Balmoral Castle

 

ATS Heritage won the Balmoral Audio Tour on the basis of its innovative tender against Antenna Audio and Acoustiguide in November 2004. We formally announced the audiotour of Balmoral, the Queen's private residence in Scotland at Easter 2005.

 

Garry Marsden, Visitor Services Manager at Balmoral said:

 

"I am extremely pleased to be working with ATS Heritage to produce the first ever audio tour of the Grounds, Gardens and Exhibitions at Balmoral. There is no doubt that this new development will enhance that visitor experience for the 70,000 people who come to see this magnificent Highland Estate each year".

 

Visitors responded extremely well to the introduction of the tour which also improved access under the Disability Discrimination Act and gave the visitors an improved visitor experience. There was certainly less criticism that there was very limited access to the Castle itself.

 

While guiding the visitors round the Grounds was straightforward, it was highly challenging and sensitive task to provide information on what is essentially a private home and where access to the Castle is restricted to one room!

 

 

Together with the Estate Managers, ATS offer an insight into the real workings of the Estate and tell the stories of the Castle's most famous residents and visitors. ATS achieved this by bringing to life such characters as Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and the Tsar of Russia but also, to a lesser extent staff from the Estate and Royal Household. ATS conducted recording at Balmoral and Buckingham Palace, including a rousing rendition from the Queens's Piper!

 

On working with ATS Heritage, Garry Marsden, Visitor Services Manager said,

 

"the team at ATS Heritage treat you as an individual, not just a client or a job number".

 

Early visitor feedback has been reported by the Estate and in the press as being extremely favourable. The tour is in two languages and staff at Balmoral Castle will be working with ATS Heritage again to add a further language later this year.