Ballater

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Ballater (1866-1966)

Opened on the Aboyne and Braemar Railway.
Opened on the Bridge of Gairn Tramway (Aboyne and Braemar Railway).

Description

This was the terminus of the Deeside line from Aberdeen. The terminus was at the Station Square in the middle of Ballater. The building was burned down in 2015 but had been, despite the closure of the station, been rebuilt. The resulting rebuilt building is superb. The terminus has a long association with the Royal Family and Queen Victoria, this station being the closest to Balmoral Castle.

This was a two platform station, the main platform (intended to be a through platform) and a bay platform at the east end. Space was left for an eastbound platform, which was never built. To the north of this was a large goods yard, approached from the east.

There was a large carriage shed at the east end, south of the line, also approached from the east, but via a headshunt. To the south was a two road locomotive shed and a turntable.

The line was continued west to Bridge of Gairn as a tramway Bridge of Gairn Tramway (Aboyne and Braemar Railway), but this was not brought into use and no further stations were built to the west. Instead a traction engine service continued the line west by road - and a bus service (see below). To the east the line continued to Cambus O' May and on, ultimately, to Aberdeen.

The original station was considerably smaller with a small station building and smaller goods yard. In 1886 the station building was replaced with a much finer structure in timber.

There was a signal box, opened 1893, at the throat of the station. It was on the north side of the line.

A timber siding was laid in during the Second World War.

The station closed to passengers in February 1966. The box was reduced to a ground frame. The line closed completely in July 1966.

The goods yard area, carriage shed and locomotive shed area were cleared and are now occupied by housing.

The station building and platform survived closure but was burned down in 2015. The building has been rebuilt - with great attention to detail and using plans for the building.


Bus


From 1904, the Great North of Scotland Railway operated a bus service to Braemar. A station building, offices of the company, was built in Braemar. A tourist route to Dinnet and Bellabeg, connecting with a bus from Alford, was introduced in 1907.

Local

Visit Ballater
Balmoral Castle
Queen Victoria's Journals
Bike Station Ballater is located by the station.
The Carriage Ballater is a cafe located in the station.

Tags

Terminus footpath

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
NLS Map
03/12/2021

Facilities

Listing: B


Nearby stations
Cambus o^ May
Dinnet
Aboyne
Aboyne Curlers Platform
Dess
Lumphanan
Torphins
Glassel
Alford
Whitehouse
Tillyfourie
Dee Street Halt
Banchory [2nd]
Banchory [1st]
West Lodge
Ballater Shed
Bridge of Gairn
Milton of Tullich Siding
Cambus o^ May Suspension Bridge
Cambus o^ May Ballast Siding
Monandavan Diatomite Works
Tourist/other
Cambus o^ May House
Dinnet House
Mount Keen
Balmoral Castle
Tomnaverie Stone Circle
Lochnagar-Meikle Pap
Meall Coire na Saobhaidhe
Cuidhe Crom
Lochnagar-Little Pap
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.


Forward thinking


On the 21st of April 1958 a battery powered BMU began operating between Aberdeen and Ballater, around 43 miles. There were charging points at either end.

Aberdeen to Ballater by BMU: Notes on the Battery Railcar Experiment, David Murray-Smith


Station Square


The Great North of Scotland Railway owned not just the station but the square. In the square are granite setts marking out the boundary.


Electrical lighting


For the visit of the Czar and Czarina of Russia in 1896, taking a train from Leith to Ballater, the oil lighting at the latter station was considered insufficient and electrical lighting was arranged for the occasion.


Chronology Dates

  /  /1866Aboyne and Braemar Railway
Ballater to Bridge of Gairn section construction abandoned.
17/10/1866Aboyne and Braemar Railway
Opened from Aboyne to Ballater with stations at Aboyne, Dinnet and Ballater.
  /  /1904Great North of Scotland Railway
Bus service introducted from Ballater, on the Aboyne and Braemar Railway, to a bus station in Braemar.
21/04/1958Aberdeen Railway
Deeside Railway
Deeside Extension Railway
Aboyne and Braemar Railway
BMU Battery Railcar introduced between Aberdeen and Ballater.
28/02/1966Aboyne and Braemar Railway
Ballater to Aberdeen (Ferryhill Junction) closed to passengers.
28/02/1966Deeside Railway Deeside Extension Railway Aboyne and Braemar Railway
Ballater, Cambus O' May, Dinnet, Aboyne, Dess, Lumphanan, Torphins, Glassel, Dee Street Halt, Banchory [2nd], Crathes, Park, Culter and Cults closed to passengers.
18/07/1966Deeside RailwayDeeside Extension RailwayAboyne and Braemar Railway
Ballater to Culter (excluded) closed to freight. Culter Paper Mill remains rail served.
08/04/2008Deeside Railway
On their third wedding anniversary Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall unveil a reproduction of a Victoria era railway carriage at Ballater station.
20/08/2018Aboyne and Braemar Railway
Ballater station officially 'reopened' as a museum, tearoom, restaurant and information centre following completion of its repair after a devastating fire.

News items

10/07/2023Scores of locals back new bid to turn Cults Railway Station into cafe and Haddo Estate mansion being modernised [Press and Journal]
10/11/2021Rare surviving sign from Ballater Railway Station set to go under the hammer [Press and Journal]
01/07/2021Heritage award unveiled to mark revival of Ballater Station [Press and Journal]
24/05/2021The Heir of Entail, his Factor and the Invercauld Tramway - Charlie Niven [Railscot]
22/03/2021Lairds of the line: When Highland landowners had private railway stations and waiting rooms [Press and Journal]
25/02/2021Deeside railway: Last Ballater train saw end of the Royal Line 55 years ago [Evening Express]
14/09/2020Vintage north-east railway line-themed event to take place [Evening Express]
04/12/2019National Railway Heritage Awards [RailScot]
01/11/2019Ballater station project up for top heritage award [Press and Journal]
20/08/2019Fire-hit Old Railway Station in Ballater celebrates first year since rising from the ashes [Press and Journal]

Books


A History of the Great North of Scotland Railway

Deeside Line: The North-east's Royal Railway

Great North of Scotland Railway (History of the Railways of the Scottish Highlands, vol. 3)

Great North of Scotland Railway Album

Great North of Scotland Railway Album

History of the Railways of the Scottish Highlands: Great North of Scotland Railway v. 3

Royal Deeside's Railway: Aberdeen to Ballater

Scotland’s Lost Branch Lines: Where Beeching Got It Wrong

The Great North of Scotland Railway - A New History