Balmoral Castle, the private Scottish residence of the British Royal Family, is estimated to have approximately 52 bedrooms. The castle itself is a massive estate in the Scottish Baronial style and contains a total of about 167 rooms when including staff quarters, bathrooms, and grand reception halls. Because it is a private residence rather than a state-owned palace like Buckingham Palace, the exact internal layout is not a matter of public record, but architectural historians and royal biographers have consistently cited the 52-bedroom figure. The estate also includes several auxiliary buildings and smaller cottages, such as Craigowan Lodge, a seven-bedroom stone house about a mile from the main castle where the late Queen Elizabeth II often stayed during the start of her summer holidays. These numerous bedrooms allow the Monarch to host large groups of family, friends, and visiting dignitaries simultaneously.