The Crown series 4 storyline will take us to the royal residence of Balmoral in Scotland – but where is the Balmoral set filmed?

The Queen's Balmoral estate, in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is the 94-year-old monarch's preferred holiday residence, with royal family members often visiting to indulge in their favourite outdoor pursuits including fishing, shooting and hunting. It's where Her Majesty entertained former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and where Prince Charles and Princess Diana completed their honeymoon.

Balmoral is expected to feature heavily in Netflix's season 4 of The Crown – which will begin as the 1970s draw to a close and focus on Margaret Thatcher's divisive politics and Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's seemingly fairytale romance – but the actual royal estate cannot be used as a filming location. Instead, the cast and crew will be shooting on the Highland sporting estate of Ardverikie.

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Where is Balmoral in The Crown filmed?

Ardverikie is a 19th-century Scottish baronial house of Victorian Gothic splendour located in Kinloch Laggan, Newtonmore, Inverness-shire, in the Scottish Highlands.

The house has also featured as the fictional Glenbogle Estate in BBC drama Monarch of the Glen, and will also appear in the new James Bond film No Time Die.

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Arderikie House
Ardverikie Estate

Ardverikie makes for an incredible Balmoral substitute with its Scottish baronial architectural features, including its château-inspired 'pepper pot' turrets, making it look as regal as the real thing.

Can you visit the Ardverikie estate?

Visitors are welcome to the Ardverikie estate, where they can enjoy walking in unspoilt wilderness, dense forests and along the shores of sandy lochs.

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The estate has views of the breathtaking Loch Laggan

The highland estate is also home to six self-catering cottages. Guests can use the whole estate and enjoy feeding the deer and touring the main house.

The cottages sleeping from three to 13 people and are peppered throughout the estate. Well-behaved dogs are welcome but must be house-trained and kept under control at all times.

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Ardverikie estate also hosts weddings, with its fairytale turrets and spectacular views of Loch Laggan. There is limited availability, so only a handful of weddings are conducted each year.

The Crown season 4 will launch on Netflix on November 15.

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Naomi Gordon is news writer mainly covering entertainment news with a focus on celebrity interviews and television.