The Queen has been given the go-ahead to upgrade a green energy scheme at her Scottish summer residence.
Britain's largest national park authority granted the Queen permission to upgrade a historic hydro scheme at the Balmoral Estate.
The upgrade means water will power the heating at the castle in Royal Deeside and save the Queen £100,000 a year on her electricity bill.
Cairngorms National Park Authority planning officer Katherine Donnachie said: "The scheme will provide around 100kw of energy to provide heating for Balmoral Castle as opposed to the original scheme which provided 40kw of power exported directly to the National Grid.
"The scheme will also provide improved fish passage by revising the infrastructure to ensure adequate flows in the river."
The Queen sells electricity generated by the 40kw station at the Gelder Burn into the National Grid.
It will now be replaced with a 100kw turbine, feeding directly to the castle.
The green electricity produced in the new scheme will also power cottages on the 50,000-acre estate.
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