Queen Victoria and Prince Albert took on the lease of the Balmoral Estate in 1848, and purchased it in 1851. Following this acquisition, the old castle was demolished and the presented castle was erected in its place. During her regular visits to Balmoral, Queen Victoria was able sketch on an almost daily basis. Year after year, she returned with her paintbox and sketchbooks to favourite spots on the estate in order to sketch directly from life and to observe the changing atmospheric conditions. Her sketchbooks act as a visual parallel to her written journal as they show where she went each day. The small scale reminds us that these sketches were created for Queen Victoria’s personal enjoyment: they were not intended to be displayed to the public.