ‘surround her with love, support and renewed strength’.
