page_title: Glas-allt-Shiel
section_title: Rebuilt lodge
hierarchical_section_title: Glas-allt-Shiel / Glassalt in Victoria's journals / Rebuilt lodge
caption_attribution_description: English: Falls of the Glasallt
context_page_description: Glas-allt-Shiel is a lodge on the Balmoral Estate by the shore of Loch Muick in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. In its present form it was built in 1868 by Queen Victoria, who called it Glassalt, to be what she called her "widow's house" where she could escape from the world following the death of her husband Albert. It is now a category B listed building owned personally by Elizabeth II. Adam Watson considers that "Glas-allt-Shiel has undoubtedly one of the most spectacular situations of any lodge in the Highlands."
context_section_description: In October 1868, with the rebuilding of the lodge largely complete: "Reached the Glassalt Sheil at half past 6. It looked so cheerful & comfortable, all lit up & the little rooms are so cosy & nice. The Dining room is on the one side of the little entrance hall, my sitting room, on the other & my bedroom &c – beyond. In it stands the old bed & wardrobe in our former little bedroom at Alt na Guithasach. Upstairs the rooms are equally comfortable. Felt sad & lonely, thinking of the blessed happy past with dearest Albert, who always had wished to build here, in this favourite spot. I could not have lived again at Alt na Guithasach now, alone, & it is far better to have built a totally new house, but the sad thought struck me, that it was the first widow's house, – not blessed by him." With five of her children and her Lady of the Bedchamber Jane Spencer, Baroness Churchill, Victoria held a house warming party and then they stayed for the night.
  During her Highland sojourns Victoria visited Glas-allt-Shiel every year up to and including 1900. She and her ladies often took lunch on the grass outside and sketched, while Albert and the men went deer stalking. Rain and midges could, however, force them indoors. The gillies often were able to catch large numbers of trout from the loch which made for fine meals, and dances were held with servants and gillies joining in. There was a piano that Victoria liked to play, particularly playing duets with her youngest daughter Beatrice.
  
  On 3 October 1870: "Louise had gone with Janie, E., the Lord Chancellor, & Lord Lorne to Loch Muich & the Glassalt. They returned some time after I got home, & Louise came to speak to me & tell me, that while walking up to the Dhu Loch, Lord Lorne had told her of his feelings for her & had in fact proposed to her, & Knowing that I would approve & liked him, she had accepted him. I embraced her & gave her my blessing, but felt greatly agitated. I was not unprepared but did not expect it would come so quick. Of course nothing can be said till Lorne has heard from his Parents."
  In 1874: "Another, if possible, still more beautiful day, after a slight frost. — After writing started at 11 with Beatrice to try & walk up to the falls of the Glassalt, which I had not done since 20 years! There was not a breath of wind & a very powerful sun. I managed to get up & was wonderfully little out of breath. Brown helped me up the steepest parts, which are rather trying. The falls were not particularly full, but always very fine. I walked up to the very top, just above, them, & rested a little on the heather. The descent was far easier, but the path was very rough in parts & I had recourse to Brown's strong arm to steady me. It is 4 miles to the top & back, & I felt quite proud, that I could accomplish it so well. — In the afternoon drove with Beatrice & Janie E. nearly as far as Birkhall & back, taking our tea at the Linn of Muich. A splendid frosty evening." Likewise in 1877: "Walked with Beatrice up to the top of the Glassalt falls, where the icicles where hanging from the stones, & rocks. It was a hard pull up, but we came down quickly."
  In time Victoria was happiest living at her remote lodge, writing from Balmoral in 1873 "Felt quite lost in my big sitting room, after the snug little one at the Glassalt." In 1874 again from Glassalt: "Working, reading & writing, after coming home. Dinner as usual, then Beatrice played on the piano. Cannot bear the thought of going away & not returning for another year!", and in 1877: "We left with regret the dear little Glassalt Shiel at half past 12. The house at Balmoral felt so cold & large, after the snug warm Shiel."
  After the death of John Brown in 1883 Victoria was not able to face living in the shiel though she still often visited it. However, in 1887 Victoria found a new companion, Abdul Karim, the Munshi, and by 1889 she was again able to stay at the cottage, with him as her attendant, despite wide disapproval. Her last visit to Glassalt before her death turned out to be on 13 September 1900: "Drove in the afternoon with Ir
caption: Falls of Glas Allt
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