Ballater is a town in Aberdeenshire about 25 miles west of Aberdeen. It grew up as resort town in the Victorian era and in 2022 had a population of 1400. It’s on A93 the main road up the Dee Valley, and is a good base for exploring Deeside and Cairngorms National Park. This page also covers the area around Strathdon.

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Map of Ballater

By car, the quickest approach is along A93 west from Aberdeen. A slower scenic route is to follow A93 north from Perth up Glenshee to Braemar then east.

Getting here by public transport is via Aberdeen, which has UK and European flights, trains from England, Edinburgh and Glasgow, and long distance buses.

Stagecoach North Scotland Bus 201 runs from Aberdeen Union Square via Banchory to Ballater (1 hr 40 min) and continues via Crathie (for Balmoral) to Braemar (another 30 min). It runs hourly M-Sa and every two hours on Sunday.

Bus 218 runs from Aberdeen to Alford, 80 min, with four buses M-Sa. Bus 220 to Kemnay extends to Alford three times a day. The 218 and 220 don't go via Ballater.

Attractions are scattered, you need a car or at least a bike.

Nicol Taxi is on +44 1339 755654.

• 57.0397-3.23141 Balmoral Castle, Balmoral Estates, Ballater AB35 5T (off A93). April-mid Aug daily 10AM-5PM. Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, bought this land and built a grandiloquent pile of a castle, the prototype of the Scottish Baronial style, all mock-turrets and stags heads looming over the stairways. Completed in 1856, it remains the Royal Family's summer holiday home. The standard tour only includes one room within the castle, the ballroom, plus the stables and gardens. A much pricier guided tour goes further. The king is usually resident late Aug and Sept, so there's no access then. Adult £18.50, child £9.50. (updated Apr 2025)
• 57.0648-3.00672 Tullich Church, built around 1400, is a ruin on A93 two miles east of Ballater. Several Pictish monuments found in the graveyard can be seen in a glass case within the ruin.
• 57.2207-2.998793 Glenbuchat Castle, Strathdon AB36 8TN, ☏ +44 7872 392360. Roofless but substantial ruin of a Z-plan tower house built in 1590 for John Gordon of Cairnborrow, possibly by re-cycling stone from Kildrummy. The castle is unsafe and fenced off but you can look at it from the woodland park. (updated Apr 2025)
• 57.1628-3.23424 Corgarff Castle, Strathdon AB36 8YP, ☏ +44 1975 651460. Apr-Sep W-Su 10AM-4:30PM. Mid-16th-century tower house castle with reconstructed 1750 redcoat barracks. Access is by a steep track, wear boots. Adult £7.50, conc £6, child £4.50. (updated Apr 2025)
• 57.204-3.0715 Strathdon or Bellabeg is a village on A944 where the main sight is the Doune of Invernochty, a set of earthworks and foundations for a 12th-century castle. It's just southwest of village centre and free to stroll. The lane up the valley northwest leads to the little settlement of Lost, which for obvious reasons can't be shown on the map.
• 57.2348-2.90466 Kildrummy Castle, Alford AB33 8RA (on A97), ☏ +44 1975 571331. Apr-Sep daily 9:30AM-5:30PM. This is an extensive 13th-century ruin, perched over a ravine and with gardens. A seat of the Earl of Mar, it was abandoned in 1716. Adult £8.50, conc £6.80, child £5. (updated Apr 2025)
• See Banchory for sights further east such as Crathes Castle.
• See Huntly for sights further north, such as St Mary's Kirk and Tap o' Noth near Rhynie.

• Golf: Ballater GC is on Victoria Rd, south side of the village. White tees 6059 yards, par 70, visitor round £90.
• Deeside Way is a walking and cycling path from Aberdeen to Ballater along an old railway track bed. See Aberdeen#Do for the first section from the city to Drumoak, and Banchory for the sections from Drumoak through Banchory to Aboyne. The last section is from Aboyne along the north bank of the Dee to Ballater, 11 miles.
• Ski at 57.2011-3.2481 Lecht 2090, Strathdon AB36 8YP (on A939 between Ballater / Strathdon and Tomintoul), ☏ +44 1975 651440. "2090" means in feet, it's only 645 metres altitude at base, with the hills above rising to 775 m. So it's a beginners' resort with 12 lifts including a "magic carpet" for wobbly novices, half a dozen short runs on the shady side west of the road, and one even shorter run on the sunny east slope. There are mountain bike trails here in summer. (updated Apr 2025)
• Glenshee is a larger ski area above Braemar to the west.
• 56.962-3.2662 Lochnagar, a Munro of 1155 m / 3789 ft, is the signature climb here. The simplest ascent is from Glen Muick: drive up the lane branching south from B976 at Bridge of Muick. The path from the car park is obvious, and does not cross a deer-stalking range. (Other high-level paths may be unsafe M-Sa late Aug - Oct.) Reckon 6-7 hours there and back, 12 miles / 19 km total.
• Ballater Highland Games are held on the second Thursday in August at Monaltrie Park, with the next on Th 14 Aug 2025.
• Lonach Highland Games are held in Bellabeg 7 miles north of Ballater on the fourth Saturday in August, with the next on Sa 23 Aug 2025.

