Royal Deeside :History of Ballater

The area around Ballater has been settled for well over 2000 years and there is a wealth of archeological remains particularly in and around the Muir of Dinnet. Although Ballater itself is a relatively modern town, nearby communities such as Tullich and Crathie have connections with the early Christian saints. Much of the land around Ballater has traditionally belonged to the Gordon or Farquharson families and ruined Knock Castle testifies to the conflicts between the Gordon and Forbes families.

Ballater did not exist before 1790 and much of its growth took place in the middle years of the 19th Century. This is why two features of Ballater stand out - the array of fine Victorian stone-built houses and cottages and the fine straight roads that make up the village centre.

Despite its brevity, there is much of interest in the history of Ballater. On this and the accompanying pages some items from that history will be related.