Royal Deeside : Ballater and nearby Communities

Ballater is a delightful 'Victorian' town in the centre of Royal Deeside the eastern Cairngorms National Park. Originally founded at the start of the 19th century to accommodate visitors to the nearby Pannanich Wells spa, it subsequently became the site for the railway station that serviced nearby Balmoral Castle and Upper Deeside. For about 100 years this station was used by the Royal Family and their guests and by thousands of holiday makers from Aberdeen and elsewhere coming to enjoy the delightful surroundings. The station is now a popular visitor centre. The town grew steadily during the Victorian era and contains many fine stone-built buildings within its conservation area.

On this page we will also introduce some of the villages and smaller communities nearby. Mostly these villages are small and unspoilt but also quite old.

Ballater :on A93 40 miles west of Aberdeen
Dinnet : on A93 at edge of Muir of Dinnet
Logie Coldstone : north-west of Tarland
Crathie : by Balmoral Castle on A93

	Royal Balmoral Castle is just 8 miles from Ballater. Both lie at the heart of Royal Deeside, an area of outstanding natural beauty.		Within the Cairngorms National Park, Ballater provides easy access to the mountains such as the wonderful Lochnagar.
	Ballater has excellent shops, hotels and restaurants. Many shops show Royal Warrant signs - a sign of quality service		Ballater has an active community and there is much to do. Visitors will particularly enjoy events such as Victoria Week and the Walking Festival.

The variety of shops in Ballater is surprising given its small size. The Royal Family use Ballater for much of the supplies for Balmoral Castle and for nearby Birkhall so that many shops in the village display Royal Warrant signs. Many of the fine houses have been turned into hotels and guest-houses and the town also supports an unusually high concentration of good restaurants. With the watchword being quality, visitors to Ballater are ensured a very enjoyable stay.

Approaching Ballater from the east, one can enjoy the views of the River Dee flowing through the town while behind the village stands the majestic Lochnagar, one of Scotland's great mountains. The river and hills ensure that Ballater is a great base for both those who enjoy walking and fishing breaks and those who enjoy touring. Ballater also has a fine 18-hole golf course and facilities for other sports. Additionally in May it supports a popular Walking Week and in August it hosts Victoria Week.

More information is given on the official Ballater website.

The former church at Dinnet near Ballater

Crathie Kirk seen from the kirkyard where John Brown was buried.