Hidden in the Scottish Highlands lies a mysterious structure that could rival Egypt’s iconic ancient pyramids.
Tucked away in the stunning Cairnogorms National Park in Aberdeenshire and overlooking the Scottish highlands is Prince Albert’s cairn – erected by Queen Victoria in 1861 to commemorate her beloved husband after his death.
Cairns are man-made stacks of stones, usually used as a memorial or burial monument, and have been used since prehistoric times.
In the Balmoral estate in Scotland, they are used to honour members of the Royal family, and Prince Albert’s cairn, a granite pyramid standing at an impressive 41 ft, is the largest of the 11 memorials.
Most of the monuments were erected by Queen Victoria and mark the marriages of her children, including Prince Arthur, Prince Leopold, Prince Albert Edward, the Princess Royal, Princess Beatrice, Princess Louis, Princess Alice and Princess Helena.
A cairn to John Brown, Queen Victoria’s servant and a personal attendant, was built after his death but later removed by Edward VII.
Two cairns celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and one is designed with a slate plaque, etched with the Queen’s initials and date.
But Prince Albert’s Cairn is the most unique, thanks to its pyramid-like structure, which bears a resemblance to the monumental ruins of Ancient Egypt or the Aztec pyramids in Mexico.
Pictured: Prince Albert’s Cairn on the summit of Craig an Lurachain on the Balmoral Estate, Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK
Cairns are man-made stacks of stones, usually used as a memorial or burial monument
The pyramid was erected by Queen Victoria in 1861 to commemorate her beloved husband after his death
Despite having been tucked away in the Scottish forest for more than 150 years, the cairn, which is also referred to as the Balmoral Pyramid, is still largely considered to be a hidden gem in Scotland, with several tourists unaware of its existence.
That was the case for young adventurer Tom Prout, who was left astonished after stumbling upon the remarkable pyramid during a trip to the Cairngorms National Park in Aberdeenshire.
The solo traveller, who is in his 20s, was taking a stroll through the Scottish wilderness when he came across Prince Albert’s Cairn by chance.
Taking to social media platform TikTok to show his followers his discovery, Tom said in a video: ‘So for anyone that thinks you have to leave the UK and fly to Egypt to find pyramids, let me tell you you don’t’.
Panning to the Prince Albert Cairn, he goes on to say: ‘…Because today I’m currently in Scotland in the Cairngorms National Park going to find one, and I’m going to show you guys exactly where it is’.
Speaking to his followers in the clip, Tom goes on to say that he ‘didn’t even know’ that finding pyramids in the UK ‘was a possibility.’
But he said that as soon as he heard about the Prince Albert’s Cairn he hopped in his van and made his way to the park in Aberdeenshire.
Talking about the site, he said the pyramid was ‘what I can only describe as the most surreal thing I’ve ever seen here in the UK’.
In the Balmoral estate in Scotland, they are used to honour members of the Royal family. Most of the monuments on the estate were erected by Queen Victoria
Despite having been tucked away in the Scottish forest for more than 150 years, the cairn is still largely considered to be a hidden gem
The structure is made out of granite. Pictured: Prince Albert’s Cairn overlooking the Balmoral Estate in winter
‘The funniest bit for me was not realising this has been here in my whole life in the UK’, he said, adding that ‘I was only ever taught that things such as this were in Egypt’, he added.
‘Now, I’m not saying this is anywhere near the same scale, but when it’s surrounded in settings like this , you can’t beat it’.
Prout’s video has amassed a whopping 1.2 million views, with hundreds of users commenting that they were also unaware of the pyramid’s existence.
‘Wow!! Didn’t know this existed!! Gotta see if the same pyramid conspiracies stand in Scotland’, one user wrote.
Another said: ‘Oh wow I didn’t know there were pyramids in the UK’.
But the Prince Albert Cairn is not the only structure in the UK resembling those of ancient Egypt.
Nestled in the depths of Garvagh Forest in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, stands an 18ft pyramid.
Known as the Garvagh Pyramid or ‘The Vault’, the monument is a hidden treasure that adds mystery and intrigue to the Northern Irish countryside.
The structure was built in the 1800s by George Canning, the first Lord Garvagh, who took inspiration for the pyramid after a tour of Egypt, and intended for it to be his burial vault.
TikToker Tom Prout shared his awe after coming across the pyramid
Talking to his followers, Prout said the pyramid was ‘the most surreal thing I’ve ever seen here in the UK’
But the Prince Albert Cairn is not the only structure in the UK resembling those of ancient Egypt. Nestled in the depths of Garvagh Forest in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, stands an 18ft pyramid
Known as the Garvagh Pyramid or ‘The Vault’, the monument was built in the 1800s
But it is said that Lord Garvagh later had a change of heart, and decided not to be buried there.
Despite having been passed on for many generations, the pyramid remains empty.
And similarly to Prince Albert’s Cairn, its existence remains hidden for several people.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Causeway Coast and Glens Councillor Richard Holmes said that the pyramid is ‘one of the hidden gems of the Causeway Coast’.
‘It’s special and definitely a talking point. It may not be the scale of the grand pyramids, but none the less it’s a four-sided pyramid in Northern Ireland’, he added.