Fountain and pool, view from west

Description Fountain and pool, view from west

Date 18/6/2001

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number E 15297 CN

Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images

Copies SC 769191

Scope and Content Chamois Statue and Fountain on West Parterre, Balmoral Estate, Aberdeenshire This late 19th-century life-size statue of a chamois on an ornamental fountain forms the centrepiece of the formal garden or parterre designed c.1856 by Prince Albert and laid out before the west wing of the castle. The chamois, an agile mountain goat native to Europe and Asia, is by the Berlin sculptor, M Geiss, and probably cast in zinc. It stands on a sturdy granite base with lion masques, arranged around the sides, which spout water into a circular stone basin below. The parterre, a formally arranged lawn with flowerbeds cut in strict geometrical patterns, regained much popularity in the 19th century when the beds were usually planted with brightly coloured flowers raised in Victorian glasshouses. The parterre was seen at advantage from the windows of the rooms above, and could also be used to display a range of garden statuary, from the conventional figures of the 18th century to the more diverse forms of the Victorian era such as animals, mythical beasts and even domestic pets. The daily upkeep of the parterre required a large workforce of gardeners and labourers, who also maintained a show of flowering plants for the beds in autumn when the royal family were in residence. The Balmoral estate was bought in 1852 by Prince Albert and Queen Victoria at their own expense as a Highland retreat from the stresses of London life. Prince Albert initiated many improvements, including the building of a new holiday home, Balmoral Castle, in 1853-5, and put forward plans for a model estate with new houses and offices for estate workers and tenants. He also supervised the laying out of the grounds, including the construction of a sunken garden and formal gardens to the east and west of the castle. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

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