Epstein’s alleged visit to Balmoral with Andrew under investigation by Scottish police

Scottish police have launched an investigation into the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's alleged visit to the royal Balmoral estate in Scotland, according to UK media. The inquiries, reportedly related to the alleged trafficking of women to the Scottish Highlands castle, are in the "very early stage" and are being conducted by Police Scotland.

Epstein visited the estate in 1999 along with his jailed ex-girlfriend and accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. Both are believed to have stayed at Balmoral following an invitation from ex-prince Andrew, who has previously acknowledged his friendships with them but denied all allegations of wrongdoing. The police probe comes amid broader investigations into Andrew and Epstein's alleged connections to Britain, with at least ten UK police forces currently probing their links.

Andrew was previously stripped of royal titles and ousted from his Windsor residence following continued fallout from his ties to Epstein. He was briefly arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to Epstein, though he has denied the allegations and won a legal challenge over the searches. The latest line of inquiry is linked to Epstein and Maxwell's reported 1999 visit to Balmoral, with the US probe involving pictures of them at the estate.

The scandal has engulfed Andrew since one of Epstein's accusers, Virginia Giuffre, claimed she was trafficked three times to have sex with him when she was a teenager. The ex-prince has denied these claims and settled a US civil lawsuit in 2022 brought by Giuffre while not admitting liability.