• Co-op Food is at 4 Golf Rd, open daily 7AM-10PM.
• Wilkies is a general store on Station Square, open M-Sa 9:30AM-5PM, Su noon-4PM.
• Deeside Books is at 18 Bridge St, open daily 10AM-5PM.
• Bike Station, Station Square AB35 5RB, ☏ +44 7552 169272. M-Sa 10AM-4:30PM, Su 10AM-noon. Does bike hire including electric. (updated Apr 2025)
• Farmer's Market is on the fourth Saturday of the month 10AM-2PM at Church Green, Ballater.
• Spar is the store for Bellabeg village, open M-Sa 8AM-6PM, Su 10AM-2PM.

• Clachan Grill at 5 Bridge Square is open W-Sa 1-8:30PM, Su noon-7:30PM.
• The Green Inn is an Italian at 9 Victoria Rd. It's open daily 5-10PM and has rooms.
• Lochnagar Indian Brasserie is at 2 Church Square, open daily 5-11PM.
• Shorty's Ice Cream Parlour at 25 Bridge St is open Th-Su noon-4PM.
• Hotel restaurants (see Sleep) are Balmoral Arms and Darroch Learg.
• 57.1624-3.18521 Goodbrand & Ross tea room, Corgarff, Strathdon AB36 8YL, ☏ +44 1975 651433. Daily 10AM-4PM. Grand little cafe on A939. (updated Apr 2025)

• Balmoral Bar, 1 Netherley Place AB35 5QE, ☏ +44 1339 755462. Su-W 11AM-midnight, Th-Sa 11AM-1AM. The main bar in town has a good selection of food. Dog-friendly. (updated Apr 2025)
• 57.0301-3.20161 Royal Lochnagar Distillery, Crathie AB35 5TB (by Balmoral). Daily 10AM-5PM. Royal Lochnagar single malt whisky is distilled here. Standard tour £22. (updated Apr 2025)

• 57.046-3.03991 Ballater Caravan Park, Anderson Rd, Ballater AB35 5QW (by golf course), ☏ +44 1339 755727. Well-run camping and caravan site open March-Nov. Tent £21, tourer £35. (updated Apr 2025)
• Ballater Hostel, Bridge Square AB35 5QJ (village centre), ☏ +44 1339 753752. Central and well-equipped, open all year. Bunk £21 ppn. (updated Apr 2025)
• Alexandra Hotel, 12 Bridge Square AB35 5QJ (village centre), ☏ +44 1339 755376, [email protected]. Smart little hotel, good dining. B&B double £150. (updated Apr 2025)
• Balmoral Arms, 13-15 Victoria Rd AB35 5RA (village centre), ☏ +44 1339 755413. Welcoming 56 room hotel, dog-friendly. B&B double £180. (updated Apr 2025)
• B&Bs include Gordon Guest House at Station Square, Fairdene on School Lane, and Auld Kirk on Braemar Rd.
• 57.0514-3.05272 Darroch Learg, 56 Braemar Rd AB35 5UX, ☏ +44 1339 755443. Lovely small hotel and restaurant by the river. B&B double £200. (updated Apr 2025)

Further out

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• 57.2415-2.89323 Kildrummy Inn, Alford AB33 8QS (on A97), ☏ +44 1975 571227. Plush 4-room hotel with good restaurant. B&B double £280. (updated Apr 2025)
• 57.1421-2.85834 Douneside House, Tarland, Aboyne AB34 4UL, ☏ +44 1339 881230. Wonderful small hotel, 23 rooms with 9 in cottages. Excellent decor, welcome and cuisine. B&B double £400. (updated Apr 2025)
• 57.1834-3.07745 Cairngorms Glamping, Riverview, Strathdon AB36 8YT, ☏ +44 7912 782712. Splendid away-from-it-all site, open all year. Pod £130, pitch £30. (updated Apr 2025)

As of April 2025, Ballater, Crathes and their approach roads have 4G from EE, O2 and Vodafone, and a patchy mobile signal from Three. Don't be relying on your mobile in the mountains, there's scant coverage away from the main roads. 5G has not reached this area.

• Aberdeen east has lots to see and do.
• Braemar west is the base for exploring upper Deeside. Glenshee ski area is on the mountain to the south.
• The scenic A939 winds north over the hills to Tomintoul then down into the Spey Valley at Grantown-on-Spey.

Perth ← Braemar ←

W  E

→ Banchory → Aberdeen