Mrs Gloag's Kinfauns castle estate is in Perthshire

The claims came as Mrs Gloag's legal bid to ban public access to part of her Kinfauns Estate continued.

Dave Morris, of access group the Ramblers Association, said virtually all the Balmoral Estate had public access when the Royals were there.

Mrs Gloag brought the case, at Perth Sheriff Court, amid concerns over security at her Perthshire estate.

The millionaire, who is challenging Scotland's right to roam legislation, also said her family and guests needed privacy.

Security operation

Giving evidence, Mr Morris told the court that, when at Balmoral, the Queen freely roamed the estate and occasionally met ramblers.

He suggested that Mrs Gloag could make use of appropriate security personnel if she felt threatened.

Mr Morris said: "I went to Balmoral to talk to the factor about security arrangements. He gave an example of the Queen riding her horse along a track, encountering hill walkers and having a straightforward exchange.

"There were personnel nearby in a vehicle who would have been able to take action if there had been any difficulty."