POLICE Scotland has issued an urgent travel warning to people planning to visit Balmoral to pay their respects to the Queen.
Authorities are concerned that a large number of well-wishers will travel to the Aberdeenshire estate over the weekend following the monarch’s death aged 96.
With no public car parking, police are already raising the alarm about people leaving their vehicles in unsafe spaces.
People are being encouraged to travel to Balmoral via Aberdeenshire Council’s park and ride service, which starts from Ballater at Monaltrie Park and Braemar Castle, running on Saturday between 8am and 7pm.
Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Kate Stephen said: “We are experiencing an increasing number of well-wishers turning up at Balmoral Estate to lay floral tributes, which was fully expected and welcome.
“However many people are travelling directly to Balmoral by car where there are no parking spaces available. Our officers have had to ask people to leave the area to find alternative parking arrangements, which is the very last thing they want to do.
“A number of people turned up throughout the night to pay their respects and, given that Balmoral is a very remote and rural place with very little lighting, our officers on the ground were conscious that it was not the safest location to be so late. Therefore I would strongly recommend planning your visit during the park & ride times.
“We are working closely with our partners to ensure the safety of everyone visiting Balmoral Estate who want to pay tribute to Her Majesty, and we would ask for the public’s co-operation at this time.”
Further information on the park and ride service is available here.
