King Charles, known for his lifelong love of animals—including his mother’s corgis and his own equestrian pursuits—has extended his passion to the wildlife on his Scottish estate, Balmoral.
Among his interests are the endangered red squirrel and the soprano pipistrelle bat, Scotland’s most common bat species. Charles’ affinity for these creatures might remind one of a modern-day Snow White!
In July, The Times reported that Charles’ plans to convert a historic Balmoral steading into holiday homes were postponed due to the discovery of bat roosts on the site. The Scottish government’s nature agency, NatureScot, now needs to evaluate whether the project can proceed.
The soprano pipistrelle bats are also known to roost in the rafters of Balmoral Castle, where they have been residing for decades. According to the Bat Conservation Trust, these bats often roost in both old and new buildings, including in crevices, behind tiles, and within roofing felt. Colonies of soprano pipistrelle bats can range from about 200 to over a thousand individuals.
The late Queen Elizabeth II, who spent many summers at Balmoral, had an unusual method for managing these bats. As reported by journalist and author Tina Brown in her book The Palace Papers, Queen Elizabeth would use butterfly nets to catch and release the bats from the castle.
Brown writes, “The Queen’s happy place has always been Balmoral… The Queen has sometimes been sighted wielding a butterfly net trying to catch the bats that lurk in the upper reaches of the castle.”
Royal expert Adam Helliker also mentioned in 2019 that while the bats remained a fixture at Balmoral, the Queen’s staff now handle the situation. Helliker noted, “She used to do the net-wielding, but she doesn’t do it now… It’s more of a show put on for her by staff. That’s just one of the things they do at Balmoral to stop them getting bored stiff.”
Despite their persistence, the bats seem to be an enduring part of Balmoral’s charm, ranking as a much lesser-known favorite of the late Queen, after her beloved horses and corgis.
