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This 16th Century Scottish Castle Looks Close to Collapse

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As heavy rains sweep through Scotland, photos published Monday and Tuesday have captured the precarious state of a 16th century castle near the Queen’s Scottish residence of Balmoral. Rising waters of the River Dee appear to have washed away a significant portion of the soil near the building’s foundation.

Drone footage shot on New Year’s Eve shows the devastation up-close:

The Guardian reports that the castle’s owner, the 21st Laird, Baron Abergeldie John Gordon, has already evacuated. According to the Aberdeen Press and Journal, the royal family has been known to use the property for “shooting and fishing parties.”

Royal Family
Queen Elizabeth II with Princess Anne, and Prince Charles at a stall during a Sale of Work event in Abergeldie Castle, near Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, on August 22, 1955, to raise funds for the building of a new vestry at Craithie Church.Fox Photos—Getty Images

 

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Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com