Photograph of the old Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. A glass conservatory stands on the left, above which is a chimney piece with turreted decoration. On the right, a small stone balustrade, flanked on either side by turrets, stands above bay windows. A lawn is in front of the building. Hills to the right in the background. Captioned on the mount in pencil in a nineteenth century hand, 'Her Majestie's [sic] Old Palace at Balmoral'.

On the suggestion of Lord Aberdeen, Balmoral was recommended as a place where the Royal Family may like to spend their leisure time and the lease was duly purchased during the late 1840's. Prince Albert contributed to the design of the new Balmoral castle that was to become the new home for his family in Deeside and George Washington Wilson and John Hay were commissioned to photograph the original Castle prior to its demolition in 1856.