Ballater And Balmoral
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Ballater
The neat little town of Ballater is proud of its royal connections. You can buy meat from the butcher with his 'By Royal Appointment' sign, or clothes from royal outfitters. This is where Lizzie and Phil pop down to the shops for a pint of milk or perhaps to choose a video. Ever since Queen Victoria first arrived by train from Aberdeen in 1848, the royal family have been spending their holidays here in their summer residence, Balmoral Castle. She was not amused at the prospect of having an unsightly rail station on her doorstep, so the line ended eight miles east, at Ballater. The line has been closed for some time, but you can still visit the old train station, which now houses an elegant tearoom. (see local history site)
The Tourist Information Centre is housed in the old Royal Station, Tel. 755306. It's open Easter-May and Oct Mon-Sat 1000-1300, 1400-1700, Sun 1300-1700; Jun and Sep Mon-Sat 1000-1300,1400-1800, Sun 1300-1800; Jul-Aug Mon-Sat 1000-1300, 1400-1900, Sun 1300-1900.
The royals are not the only famous summer visitors. The poet Byron (who attended Aberdeen Grammar School) spent many childhood summer holidays at Ballaterach, a few miles east of Ballater. He had a narrow escape when he slipped and nearly fell into the fast flowing stream at the Linn of Dee, beyond Braemar. He was rescued just in time and went on to wax poetic about the beautiful hills which are Ballater's other great attraction. The town makes the ideal base for hiking (see below) as well as a number of other outdoor activities. Many of the walks set off from Loch Muick (pronounced 'Mick'), nine miles southwest of Ballater, at the head of Glen Muick. (For details, see 'Walks in Deeside' below). There's a visitor centre and car park at Spittal of Glen Muick. From here a track leads along the west shore of the loch to the lodge where Queen Victoria met John Brown. For guides and equipment for canoeing, climbing, mountain biking and skiing, contact Adventure Scotland in Banchory (see above). There is a new Internet cafe in Ballater that offers fast Internet access for visitors wanting to surf and collect email (opening May 2004) click here for further details
Phone code: +44 (0)1339
Accommodation
There's plenty of accommodation in Ballater, from expensive hotels to reasonably priced B&Bs. Pick of the bunch is the Darroch Learg Hotel, Tel. 755443, darroch.learg @exoams.wk.com, half a mile from town, off the A93 heading west to Braemar. 18 rooms, open Feb-Dec. Friendly country house hotel with fine views and a reputation for superb food (expensive), good value.
Family Run Hotel in the Heart of Royal Deeside, ideal to explore the Whisky Trail, Balmoral and only 1 hour from Aberdeen Airport. more details about Loch Kinord
Hilton Craigendarroch, on the Braemar Rd, Tel. 755858, www.hilton.com 44 rooms. Victorian country house converted into a modern resort hotel with full leisure and sports facilities, 2 good restaurants.
Balgonie Country House Hotel, Tel./Fax. 755482, on the western outskirts of town, off the A93. 9 rooms, open Feb-Dec. Friendly and comfortable country house hotel, excellent food (expensive).
Glen Lui Hotel, Invercauld Rd, Tel. 755402, www.glen-lui-hotel. co.uk 19 rooms. Another comfortable hotel offering fine food (lunch cheap; dinner mid-range).
Deeside Hotel, set back from the A93 heading out of town towards Braemar. Tel. 755420, www.royal-deeside.org.uk Friendly, good value and good food (mid-range).
Among the many B&Bs is the recommended Inverdeen House, 11 Bridge Sq, Tel. 755759, www.inverdeen.com French, German and Polish spoken, great breakfasts, no smoking.
Also good is Moorside House, Tel./Fax. 755492, on the Braemar Rd. There's a campsite at Anderson Road Caravan Park, Tel. 755727, open Apr-Oct.
Eating
Apart from the hotels listed above, there are lots of places to eat. Best of all is The Green Inn, Tel./Fax. 755701, on the green in the town centre. It boasts a well-deserved reputation as one of the very best restaurants in the region, classic Scottish cooking with an imaginative and health-conscious twist, expensive. Open daily 1900-2100 (closed Sun Oct-Mar); also has 3 rooms upstairs .
Also good is the family-friendly La Mangiatoia, Tel./Fax. 755999, on Bridge Sq (lunch cheap-mid-range; dinner mid-range to expensive).
Self Catering in Ballater
- BALLATER - Aberdeenshire Sleeps 2
- BALLATER - Aberdeenshire Sleeps 2
- The Stables Sleeps 5
- Inverey Sleeps 4
- The Coyles Cottage Sleeps 4
Balmoral Castle
Eight miles west of Ballater is the area's main attraction, Castle | Balmoral Castle. The 16th-century tower house, formerly owned by the local Gordon family, was bought for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852 and converted into today's baronial mansion. It has been the royal family's summer retreat ever since. Only the ballroom and the grounds are open to the likes of you and me, and only for three months of the year.
Pony trekking and pony cart rides are available around the estate grounds and are favourite ways of enjoying the wonderful scenery. Opposite the castle gates is Crathie Church, which is used by the family when they're in residence. There's a small souvenir shop next to the main gates and a visitor centre which gives a lot of information on the castle and its owners. Also at Crathie is the Inver, an 18th-century inn which serves good, honest food (best to book, Tel. 01339-742345). Mid-Apr to end Jul, daily 1000-1700 (closed on Sun in Apr-May). Tel. 742334. Buses to Braemar from Aberdeen stop by the gates.
Glen Muick & Loch Muick
There is a wonderful Glen with easy to moderate walks in and around Glen Muick. The glen is located about 7 miles East of Ballater along a single track road. The glen has good parking facilities and clearly mapped walks around Loch Muick. Photos of Glen Muick