Ballater
Encyclopedia
Ballater is a burgh
in Aberdeenshire, Scotland
on the River Dee
, immediately east of the Cairngorm Mountains. Situated at a height of 123m (700ft) in elevation, Ballater is a centre for hikers
and known for its spring water
, once said to cure scrofula
.
was influenced by the ancient trackway
s across the Grampian Mounth
, which determined strategic locations of castles and other Deeside settlements of the Middle Ages
.
In the early 14th century, the area was part of the estates of the Knights of St John, but the settlement did not develop until around 1770; first as a spa resort to accommodate visitors to the Pananich Mineral Well, then later upon the arrival of the railway in 1866 (since closed). Ballater railway station
was closed in 1966. Many buildings date from the Victorian era
and the centre of the village is a conservation area
.
, the British Royal Family
's holiday home, lies approximately 14km west, and the family has visited the town frequently since the time of Queen Victoria
. Birkhall
lies about 2km south-west of Ballater. The Victoria Barracks is used by the Royal Guard
for the castle.
Local stores, including the butchers on the High Street and an outdoor sports shop, had for decades Royal Warrant
s bestowed upon them. Five years after the passing of the Queen Mother, who was the royal person who had granted them, the warrants lapsed and, to the chagrin of many townsfolk and especially shop owners, were removed.
The summer of 2005 saw record temperatures in the region, with many Cadet training activities near Ballater being cancelled.
and Scotland, Ballater experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. Its upland position however means temperatures throughout the year are cooler than lower lying areas, and snowfall more plentiful during winter months.
and Balmoral Castle
nearby. There are two bike hire shops in the village for exploring the surrounding rugged landscape: Cycle Highlands and The Bike Station
The old Ballater station, containing Queen Victoria's waiting room, is now a visitor centre with a replica royal carriage. Balmoral Castle
is a 10-minute drive from the village.
Wherever you venture out of the village, there are many walk
s. For the easy going walker, there is Craigendarroch
, a small, peculiarly shaped hill that you can commence up immediately from the village. About 12km south-west of Ballater is the impressive Loch Muick
. From there experienced walkers can head up the prominent mountain
, Lochnagar
. Ballater is the home of many challenging walks due to the abundance of Munro
s in the area.
Events in the town include:
The village has its own 'tongue in cheek', on-line newspaper, the Ballater Bugle.
Recently five Ballater residents refurbished the Automobile Association
's Patrol Box
at Cambus O'May, one of only 8 to 10 such historical call centres estimated to be remaining in situ within the United Kingdom.
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
in Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
on the River Dee
River Dee, Aberdeenshire
The River Dee is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through Strathdee to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen...
, immediately east of the Cairngorm Mountains. Situated at a height of 123m (700ft) in elevation, Ballater is a centre for hikers
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and known for its spring water
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
, once said to cure scrofula
Scrofula
Tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis refers to a lymphadenitis of the cervical lymph nodes associated with tuberculosis. It was previously known as "scrofula".-The disease:...
.
History
The medieval pattern of development along this reach of the River DeeRiver Dee, Aberdeenshire
The River Dee is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through Strathdee to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen...
was influenced by the ancient trackway
Trackway
A trackway is an ancient route of travel for people or animals. In biology, a trackway can be a set of impressions in the soft earth, usually a set of footprints, left by an animal. A fossil trackway is the fossilized imprint of a trackway. Trackways have been found all over the world...
s across the Grampian Mounth
Mounth
The Mounth is the range of hills on the southern edge of Strathdee in northeast Scotland. It was usually referred to with the article, i.e. "the Mounth". The name is a corruption of the Scottish Gaelic monadh which in turn is akin to the Welsh mynydd, and may be of Pictish origin...
, which determined strategic locations of castles and other Deeside settlements of the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
.
In the early 14th century, the area was part of the estates of the Knights of St John, but the settlement did not develop until around 1770; first as a spa resort to accommodate visitors to the Pananich Mineral Well, then later upon the arrival of the railway in 1866 (since closed). Ballater railway station
Ballater railway station
Ballater railway station was a station in the village of Ballater in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The station was the terminus of a line from Aberdeen...
was closed in 1966. Many buildings date from the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
and the centre of the village is a conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
.
Royal connection
Balmoral CastleBalmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle is a large estate house in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and east of Braemar. Balmoral has been one of the residences of the British Royal Family since 1852, when it was purchased by Queen Victoria and her...
, the British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
's holiday home, lies approximately 14km west, and the family has visited the town frequently since the time of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
. Birkhall
Birkhall
Birkhall is a 53,000 acre estate on Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is alongside the River Muick to the southwest of Ballater....
lies about 2km south-west of Ballater. The Victoria Barracks is used by the Royal Guard
Royal Guard
A Royal Guard describes any group of military bodyguards, soldiers or armed retainers responsible for the protection of a royal person, such as Emperor/Empress, King/Queen, or Prince/Princess...
for the castle.
