The Victorian village of Ballater, ranking amongst the most attractive in the Highlands, sits in the heart of Royal Deeside, and lies east of the Cairngorm National Park. 

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Ballater is 43 miles west of Aberdeen and Balmoral castle is 7 miles to the east. Balmoral castle has been the Royal Family's Scottish holiday home since 1852. Many of the shops display Royal Warrants awarded by the Royal Family to local businesses for providing services of a high standard to the castle. 

Ballater has many coffee shops, an ice cream parlour and recently opened is The Carriage, a bistro and cafe located within the historic Old Royal Station, this is part of HRH Prince Charles, The Prince Foundation. There are a large variety of restaurants to choose from serving dishes from Indian and Chinese to traditional Scottish cuisine. A favourite is the Rothesay Rooms which has recently gained entry to the Michelin Guide. Ballater has many shops to visit including galleries, delicatessan, gift shops and outdoor clothing. 

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Ballater can be reached by car, approximately 1hr 15mins from Aberdeen on the A93. It is also served by the Stagecoach 201 bus service hourly, timetables can be found at www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables.

Aberdeen can be reached by bus, train or plane.