A watercolour view of Taymouth Castle, the Royal Standard flying, with men in Highland dress standing in groups on the lawn in the foreground, and others lined up in front of figures on the balcony in the mid-distance. Verso inscribed and dated: Taymouth Castle / 1842 / W. L. Leitch

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert made their first visit to Scotland in September 1842. The royal tour, which lasted two weeks, was largely organised by the 5th Duke of Buccleuch, Lord Lieutenant of the County of Midlothian and Gold Stick of Scotland, and his wife Charlotte, who was Queen Victoria's Mistress of the Robes, in conjunction with the Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel. The Queen and Prince stayed at Taymouth 7-10th September as guests of the 2nd Marquis of Breadalbane. Victoria described Taymouth Castle in a letter to her uncle Leopold, King of the Belgains, as an "enchanting & Princely place" (Royal Archives, Y90/56/8 September 1842); while there, Victoria and Albert enjoyed a Highland ball held in their honour. This watercolour may relate to an episode shortly after the royal arrival at the Castle when, according to a later published source, Victoria and Albert "stood for nearly five minutes affably acknowledging the plaudits of the multitude and, in an especial manner, the obeisances of the gentlemen of the Menzies clan, who advanced in a double line, and bowed their homage to the Queen and her Consort." (James Buist, National record of the visit of queen Victoria to Scotland, 1842 (1842), pp.160-1), though the crowds referred to are not in evidence.