Local stores, including the butchers on the High Street and an outdoor sports shop, had for decades Royal Warrant
Royal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
s bestowed upon them. Five years after the passing of the Queen Mother, who was the royal person who had granted them, the warrants lapsed and, to the chagrin of many townsfolk and especially shop owners, were removed.
The summer of 2005 saw record temperatures in the region, with many Cadet training activities near Ballater being cancelled.
Climate
A MetOffice Weather Station collects weather data at Balmoral, just under 7 miles to the west of Ballater. As with the rest of the British IslesBritish Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
and Scotland, Ballater experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. Its upland position however means temperatures throughout the year are cooler than lower lying areas, and snowfall more plentiful during winter months.
Attractions
Ballater is a centre for tourism in Royal Deeside, with the CairngormsCairngorms
The Cairngorms are a mountain range in the eastern Highlands of Scotland closely associated with the mountain of the same name - Cairn Gorm.-Name:...
and Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle is a large estate house in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and east of Braemar. Balmoral has been one of the residences of the British Royal Family since 1852, when it was purchased by Queen Victoria and her...
nearby. There are two bike hire shops in the village for exploring the surrounding rugged landscape: Cycle Highlands and The Bike Station
The old Ballater station, containing Queen Victoria's waiting room, is now a visitor centre with a replica royal carriage. Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle is a large estate house in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and east of Braemar. Balmoral has been one of the residences of the British Royal Family since 1852, when it was purchased by Queen Victoria and her...
is a 10-minute drive from the village.
Wherever you venture out of the village, there are many walk
WALK
WALK may refer to:*WALK , a radio station licensed to East Patchogue, New York, United States*WALK-FM, a radio station licensed to Patchogue, New York, United States...
s. For the easy going walker, there is Craigendarroch
Craigendarroch
The Craigendarroch Resort in Ballater, Scotland is a resort complex close to the banks of the River Dee. It is located on a hillside just west of the village of Ballater, 42 miles west of Aberdeen and is 17 miles to the east of Braemar. It is also close to Balmoral, the Scottish home of the Royal...
, a small, peculiarly shaped hill that you can commence up immediately from the village. About 12km south-west of Ballater is the impressive Loch Muick
Loch Muick
Loch Muick is a 2-mile long freshwater loch in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is fed from the west by the Allt an dubh Loch, which flows down from Dubh Loch. The outflow is the source of the River Muick. A hiking path around the loch exists and is accessible from a carpark at Spittal of Glen Muick,...
. From there experienced walkers can head up the prominent mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
, Lochnagar
Lochnagar
Lochnagar or Beinn Chìochan is a mountain in the Grampians of Scotland, located about five miles south of the River Dee near Balmoral.-Names:...
. Ballater is the home of many challenging walks due to the abundance of Munro
Munro
A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...
s in the area.
Events in the town include:
- The Ballater Walking Festival, held annually in May, attracts many hillwalkersHillwalkingIn the British Isles, the terms hillwalking or fellwalking are commonly used to describe the recreational outdoor activity of walking on hills and mountains, often with the intention of visiting their summits...
of all levels. Participants are guided through the hills and valleys of the eastern CairngormsCairngormsThe Cairngorms are a mountain range in the eastern Highlands of Scotland closely associated with the mountain of the same name - Cairn Gorm.-Name:...
.
- The Ballater Boules Challenge, on alternate Sundays from November to March each year, provides an alternative sport when the weather is not cold enough for the traditional game of curlingCurlingCurling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
.
- Victoria Week, held annually in August, is a celebration of Ballater's connection with Queen Victoria and Balmoral Castle.
The village has its own 'tongue in cheek', on-line newspaper, the Ballater Bugle.
Recently five Ballater residents refurbished the Automobile Association
The Automobile Association
The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
's Patrol Box
Callbox
A call box or callbox is a box containing a special-purpose direct line telephone or other telecommunications device, which has been used by various industries and institutions as a way for employees or clients at a remote location to contact a central dispatch office.- Police and taxicab...
at Cambus O'May, one of only 8 to 10 such historical call centres estimated to be remaining in situ within the United Kingdom.
Notable residents
- Sir Patrick GeddesPatrick GeddesSir Patrick Geddes was a Scottish biologist, sociologist, philanthropist and pioneering town planner. He is known for his innovative thinking in the fields of urban planning and education....
, biologistBiologistA biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
and botanistBotanyBotany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses... - John 'Fafnir' Landragon, non-human President and local dragon