Scottish Castle Teetering on the Brink
The image above was taken yesterday at Abergeldie Castle, near the Queen's residence in Balmoral. As you can see, the 450 year old castle, once rented by the royal family, is very close to tipping over into the River Dee, which is swollen with flood waters.
From the Sydney Morning Herald:
The owner of Abergeldie Castle was forced to evacuate the 16th century A-listed tower house in Aberdeenshire on Sunday after the River Dee swept away about 18 metres of land behind the property, leaving it only a few metres from the water. The Royal Family rented 450-year-old Abergeldie Castle, about 3.2 km east of Balmoral, between 1848 and 1970.
And thank goodness for neighbors:
Baron Abergeldie John Gordon and his wife reportedly sought refuge with a neighbour after the dramatic erosion of the bank.
Gordon Fraser, a neighbour who initially gave the laird refuge, told the Sunday Mail: "He left the castle when the river was at its height. It swept the embankment away. "It moved a 60ft lump of ground and took a lot of big mature trees as well."
Another neighbour said: "When the waters came up he had to get out quickly. The castle is teetering on the brink. God knows what will happen if the Dee rises any further."